Jess Chambers is a composer, musician, and educator currently based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and working under the moniker Dream Chambers. From her beginnings as a folk singer to her current explorations in electronic music, she experiments with sound as a practice of attention: to a room, an outer world, an inner feeling. It’s in that space of beholding where transformation and connection occur, and Chambers is a master alchemist, likening that stretch of attention in music to growing a garden: “There’s a lot of searching, reaching and eventual blossoming in my music – it feels like coming up from underground, like a tulip bulb.” Her sound weaves textures of modular synthesizers, voice, and deep intuition – crafting gorgeous movements that refract natural patterns and brim over toward the ineffable.

Born in Aotearoa/New Zealand to an American mother and Kiwi father, Chambers was initially known for her delicately orchestrated folk albums and her collaborations with Rhian Sheehan, The Upbeats, Isaac Chambers, and The Woolshed Sessions, among others. 

Releasing albums across genres her songs have been licensed to TV and film as well as the Green Party of New Zealand for their general election campaigns of 2008 and 2011. Her song Island was nominated for The APRA Silver Scroll Award in 2008 and Stringing Me Along was awarded APRA Best Country Song in 2009.

Performing extensively in the US, New Zealand, and Australia Jess has headlined solo tours and supported Fleet Foxes (US), King Woman (US), Mark Lanegan (US), Trentemøller (DEN), KT Tunstall (UK), Bic Runga (NZ), Nadah El Shazly (EGY) and Ceil (CAN). She has also toured as a vocalist for the Upbeats and Rhian Sheehan. 

Passionate about sharing knowledge of music technology with women and non-binary creators, Jess facilitates Techno Echo, in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa/Wellington, New Zealand) alongside Amber Johnson (aka Waterfalls), a monthly meet-up featuring local electronic musicians demonstrating their music-making instruments and tools.

Last Fall she toured the US performing a live score of the 1920s classic vampire film Nosferatu with ambient artists Eve Maret and Belly Full of Stars. She also performed ‘The Blossoming’ a concert featuring six of her works expanded in collaboration with Nashville-based classical ensemble Chatterbird and New Zealand-based composer Sonya Waters. Music City Review described it as “a stunningly organic translation of Chambers’ intimate and breathtaking work” and Nashville Scene wrote, “full of warm, organic emotion, alternating between tuneful musicality and raw, spiritual fervor.”

Chambers’ most recent compositions and forthcoming recordings continue down this experimental path but also expand upon it, marking her first time using large-scale modular synthesizers slated for release in 2024.

For more info email: jesschambersmusic@gmail.com