Ethereal Indie Folk Rock Band, from Portland, OR.

Emerging from the hush of the Pacific Northwest, meet Essie and The Hum.

At the center of the four-piece, Essie Humberston’s storytelling and chants anchor an ethereal, shoegazey dreamscape.

Inspired by the raw intimacy of Big Thief, the disarming honesty of Julia Jacklin, and the atmospheric drift of Mazzy Star, Essie and The Hum blend laid-back rock with shimmering indie folk.

Essie's guitar and vocals are elevated by the fluid rhythm section of Jaxx Ward on bass, Steven Douglas on drums, and Paul Danowski on lead guitar.

Together, the four move effortlessly from slow-burn ballads to full-throttle rock — sometimes within the same song.

Based in Portland, OR, Essie and The Hum are a band shaped by the magic of live performance. Their sound drifts, swells, and pulls — a wormhole you won't want to leave.

Four young adults standing against a white wall, with one person doing a handstand.

Here’s a bit more about us:

  • We played our first show at Waypost Tavern on June 13th, 2025!

  • Yes, we do! Our first live album is out on all major streaming services, and available for listening/watching on YouTube as well.

  • We’ve got merch, and we’re working on setting up a webstore here. For the time being, catch us at an upcoming event to see what we’ve got!

  • We’ve gotten a couple (very humbling and cool) comparisons to Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Mazzy Star, and Big Thief. Our go-to description is ethereal indie folk rock — whatever that means!

  • Essie Humberston has a growing library of fantastic solo work. Follow along on her Spotify!

    Steven Douglas fronts the band “People on The Hill"" and plays around Portland.

    Steven, Essie, and Jaxx are also involved in Cafe Humm, an a capella group that performs seasonally.

Silhouette of Essie Humberston at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Silhouette of Essie Humberston at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Paul Danowski playing the white Stratocaster at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Paul Danowski playing the white Stratocaster at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Black and white photo of Steven Douglas playing drums, at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Black and white photo of Steven Douglas playing drums, at Mother Foucault's Bookshop.

Jaxx Ward playing their bass through a blurred, circular frame at Mother Foucault's.

Jaxx Ward playing their bass through a blurred, circular frame at Mother Foucault's.

Interested in Booking?

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