Laura Mvula
Laura Mvula
Laura Mvula is a British soul singer-songwriter from Birmingham. Her debut album, Sing to the Moon, was released on 4 March 2013 with an orchestral re-recording released on 11 August 2014...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionSoul Singer
Date of Birth23 April 1986
CityBirmingham, England
designer dress fashion favourite favourites graduate kate love pieces puffy white
Topshop is one of my favourite shops, and I love shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. There's a graduate fashion designer called Kate Falcus who makes me beautiful commissioned pieces - one of my favourites was the white Glastonbury dress she made me with the puffy skirt.
celebrate dark early found freedom given glad great grew love makeup music present primary skin thinking
I love my complexion, but like so many of us, in the early years at primary school, I grew up thinking that my dark skin wasn't a great thing. I've found freedom in music and songwriting, which has given me a freedom in how I present myself. I'm glad I've got makeup to celebrate that with.
love
There's nothing I love more in the world than layering voices.
dream love-is thinking
I really love jazz, but I will never be a jazz musician as much as I dream. But, I think that the jazz music I love is there in my music.
bit intimate quite songs stare
I don't think I always look in people's faces, like, as - I think especially when I'm doing my more intimate songs that are quite personal, I always feel it's a bit accusing if I stare in someone's face when I singing quite a personal lyric.
constant good hear life people pop star worried
Being a pop star is something I don't think I'm very good at. I'm worried it's making me too paranoid, because all of a sudden, life has become this constant assessment. When you put something out there and people get to hear it, then those people react to it, socially, culturally.
music
One of the things I haven't been ready for is how male-dominated the music industry is. I just didn't have a clue.
calls caribbean married sure whether
'Mvula' is my married name, but for some reason my nan calls me 'McVula.' I'm not sure if it's one of those jokey Caribbean things, or whether she's just getting it wrong.
asked good looked lots music nervous pass people sing telling
Lots of people think I'm telling porky pies when I say how nervous I get about singing. I was good at working out how music was put together, and I was good at being at the back, but if you asked me to sing up front, then I looked like I was going to pass out.
home stuff tom wretch
I listen to a lot of choral stuff at home, but I'm also liking Labrinth, Emeli Sande, Tom Odell and Wretch 32.
cool couple dad focused growing house piano pleased
There was always a piano in the house when I was growing up - my dad played, and I thought it was cool - and when I was eight, I begged my parents to let me have lessons. After a couple of weeks, I wanted to give up, but my parents were very focused and made me keep going, which I'm very pleased about now.
ask aunt black courage director discipline group join sang singing struck time turned
My aunt is the director of the acapella group Black Voices. I was so struck by them as a child. They sang with such passion and conviction. By the time I turned 15, I had plucked up the courage to ask if I could join the group. Acapella is a different discipline from singing with an accompaniment - it is much more exposed.
enjoyed experience felt grab stuck time university wasted
I regrettably wasted time at university by being overwhelmed and intimidated by the talent of other composers. I felt stuck and didn't know what I was doing there. I enjoyed my experience, but I didn't grab it in the way I would now.
affected bit close fame knit travelling
Fame hasn't really affected me. I have a really close knit group around me, and my sister is always with me, so it's like a bit of a travelling circus.