Music bio
Norwegian-born singer-songwriter Hanne Jøstensen weaves her upbringing on a remote Norwegian island and her life today on the south coast of Wellington into her recently released, self-produced EP ‘The Lighthouse’. There’s a poise in her voice, yet a tender emotional core in her lyrics and style
“It carries a sense of stillness balanced with emotional depth, creating space for the listener without demanding attention.” Vidhhi Panchal, NZ Musician.
Hanne layers a truly eclectic musical style together to express her unique experiences here in Aotearoa and back home on her island in Norway where her grandfather was a lighthouse keeper. While there is an overarching ethereal nature to her sound, you’ll find a touch of electric guitar and a backbeat in there too. Hanne’s vulnerability on this EP with her honest songwriting style is a part of the beauty and appeal.
After learning her craft during her formative years singing in choirs and playing in concert bands, she gained an appreciation for classical instruments that had a strong orchestral influence on her sound. Her innate sensitivity to language and meaning shines through this EP. The title track ‘The Lighthouse’ opens with her very own Norwegian dialect from the island of Sula. Over the past five years, Hanne studied songwriting locally under Charlotte Yates and learnt piano from jazz and blues composer and pianist Ian Logan
“The Lighthouse is a thoughtfully and gracefully composed EP, with moments of breathtaking beauty.” Peter K Malthus, Muzic.nz.
‘The Lighthouse’ reached #10 on the Aotearoa Album Chart and stayed in the top 20 for three weeks. It is the culmination of years of refining her sound and songwriting since her debut EP Watch over me (2013), all while juggling work and raising a family. Her songs are personal but the emotion is universal, and they have been warmly received by the NZ music community. Featuring an exciting blend of funk, rock and classical musicians, ‘The Lighthouse’ was recorded and mixed by multi-award winning engineer Lee Prebble at The Surgery in Wellington, and mastered by Josh Llewellyn at Downbeat Mastering in Auckland.
After the release, Hanne did a run of intimate shows around Aotearoa on a winter tour to meet with her audience in person.
In September 2026 Hanne was the first music artist to be part of the South Coast Arts Trail, closing out both the arts trail and her The Lighthouse Winter Tour with a concert in Island Bay.