Laura Mvula

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Laura Mvula
Laura Mvula performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival.jpg
Mvula performing at the
2014 Montreux Jazz Festival
Background information
Birth name Laura Douglas
Born (1986-04-23) 23 April 1986 (age 38)
Birmingham, England
Genres Soul, jazz
Occupation(s) Singer–songwriter, musician
Years active 2012–present
Labels RCA
Website www.lauramvula.com

Laura Mvula (née Douglas;[1] born 23 April 1986)[2] 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.

Early and personal life

Mvula grew up in the Birmingham suburbs of Selly Park and Kings Heath with two younger siblings and was influenced by the girl band Eternal. Her mother is from Saint Kitts and her father is from Jamaica. In 2005, Mvula sang with Black Voices, an a cappella group set up by her aunt.[3][4] In 2008, she formed a jazz/neo-soul group called Judyshouse, singing lead vocals and writing material for the band.[5] Mvula was Director of the Lichfield Community Gospel Choir, founded by Black Voices and Lichfield Festival in 2009.[6] She has also previously directed the Alvechurch Community Choir.[7] Mvula graduated from the Birmingham Conservatoire at the Birmingham City University with a degree in composition.[8][9] While she was working as a supply teacher in a Birmingham secondary school, she started writing songs on her laptop.[8] She was working as a receptionist when she sent out two demos to several people in the music industry. One of them, Steve Brown, heard the songs and sent them to his manager, Kwame Kwaten, who would become Mvula's manager.[3][9] In a 2013 podcast for The Daily Telegraph, Mvula admitted to suffering from "crippling stage fright".[10]

Career

2012–14: Sing to the Moon

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Main article: Sing to the Moon

After several showcases, Mvula was signed by Colin Barlow to Sony subsidiary RCA.[9] She released her debut extended play, She, on 16 November 2012. The title track is the first song Mvula ever wrote.[11] Her debut studio album, Sing to the Moon, was released on 4 March 2013.[9][12] She worked on the album with producer Steve Brown[13][14] and mix engineer Tom Elmhirst.[15] Paul Lester from The Guardian described her music as "gospeldelia", calling it a new musical genre.[1] The album was preceded by the single "Green Garden",[9] an elegy to her home in Kings Heath.[3] On 6 December 2012, Mvula was shortlisted for the Critics' Choice award at the 2013 BRIT Awards.[16] On 9 December, she was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2013 poll and finished in fourth position.[17] On 1 February 2013, she gave her first live TV performance on The Graham Norton Show on BBC One, singing "Green Garden".[18] Mvula stated her influences include Nina Simone, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill.[19]

Sing to the Moon reached number 9 on the UK Albums Chart and within the top 100 in seven other countries and has so far reached 173 in the US Billboard 200. In October 2013, Mvula won awards for best female act and best R&B or soul artist at the 2013 MOBO Awards.[20]

File:Laura Mvula June 2015.jpg
Mvula in June 2015

In March 2014, Mvula re-recorded an orchestral version of her debut album Sing to the Moon in collaboration with the Metropole Orkest and conducted by Jules Buckley. This was released on 23 June 2014 as a high quality download via Bowers & Wilkins' Society of Sound[21] and on CD on 11 August 2014.[22][23] On 19 August 2014, Mvula performed with the Metropole Orkest at the Albert Hall as part of the 2014 BBC Proms Season, supported by Esperanza Spalding and ElectricVocals.

2016–present: The Dreaming Room

In January 2016, Mvula released the single "Overcome", a collaboration with Nile Rodgers.[24][25] She will release her second album The Dreaming Room[26] on 17 June 2016. She began promotion for the album by performing the lead single "Overcome" on The Graham Norton Show on 29 January 2016 and on The Andrew Marr Show on 14 February 2016. On 19 March 2016, Mvula played the first live show of The Dreaming Room at Jazz Maastricht Festival. On 22 March 2016, she previewed the entire album at Islington Assembly Hall. On 7 April 2016, Mvula released "People" from the forthcoming album, a collaboration with Wretch 32. On 19 April 2016, Mvula released the second single from the upcoming album, "Phenomenal Woman". On 27 May 2016, Mvula released "Show Me Love".

Mvula also recorded "Sing to the Moon" with Snarky Puppy for the album Family Dinner - Volume 2 which was released on 12 February 2016.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[27]		 AUS
[28]		 BEL
[29]		 DEN
[30]		 FRA
[31]		 IRE
[32]		 NL
[33]		 NZ
[34]		 SWI
[35]		 US
[36]
Sing to the Moon 9 33 26 40 93 15 11 16 15 173
The Dreaming Room — — — — — — — — — —

Live albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[27]		 BEL
[29]		 NL
[33]
Laura Mvula with
Metropole Orkest
conducted by Jules Buckley
at Abbey Road Studios[38]
  • Released: 23 June 2014 (Digital download)
    11 August 2014 (CD)
    18 August 2014 (LP)
  • Label: RCA
  • Format: Digital download, CD, LP
 61 184 97

Extended plays

Title Details
iTunes Festival: London 2012
  • Released: 16 September 2012
  • Label: RCA
  • Format: Digital EP
She
  • Released: 16 November 2012
  • Label: RCA
  • Format: Digital EP

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[27]		 BEL
[29]		 DEN
[30]		 IRE
[32]		 JAP
[39]		 NL
[33]
"She" 2012 — — — — — — Sing to the Moon
"Like the Morning Dew" — — — — — —
"Green Garden" 2013 31 3[A] 40 50 46 74
"That's Alright" — 52[A] — — — —
"Overcome"
(featuring Nile Rodgers)		 2016 — — — — — — The Dreaming Room
"People"
(featuring Wretch 32)		 — — — — — —
"Phenomenal Woman" — — — — — —
"Show Me Love" — — — — — —
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Music videos

Title Year Director(s)
"Green Garden" 2013 Wendy Morgan
"That's Alright"
"She" Alex Southam
"Overcome"
(featuring Nile Rodgers)		 2016

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Category Result
2013 BRIT Awards Critics' Choice Award[16] Nominated
BBC Sound of 2013[17] Nominated[A]
Barclaycard Mercury Prize (Sing to the Moon)[40] Nominated
MOBO Awards Best Female Act[41] Won
Best R&B/Soul Act Won
Best Album (Sing to the Moon) Nominated
Urban Music Awards Artist of the Year[42] Nominated
Best Female Act Won
Best Newcomer Nominated
Q Awards Best New Act[43] Nominated
2014 Brit Awards British Breakthrough Act[44] Nominated
British Female Solo Artist[44] Nominated
NAACP Image Award Outstanding World Music Album[45] Nominated
Ivor Novello Awards Album Award[46] Nominated
BET Awards Best International Act: UK[47] Nominated
A^ Fourth place

Concert tours

References

Notes

A ^ Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts. Added 50 position to actual Ultratip position.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Implied birthdate contradicts Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Louisa Poocock, "Laura Mvula: 'I still suffer from stage fright. I'm terrified I'll be found out’", The Telegraph, 14 March 2013
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Alexis Petridis, "Laura Mvula: Sing to the Moon – review", The Guardian, 28 February 2013.
  14. ↑ Neil McCormick, "Laura Mvula, Sing To the Moon, CD review", The Telegraph, 1 March 2013.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ [1]
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Peak positions for Ireland:
    • For all except noted: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • For "Green Garden": Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ http://urbanmusicawards.net/2013/11/fuse-odg-laura-mvula-naughty-boy-bruno-mars-avicii-diplo-ghetts-win-big-at-the-11th-annual-urban-music-awards-2013/
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ http://www.naacpimageawards.net/nominees/recording/
  46. ↑ http://theivors.com/awards.htm
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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