Lianne La Havas

Lianne Charlotte Barnes, known professionally as Lianne La Havas, was born on August 23, 1989, in London, England. Raised in Tooting and Streatham by her Greek father and Jamaican mother, she developed an early interest in music, beginning to sing at age seven. Her father, a multi-instrumentalist, introduced her to guitar and piano fundamentals. La Havas wrote her first song at 11, though she didn’t formally learn guitar until 18. She attended Norbury Manor Business and Enterprise College for Girls, pursuing A-levels before deciding to fully commit to a music career. Her stage name is a phonetic spelling of her father’s surname.

La Havas’s career began after being introduced to various musicians, including Paloma Faith, for whom she later sang backing vocals on tour. She was discovered on MySpace in 2008, leading to her signing with Warner Bros. Records in 2010. She spent two years refining her songwriting before her public debut. Her first EP, “Lost & Found,” was released on October 21, 2011, featuring Willy Mason. The same month, she released the live EP, “Live from LA.” Her television debut occurred on October 21, 2011, on BBC Two’s “Later… with Jools Holland.” She supported Bon Iver on their North American tour in December 2011.

Her debut album, “Is Your Love Big Enough?”, was released on July 9, 2012, earning positive reviews and an iTunes Album of the Year award in 2012. She supported Alicia Keys at MTV ‘Crashes’ Manchester in 2012 and performed at Glastonbury Festival and Isle of Wight Festival in 2013. In 2014, Prince performed in her living room, and she later contributed to his album “Art Official Age,” singing on “Clouds” and providing vocals for other tracks. Her second album, “Blood,” released in 2015, drew inspiration from her Greek and Jamaican heritage and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2016, she supported Coldplay on their A Head Full of Dreams world tour. Her self-titled third album, “Lianne La Havas,” released in 2020, won the Best Album category at the 2021 Ivor Novello Awards and charted at No. 7 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.