Acclaimed Canadian musicians Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti are back again as ES:MO to release their second album, Sunshine in My Bones, the follow-up to their 2021 JUNO-nominated debut album, The Weight of Hope, continuing the duo’s explorations in genre-bending, improvised music infusing jazz, folk, rock, R&B and soul.
Sunshine in My Bones is a culmination of the duo’s original compositions, created during collaborative jam sessions, touching on themes such as ” war crimes to cruise ship class warfare, love among tulips, and the need for human connection.” The album teases guest appearances from Larnell Lewis, Jinu Isac, Marito Marques, Tony Ferraro and more.
Sharing 19 JUNO nominations between them, Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti have been collaborating on each other’s projects for over a decade. With ES:MO, Shepherd and Occhipinti continue their creative union exploring electronic, jazz-adjacent improvisation through loops, found sounds and jam sessions.
The album is preceded by the lead single, “If We Were Vampires”, a cover of the love song by singer-songwriter Jason Isbell. A second single, “What You Want Can Never Be,” comes out in April.
ES:MO is currently on tour throughout Ontario and will celebrate the launch of the album with a show at Hugh’s Room Live on May 23 in Toronto. Tickets are available here.
