Esh

On last season’s American Idol, Chicago’s Iesha “Esh” Sturdivant was one of the lucky contestants to be chosen for the Milwaukee auditions. Since her brief encounter with J. Lo, Randy Jackson, and the mummified remains of Steven Tyler, Sturdivant has become a fixture of the Chicago and Milwaukee club circuits. Her music has all the flair of the ’80s (think Bad Animals-era Heart), some of the grunge of the ’90s (think early Alanis Morissette), and a brash and contemporary attitude that seems custom-made for the post-Idol musical landscape. Look for an EP to drop sometime this year, which, with any luck, will include her excellent cover of Radiohead’s “All I Need.”

Updated 06/08/2011