IAMAMIWHOAMI

Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and filmmaker Jonna Lee started her music career as a fairly unassuming folk musician. Her big international breakthrough came when, in 2009, a series of mysterious videos started appearing on YouTube - and quickly went viral. Speculation as to their creator was rife - was it Christina Aguilera? Could it be Goldfrapp? - but it eventually turned out to be iamamiwhoami, Jonna’s electronic music and audiovisual project in collaboration with Claes Björklund.

Jonna founded her own record label, to whom it may concern, and three beautiful electronic albums followed, with iamamiwhoami’s music ranging from glacial soundscapes to pounding electronic beats and pop behemoths, all accompanied by spectacular visual counterparts.

Long before anyone had heard of covid-19 and lockdowns, iamamiwhoami were at the cutting edge of online concerts, creating immersive experiences which fans all over the world could enjoy. 2010’s In Concert, the first iteration of their live shows, was not only a musical art installation but also an effective way for a new act to perform to fans internationally, through an online shared experience.

In 2017, Jonna embarked on a solo project under the moniker ionnalee, although she maintained the same ethos, releasing a visual film alongside the album Everyone Afraid to be Forgotten. The follow-up, Remember the Future, featured collaborations with Röyksopp, Zola Jesus and fellow Swede Jennie Abrahamson.

And now, in 2022, Jonna is back with Claes as the pair release their latest iamamiwhoami album, Be Here Soon. We caught up with Jonna just a couple of weeks before its release - due on the same day as the birth of her first child - to discuss this latest project.

Check out our artist playlist with a selection of (a modest) twenty of our favourite iamamiwhoami and ionnalee tracks at www.melodyam.com/iam