Music – Brisbane
Quintessential Doll is the solo venture of Steph Linsdell. It sees her producing, writing, performing and recording her original music. 2014 saw Quintessential Doll releasing Let Not the Monsters Destroy Me (EP), with tracks from the EP garnering attention from radio stations around the country including Triple J and 4ZZZ. Besides releasing music, Quintessential Doll directed and debuted a musical commentary on today’s overly-medicated, anxiety-ridden society at the 2014 Melbourne Fringe Festival’s Fringe Film Digital Creatures. This animated visual work (Take Your Medication) used surreal carnival imagery to highlight the whimsical nature of the soundtrack whilst drawing on the sinister connotations of the story by using silhouettes of ominous characters. In September 2014, Quintessential Doll independently produced and curated a multidisciplinary event at Metro Arts Brisbane that included original artwork and installations, original music, and a spoken word performance by Brisbane poet Zenobia Frost. Quintessential Doll and her band toured the east coast of Australia in late 2014 to celebrate the release of the EP. Upon returning from the tour, Quintessential Doll has been writing fresh material to showcase in 2015.
Quintessential Doll tells stories through the framework of music and song. She uses poetry, melody and cinematic soundscapes to discover, reflect and share what it means to be uniquely human.
With her distinct bell-like vocals, Quintessential Doll combines atmospheric synths, acoustic string instruments and glitchy electronic beats to provide the listener with a musical soundscape that fluidly moves between electronica and folk.