After Q forecasted her to be one of this year’s new acts to watch last month, it’s been all go for Laura Mvula. Not only is the singer gearing up to release her debut album Sing To The Moon on 4 March, but following some decent live notices already, she’s heading out on the road with Jessie Ware next month, before kicking off her own first headlining UK tour in April. It all means the Birmingham-based singer is spending a lot of time on the the Pendalino Service as she shuttles between home and the capital. “I feel like I live on the train these days which means continuous music playing in my ears is a necessity to bide the time,” she explains. “I have picked a few pieces of music that have served this purpose and more.”
Claude Debussy – String Quartet in G Minor Op 10
“I had a playlist as a teenager of stuff to listen to when I couldn’t sleep. This string quartet came right after Doesn’t Really Matter by Janet Jackson. It used to make me feel sad enough to make me tired and tired enough to make me sleep.”
Eric Whitacre – I Thank You God For Most This Amazing Day
“My husband introduced me to this music when we were going out and I loved him for it. I remember being on the beach on a family holiday in St Kitts and just bathing in sun and sand and this choral lushness.”
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Rain Rain Beautiful Rain
“Listening to this music makes British weather feel tropical at any season.”
William Walton – Jubilate Deo
“This sounds like a soul groove to me. I just can’t listen to this without bopping my head real hard. It just makes me wanna get crunk or whatever young people are saying these days!”
Miles Davis – All Blues
“The soundtrack to my life. Lately, I’ve been listening to the My Funny Valentine Live In Concert version which is quite a lot faster than the studio recording on Kind Of Blue. I love how this makes me feel like I’m always moving.”
Beyoncé – End Of Time
“I can’t really dance, but this song makes me feel like I can.”
Sir John Borbirolli & Sinfonia Of London – Elgar’s Introduction & Allegro For Strings
“This was the most exciting music I learnt to play on the violin. There’s something so pure about the string orchestral sound. It reminds me of proper English countryside.
Michael Tippett – Concerto For Double String Orchestra (Adagio)
“The only piece from my A Level music anthology I spent any time studying. Admittedly, I would only ever listen to the first one minute and 50 seconds and then rewind.”
Radiohead – Codex
“Radiohead are my husband’s favourite band. He is in the process of educating me about their music. This is the song that moves me the most on their last album The King Of Limbs.”
Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own
“In this song Amy brings me right back to being in love and hurt. One of the few songs that makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time.”
For more head to Lauramvula.com , meanwhile here’s her latest single, Green Garden (out 25 February).
