Lianne La Havas

Lianne La Havas – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Explore the life and artistry of Lianne La Havas (born August 23, 1989) — the English singer-songwriter whose blend of soul, folk, jazz, and R&B has won acclaim. Dive into her early years, albums, influences, and insights in her own words.

Introduction

Lianne La Havas (born Lianne Charlotte Barnes on August 23, 1989) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist. Although the user prompt describes her as “English – Musician,” a more precise label is British (England) given her London birth and upbringing. In her music she blends soul, folk, jazz, and introspective songwriting, crafting emotional soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive. Over her career, she has released three major studio albums: Is Your Love Big Enough? (2012), Blood (2015), and Lianne La Havas (2020). Her work has drawn praise for its sincerity, musical sophistication, and emotional depth.

This article delves into her background, creative evolution, key works, influences, and the wisdom she has shared publicly.

Early Life and Family

Lianne was born in London, England, to a Jamaican mother and a Greek father. Tooting and Streatham in South London.

From an early age, she was surrounded by musical influences: her father, a multi-instrumentalist, taught her the basics of guitar and piano, and her mother’s tastes in soul and R&B also shaped her sensibility.

During her schooling, she sang in her school choir and was also exposed to a wide range of musical genres thanks to her parents’ tastes — which would later inform her eclectic sound. Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls in Thornton Heath, where she completed her A-levels before choosing to leave college to focus on music.

Her stage name, “La Havas,” is a stylized phonetic version drawn from her father’s Greek surname.

Musical Beginnings & Rise

Early Breakthroughs

While still in her teenage years, Lianne performed in local circuits, uploaded demos, and gradually made connections in the London music scene. Paloma Faith and sang backing vocals on Faith’s tours, gaining early exposure and experience.

In 2008, she was discovered on MySpace by music industry contacts, which catalyzed offers and further development.

By 2010 she signed with Warner Bros. Records, but held off releasing any music publicly for two years as she honed her songwriting and sound.

Debut & First Album

Her first EP, Lost & Found, was released October 21, 2011 via the Labour of Love label. Live from LA, as a free download. Later... with Jools Holland in October 2011.

Her debut single “Lost & Found” came out in April 2012, and her first full studio album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, was released on July 9, 2012. Mercury Prize 2012 shortlist, and became iTunes’ Album of the Year for 2012.

Her early touring included supporting Bon Iver, performing in festivals such as Glastonbury and RockNess, and opening for Alicia Keys in Manchester.

Musical Evolution & Later Works

Blood (2015)

After touring her debut, Lianne and her mother traveled to Jamaica for inspiration, reconnecting with her heritage and using that as a creative foundation for her second album. Blood was released on July 31, 2015. Blood was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Grammy Awards.

That era also saw collaborations with artists like Rudimental (on We the Generation), and she toured in Europe supporting Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams tour.

Lianne La Havas (2020)

Her third album, self-titled Lianne La Havas, marked a more stripped-back, introspective sound — leaning into folk-soul with minimal instrumentation and deeply personal lyrical themes.

This record won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Album in 2021. Critics noted how the album reveals raw vulnerability, emotional clarity, and maturity in both songwriting and vocal delivery.

Style, Influences & Voice

Lianne La Havas’s music transcends easy categorization. Her sound is rooted in soul, folk, jazz, and R&B, often using acoustic guitar, gentle rhythms, and expressive vocals. As described in a review:

Her first two albums were lush blends of pop-R&B, rock, and folk music, steeped in her six-string acoustic guitar and warm, lilting voice. On her 2020 self-titled album, however, she pares her sound back entirely for a folk-soul style filigreed with little more than her skillful guitar-playing and deep, husky voice.

Her influences include Joni Mitchell, Prince, Lauryn Hill, and Nina Simone—artists who blend poetic songwriting with emotional depth. Prince became a mentor and supporter of her work, once performing a surprise gig in her London flat.

She is also deeply attuned to her mixed heritage. Her Jamaican and Greek roots — and the musical traditions they carried — inform her approach to melody, rhythm, and lyrical identity.

Legacy, Recognition & Influence

• She has been nominated for Mercury Prize (2012) and Brit Awards (2017, 2021) among other honors.

• Her Ivor Novello win for Best Album (2021) adds to her prestige in songwriting circles.

• She continues to be celebrated for her authenticity, musicality, and emotional resonance in contemporary British music.

• For many younger artists, she exemplifies how to forge a distinct voice in a crowded industry by leaning into personal expression, roots, and musical craftsmanship.

Quotes & Insights from Lianne La Havas

Here are some of her most compelling public reflections:

“You can be any type of Black woman you want to be. You can’t let people tell you what you are. You have to tell them.”

On her new album: “The making of the record had a certain free flow … my second album felt like it was all very scheduled.”

About identity and sound: in interviews she has expressed frustration at how the U.S. media sometimes categorizes her music by race rather than by its actual style or emotional content.

Each of these highlights how she sees artistry and identity as inseparable, and pushes back against simplistic labels.

Lessons from Lianne La Havas’s Journey

From her path and work, several lessons emerge for artists and creators:

1. Patience in development matters. She waited to release music until she felt her vision was ready.

2. Lean into your roots. Her heritage is not a marketing “angle” but a source of depth in her art.

3. Vulnerability as strength. Her best songs are often ones that lay bare emotional truth, even when painful.

4. Carve your own label. She refuses to be boxed into one genre, letting the music be itself.

5. Mentorship helps, but self-direction is key. While she benefited from guidance (e.g. from Prince), she maintains control of her musical identity.