Liv Kristine Espenæs grew up in Stavanger. Her parents got her interested in music at an early age. Her early influences included Madonna and Black Sabbath. At the age of 10, she took part in her first band project. Espenæs moved to Germany at the beginning of the 2000s. On July 3, 2003, she married her long-term partner Alexander Krull, the singer of Atrocity. Their son was born in December of the same year. In 2016, the couple, who were also close musical collaborators, announced their professional and private separation.

Theatre of Tragedy

Espenæs joined the band Theatre of Tragedy in 1993. Originally engaged as a backing singer, she later became an equal duet partner alongside vocalist Raymond. In 1994, Theatre of Tragedy recorded their first demo tape and received a record deal. Six months later, the debut album Theatre of Tragedy was recorded with producer Dan Swanö and released in the summer of 1995. The contrast between dark male growling and clear female vocals made Theatre of Tragedy an early symbol of the "Beauty and Beast" phenomenon of the late 1990s. The follow-up album Velvet Darkness They Fear was released in 1996. In the years that followed, the band released Aégis, Musique and Assembly.

In August 2003, Theatre of Tragedy announced their separation from Espenæs. Espenæs, who had previously moved to Germany, had increasingly lost touch with the members of Theatre of Tragedy in the preceding years and was informed of her departure via e-mail in the same year that Assembly was released. She herself named an unstable band structure over several years as the main problem and reason for a growing resentment in the group, which in her opinion led to her exclusion. The band members, on the other hand, told her that a radical cut had been necessary to overcome an acute crisis.

Solo artist and guest singer

In March 1998, Espenæs' first solo album was released under the name Deus ex Machina, which included a track with Paradise Lost singer Nick Holmes, which was used in the episode Scrooge's Grandson of the German crime series Tatort on July 25, 1999. It sold 35,000 copies. Her second solo album Enter My Religion was released in February 2006, followed by Skintight in 2010, Libertine in 2012 and Vervain in 2014.

Espenæs is a frequent guest vocalist with Atrocity and other bands, including 18 Summers, WeltenBrand, Heavenwood, Genius and Immortal Rites. One of her most famous guest appearances is considered to be the duet Nymphetamine with Cradle of Filth, which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2004. In July 2016, Espenæs supported Eluveitie as a guest vocalist during that tour. In 2022, songs were released together with Tales of a Sleeping Giant, strongly reminiscent of her early days as a singer with Theatre of Tragedy.

Leaves' Eyes

Together with musicians from Atrocity, Espenæs founded the band Leaves' Eyes in the summer of 2003. In spring 2004, Leaves' Eyes released their debut album Lovelorn on Napalm Records and released the single Into Your Light. The second album Vinland Saga reached number 62 in the German Media Control Charts in June 2005, the single Elegy remained in the singles charts for four weeks and reached its highest position at number 76. This was followed by tours, including in the USA and Australia. In 2009, the DVD We came with the Northern Winds / En Saga I Belgia was released and reached number 11 in the German DVD charts. This was followed by the albums Njord 2009 and Meredead 2011. In April 2016, Leaves' Eyes announced that the band had parted ways with Espenæs for personal reasons.

Midnattsol

After leaving Leaves' Eyes, Liv Kristine became the singer of Midnattsol alongside her sister Carmen Elise Espenæs at the end of 2017. In 2018, she made her debut as an equal singer alongside her sister Carmen in Midnattsol with the album The The Aftermath.

Coldbound

This was followed in October 2020 by her joining the Hudiksvall-based Finnish melodic death metal band Coldbound as a singer. She made her debut on the single Slumber of Decay, which was released on download and streaming portals on February 5, 2021.