Louise Hoffsten

Louise Hoffsten

Louise Hoffsten, born September 6, 1965 in Linköping, Sweden, is a Swedish songwriter, musician and singer spanning several genres, notably rock, blues, folk and pop. Her father, Gunnar Hoffsten, was also a musician and played the trumpet in a jazz band. From her first recordings, Hoffsten's music and stage act have weaved together rock, folk and blues influences, while sometimes moving into R'n'B and jazz territory, unified by her earthy, slightly operatic singing style and driving, lean grooves. Like many blues singers she plays the harmonica as well, a recurrent element in her songs; she is arguably the most well-known and recognized female blues singer of contemporary Sweden. She has built a wide following in her native land, has won several awards and currently resides in Stockholm. She participated in Melodifestivalen 2013 with the song "Only the Dead Fish Follow the Stream". Four songs from her sixth studio album 6 (1995), "Dance On Your Grave", "Box Full Of Faces", "Miracle", and "Nice Doin' Business", were featured on the American primetime soap opera Melrose Place. In 1999, American country artist Faith Hill recorded a cover of Hoffsten's "Bringing Out The Elvis", which Hill included on her album Breathe, one of the best-selling country albums of all time. In 1996, Louise was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but despite the complications and occasional depressions (mirrored in the book/record Blues), she continues to write, tour and perform music. On January 21, 2015, she released her second book En näve grus (a fist of gravel), which was co-written by Lena Katarina Swanberg. In 2018, she appears on Så mycket bättre which is broadcast on TV4.

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