Daughter

Daughter is Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli & Remi Aguilella.

They write dark, ethereal & beautiful songs that showcase a group of young musicians experimenting delicately with a rich array of songwriting ideas and yet remain intent on pouring out their soul pure and unadulterated.

Having launched with the stunning six-minute 'Love', a brooding, stark lament that shifts shape & form as it builds to it's startling crescendo, 'The Wild Youth' is Daughter's current, stunning EP. Like their jaw-dropping live show it's a collection of songs that beautifully weave the intimacy and honesty of timeless, classic folk with the glacial, experimental soundscapes that draw to mind the work of Bjork & Jonsi Birgisson.

Having made a series of demo tracks available at the end of 2010 via their social network pages, Daughter's star has gently risen, collecting fans one-by-one as these tracks were gradually shared amongst enthusiastic friends and bloggers.

As the support grew Daughter found themselves moving - slowly, at first - up The Hype Machine.Within a month - and as the momentum grew - they'd reached #3 in the Most Popular Song Chart. The Independent's Barometer column subsequently noting of their "beautifully-sung, literary folk" and "ethereal melancholy" as they tipped them as a One to Watch.

Launching their debut 'His Young Heart' EP with a sold-out show at The Slaughtered Lamb, London in April 2011, the band were soon invited to perform sessions for Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music & Rob Da Bank on BBC Radio 1.

'Landfill' - the lead track from the 'His Young Heart' EP - was soon added to the BBC 6 Music playlist (B-list), with each play sending a surge of new fans to the band's social-network pages each intrigued by these mysterious young songwriters, Elena's crystal-clear voice and her startling declarations of honesty ("I want you so much, but I hate your guts, I hate you" - 'Landfill').

Spring/ summer 2011 saw Elena - alongside electric guitarist boyfriend Igor Haefeli and drummer Remi Aguilella - support the likes of Lia Ices, Cloud Control, Sharon Van Etten, Ben Howard, Matthew & The Atlas in London and invited on their first UK tour with Bella Union's John Grant. Debut festival performances were also chalked up at Bestival, Lounge on the Farm, Great Escape & two stunning shows on the BBC Introducing stage at Reading/ Leeds Festivals.

Each show bought Daughter in-front of a new crowd and and their reticent, yet beautiful, performances rendered crowds silent to a note.

The 'His Young Heart' EP's slow-burning, word-of-mouth success began to spread beyond the British Isles. In August iTunes US offered Daughter the weeklong free Spotlight Feature for 'Landfill', resulting in over 150,000 free downloads of the track, which triggered the full EP itself to climb into the upper reaches of the iTunes singer/songwriter charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Elena was also invited to be Artist of the Week on American Vogue.

'The Wild Youth' EP was Daughter's next step. Recorded in Crouch End with producer Ian Grimble (Igor Haefeli takes co-production duties) it was released on 21st November via Communion Records (Michael Kiwanuka, Ben Howard).

Daughter's debut BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session was transmitted on Huw Stephens' show on Wednesday, 21st September, whilst the focus track for the EP, 'Home', saw Daughter once again playlisted on BBC 6 Music and triggered the band's first ever daytime BBC Radio 1 plays. Coupled with a brand new session for XFM and live interviews with the likes of Steve Lamacq and Lauren Laverne, Daughter's star burned yet brighter.

Recent tour support to Benjamin Francis Leftwich (UK - October) and Ben Howard (Europe - November) saw Daughter win-over yet more fans. 2011 culminated with three Daughter & Friends Xmas shows in London, Bristol & Manchester. The London show sold-out at St Giles In The Fields church weeks in advance, with the 400 strong capacity crowd welcoming Elena, Igor & Remi back as returning young heroes.

In February 2012 they have been invited to support Ben Howard on his huge UK tour, including two shows at the legendary Shepherd's Bush Empire.