About Lena

Lena Douglas is an Australian music maker from Melbourne, now based in Copenhagen where she is studying a Master of Music Creation at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory. With a strong grounding as a pianist and keys player in the Melbourne band scene, Lena’s recent work shifts focus towards the voice through sung melodies, sampling her own vocals, and experimentations with autotune.

Lena’s upcoming EP ‘Stockerz’ features 6 tracks written while living on an island in Stockholm in 2022-23. It's a collection of melodic, experimental pop songs that house her musical explorations from that time: sampling her own voice and playing it on the keyboard, tapping on huge mushrooms, taking on a collage style approach to form, and including voice memos from friends back home in Australia. With equal love for acoustic textures, pop energy and nerdy chord progressions, this upcoming release is melodic, honest and open-hearted.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Contemporary Music Performance from The Victorian College of the Arts in 2014, Lena spent 7+ years taking on a multi-faceted role as a performer, composer, educator and project manager in Melbourne. Her early musical output centred around many collaborative projects - contemporary jazz ensemble Lazercatz 2000, electro-pop outfit Tetrahedra and art-rock seven-piece Tulalah. 

In 2020 Lena completed her Honours in Jazz and Improvisation with mentor, composer Kate Neal at the University of Melbourne. This study period informed the creation of her debut solo album Friends of the Future, which she released in May 2022. Featuring compositions written and produced throughout Melbourne’s lockdowns, Friends of the Future brings together influences from European jazz traditions, contemporary folk-pop, and the additive techniques of minimalist composers. Brought to life by some of Melbourne’s most talented musicians, expect uplifting melodies, delicately interwoven textures and progressive journey-like forms with the occasional moments of improvisational prowess and hard-hitting rhythmic energy.

Lena is a passionate educator and values learning and sharing; she is the co-founder of YoWo Music, a contemporary music program for young women and gender diverse teenagers in high school which aims to contribute towards gender equality in the music scene in Melbourne. She has over 10 years teaching experience and has taught at the University of Melbourne and Collarts.

Lena is also an accomplished session musician, having toured Australia with Killing Heidi, No Zu, Thando, Bec Sandridge and Ryan Downey. She has contributed to releases by Jesse Glass, Yeldebert, Nick Roder and Josh Barber. 

“Lena’s star is rising so fast due to her incredible work ethic and prodigious talent. She is truly one of the most impressive musicians and people I’ve had the pleasure of working with”

- Ella Hooper (Killing Heidi)