Esthero

Jenny-Bea Englishman, a Canadian singer who grew up in Walkerton, Ontario and moved to Toronto at sixteen; she was spotted performing at Toronto's Free Times Cafe and paired with producer Martin "Doc" McKinney, who wrote and produced the entire album. Breath From Another (1998) is lush late-'90s trip-hop — her voice over mellow basslines, jazzy trumpet and hip-hop drums. The genuinely surprising thread: that same Doc McKinney went on to become the primary architect of The Weeknd's sound, producing House of Balloons and executive-producing Starboy — so this record is a direct ancestor of modern Toronto R&B. Gold in Canada, Juno-nominated; her most recent widely noted appearance was a 2019 feature on the Black Eyed Peas' "4ever."

From the notes for Episode 02 · fact-checked Sep 23, 2026.