“My music’s always been driven by my emotional state,” said Melissa Bester, the force behind E^ST. “It’s the way I express how I’m feeling, but just as often it’s how I find out how I’m feeling.” Either way, she says, it ends up being raw; “As raw as I can possibly make it.” In a world where it’s hard to know what’s real, E^ST’s opulent pop provides a rare glimpse of honesty. Historically, E^ST has used music to explore her passion for fantasy, poetry and storytelling, but now it is time for a new chapter. Her debut album “I’M DOING IT” released July 31, 2020, was recorded with acclaimed long-term collaborator Jim Eliot (Ellie Goulding, Anne-Marie, Halsey), and centres on dealing with heartbreak and feelings of isolation and failure. It signals a huge leap forward from her EP releases “Old Age” and “Life Ain’t Always Roses”, which drew plaudits from the likes of The Fader and Paper.