Espen Lind

Espen Lind is a Norwegian record producer, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who was born on 13 May 1971. He achieved recognition both as a solo recording artist and as one half of the songwriting and production team Espionage alongside his longtime professional partner Amund Bjørklund. In addition to his creative releases and production work, Lind has served as a mentor on the Norwegian version of the television series The Voice.

Lind launched his solo recording career in 1995 under the moniker Sway with his debut album, Mmm...Prepare to Be Swayed. Released exclusively in Norway, the album received mixed reviews and sold approximately 5,000 copies. He achieved his major commercial breakthrough in 1997 with the release of the single When Susannah Cries. The song became a hit across several European and Latin American countries and stayed at number one in Norway for six weeks.

Following his breakthrough single, Lind released his second album, Red. The project sold over 100,000 copies in Norway and 350,000 copies worldwide. His success earned him three Norwegian Grammy awards, known as Spellemannprisen, in 1998, including Artist of the Year. In 2000, he released his third album, This Is Pop Music, featuring the singles Black Sunday and Life Is Good, as well as Where the Lost Ones Go, a duet with Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø. The album earned gold status in Norway, though it was generally perceived as a commercial disappointment compared to Red.

After taking a three-year break, Lind released the single Unloved in December 2004, followed by his fourth album, April, in January 2005. In 2006, Lind teamed up with fellow Norwegian artists Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes, and Askil Holm to release the concert album Hallelujah Live. The project featured tracks from the four musicians' solo records as well as covers of songs by other artists, including Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Lind returned with the single Scared of Heights in May 2008, a song that was later covered by Morten Harket for his album Out of My Hands. Lind's fifth solo album, Army of One, was released on 23 June 2008. In January 2009, Lind received the Årets Spellemann award for artist of the year at the Norwegian Grammy Awards.

As part of the production team Espionage, Lind has written and produced music for numerous prominent artists. His writing and production credits include Beyoncé's Irreplaceable, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and Train's singles Drive By and Hey, Soul Sister, the latter reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

Through Espionage and other writing collaborations, Lind has contributed to songs for artists such as Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Emeli Sandé, Selena Gomez, Lionel Richie, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks, Trey Songz, David Cook, and Lee DeWyze. In 2025, Lind composed and produced the soundtrack for the television show Requiem for Selina.