Louise Hoffsten

In Sweden, where she has long ranked among the leading figures in pop, Louise Hoffsten delivers gutsy, hard-rocking performances anchored by a distinctly bluesy voice. Her recording career began in 1987 with the release of Genom Eld Och Vatten, after which she issued three further albums on the Rival label before moving to BMG/RCA in 1993 for Rhythm & Blonde. That partnership yielded six albums and a compilation, ending when she joined the Memphis International roster in 2004 with Knäckebröd Blues. The set drew on blues classics she had discovered during her high-school years in America as an exchange student. She headed to Memphis the following year to record From Linköping to Memphis, an album of original songs Hoffsten composed to reflect both her Swedish homeland and the United States. Stax studio veteran Lester Snell, Booker T. & the MG's drummer Steve Potts, and other Memphis music legends contributed to the sessions.