Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter, at its core, is the result of the enduring musical alchemy between singer-songwriter Jesse Sykes and guitarist Phil Wandscher, which began in Seattle, Washington in 2001.

Blending folk, blues, country, orchestral pop and various psychedelic stylings, their sound culminates in what Sykes describes as “spectral folk rock”. Known for her otherworldly vocals and lyrics that touch on the metaphysical; she was once described as being, less like a performer and more like a sage and whether the sonic setting is one of doomy distortion or fragile finger picking, Sykes remains a truly unique vocalist whose dusky voice is capable of imparting a transcendent, almost spiritual quality to almost any tune it touches.

Past and sometimes present members have included Bill Herzog (bass), also of (Earth and Joel R.L. Phelps), Eric Eagle (drums), Anne Marie Ruljancich (viola), Kevin Warner (drums), Jason Merculief (drums) and Rebecca Young (bass).