Lianne La Havas

Born and raised in South London by her Greek father and Jamaican mother, it came with challenges for Lianne La Havas. She spent most of her time with her grandmother after her parents separated and found solace in singing from age 7. La Havas wrote her first song at 11 but started learning to play musical instruments at 18 when her father, an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano.
Warner Bros signed a deal with La Havas in 2010, where she then spent two years developing her sound before releasing her debut album “Is Your Love Big Enough?”. She now defines her relationship with what soul music means: “I’ve always said that I think any genre can be soulful, as long as you’re telling the truth in your music,” she says. “With soul, what I’m talking about is a genuine response to a genuine feeling.”

The album peaked at no.4 on the UK Albums Chart and has now received Gold BPI (British Phonographic Industry) certifications. Lianne La Havas has spent much time moving back and forth between the UK and the States, working on writing and exploring her own identity. “It seems so simple to say to someone, ‘Oh, just be yourself,’” she says. “But you spend your whole life 1 discovering what that is.” From the first time she visited LA, she felt relaxed—relieved of history and expectations. It felt like a place to flourish. Thanks to the city’s creative industry and a buzzing-bee work ethic: “It’s a different mindset — everyone is ready to go to the studio, all the time!” And, on a deeper level, culturally. “Black culture in the US is beautiful in its own way. There’s pride about it, and it’s beautiful. Being accepted and encouraged for being different is an amazing feeling because I didn’t accept myself for a really long time — and I feel America helped me to do that.”