Raised in Stockholm in a multigenerational musical family, Östblom grew up immersed in jazz and church music from an early age. She began performing publicly as a child, working as an actor and chorister at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, and later gained national attention through the Swedish Junior Eurovision Song Contest. After early exposure to the commercial music industry, she chose to step away and focus on developing her own artistic language rooted in improvisation, storytelling, and vocal expression.

Her formative years were marked by a deep commitment to jazz and gospel. In 2016, she was selected for Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead, a pivotal programme in contemporary jazz formation, and went on to establish an international performance trajectory. In 2017, she released her debut EP A Paintbrush Unfold, mixed and mastered in New York by Dave Darlington, which received strong critical attention in Swedish jazz press.

Since relocating to London, Östblom has become an active presence on the international jazz and gospel circuit. She has appeared at venues and festivals including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Wigmore Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and London Jazz Festival, and her work has brought her into close artistic proximity with leading figures in jazz and gospel music such as Gregory Hutchinson, Doobie Powell and Robert “Sput” Searight.

Alongside her solo work, Östblom leads and co-leads several projects. Her experimental solo outlet smiling LIS explores loops, and sample-based electronic performance, while her band BOREAL SUN, co-led with Matt Roberts, released the EP DAWN in 2024. The release received international radio support, with features on programmes hosted by Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio), and China Moses (Jazz FM).

Östblom’s work moves fluidly between jazz, gospel, and improvised music, grounded in collaboration, presence, and live connection. She continues to develop new recording projects while performing internationally as a bandleader and collaborator.