Sylvan Esso's 6 favorite songs from growing up

The electropop duo recommends tracks by Thelonius Monk, They Might Be Giants, and more

Sylvan Esso
(Image credit: (DL Anderson))

Sylvan Esso, a duo that casts buoyant folk melodies over beds of skittering synthesizers, formed almost by accident. Singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn were in separate bands when Sanborn was tasked with creating a beat-forward remix of a song from Meath's folk group, Mountain Man. That remix proved so rewarding for them both that they decided to form their own band, continuing to meld Meath's playful yet commanding voice with Sanborn's minimalist beat textures. The collaboration yielded their self-titled album, Sylvan Esso, which debuted in March to critical acclaim.

The Week spoke to Sanborn via email about jazz, album themes, and discovering rap music. Below, six songs that were "game-changers" for him early in life:

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Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.