Laura Mvula

I write songs from the heart, and I don't hold back.

— Laura Mvula

I don't talk about Amy Winehouse as a 'singer.' She's a pioneer. I listened to her endlessly when I started writing.

— Laura Mvula

What I wear is everything - from how I carry my hair to what I'm wearing on my feet. I have to…

— Laura Mvula

I don't think I've ever been chatted up, and I don't think I've ever chatted anyone up. The Fresh Prince has the…

— Laura Mvula

I had a very thorough grounding in music; I'd grown up around songs. My parents listened to a lot of music. My…

— Laura Mvula

I got into the habit of filtering out all the good in my life, focusing on only the negative. I'm not sure…

— Laura Mvula

I have a younger brother and sister who actually play in my band, and we were always into Disney music, big time.…

— Laura Mvula

There's nothing I love more in the world than layering voices.

— Laura Mvula

Fame hasn't really affected me. I have a really close knit group around me, and my sister is always with me, so…

— Laura Mvula

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.

— Laura Mvula

Topshop is one of my favourite shops, and I love shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. There's a graduate fashion designer called Kate Falcus…

— Laura Mvula

I remember listening to Miles Davis in the car with my dad. I had just done my Grade 5 piano exam, and…

— Laura Mvula

Taxi drivers used to ask me what kind of music I did, and I'd say, 'Well, it's kind of jazz, soul, classical'…

— Laura Mvula

The first time I sang in church, when I was ten, the applause was so overwhelming that I started to weep. My…

— Laura Mvula

I think, when I started writing songs, my voice just became another tool. It wasn't something that I was going to try…

— Laura Mvula

'Mvula' is my married name, but for some reason my nan calls me 'McVula.' I'm not sure if it's one of those…

— Laura Mvula

I bumped into my cousin after she'd shaved her hair very short, and she looked incredible. She seemed so effortless and cool,…

— Laura Mvula

I always said when I was younger, I wanted to write film music, and I think that's what my ultimate dream is.

— Laura Mvula

Who made you the center of the universe?

— Laura Mvula

I grew up playing in youth orchestras, so they were my most treasured memories, so to be in front of an orchestra…

— Laura Mvula

I come from an African Caribbean background. I've been influenced by a reggae church music style, contemporary gospel, and rock all fused…

— Laura Mvula

I respect hippos. They just look the way they do; they can't do anything about it, but they don't seem bothered.

— Laura Mvula

I regrettably wasted time at university by being overwhelmed and intimidated by the talent of other composers. I felt stuck and didn't…

— Laura Mvula

My parents were quite strict; we couldn't just listen to whatever music we wanted. It was very much like they monitored what…

— Laura Mvula

My songs are very personal, which means they are fantastically therapeutic to write, but performing them night after night is emotionally draining.

— Laura Mvula