Music: Lianne La Havas
Jeff Hemmings surveys this Mercury nominated star in the making
It was only a year ago that the almost unknown Lianne La Havas performed on Later… With Jools Holland, armed with just a guitar, and confidently captivating all who watched. It was a performance that screamed ‘star in the making!’. And being nominated for this year’s Mercury Music Prize is the culmination of a fantastic year for this 23-year-old, for her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough?, a brilliantly inventive work that made the top five.
What has made this talent so interesting is that her music and personality straddle the worlds of indie, folk and soul, much in the same way Amy Winehouse did. And so, as well as the likes of American troubadour Willy Mason singing on one of her songs, ‘No Room For Doubt’, you also get the one and only Stevie Wonder leaving a message on her phone and singing one of her own songs down the line! “The voice message said, ‘Hey Lianne, this is Stevie and this is my number. It was really nice to meet you and I’m looking forward to hearing more of your project’.” She cried when she met him at a gig he attended of hers, and gave what she felt to be an incredible compliment by comparing her to India Arie.
Before her solo career beckoned, she spent a good 18 months performing as a backing singer for Paloma Faith, who has become a very close friend. She has said of the experience, “It was like going round the country with your family! I gained so much experience from her. Women who have strong identities, who know themselves, really inspire me. Her and also Laura Marling, Little Dragon, Erykah Badu…”
She also credits her unusual upbringing as shaping her outlook; her mother is Jamaican, her dad Greek, and while she saw both of them a lot, she was effectively brought up by her grandparents in South London. But it did take some time for her to be confident about her voice. “Singing was my secret thing,” she has said. “If ever I was in my room singing and heard someone coming upstairs, I’d go silent and just sit there not answering.”
Now that we all know who she is what does the future bring? “I can’t predict what will happen, as I never imagined that all this would happen.” She has admitted that she has been so busy she hasn’t had much time to write new songs. Hopefully, her team will realise that here is a special talent, a talent that needs a little nourishing and a little more time to get on with what she is obviously blessed to do.
Concorde 2, Thursday 18 October, 7pm, £14.50
