On The Up
Laura Marling
In October 2007 a shy young girl from Reading was on the bill to play at a seedy London bar, and releasing her second EP. Alas, Laura Marling could not play, as the management discovered she was but 17 years old. Undeterred, she played an impromptu acoustic set in the gutter of Soho, between two sex shops, while crack-heads stumbled past. It was a moment which all present felt to be one to remember, about which they would one day say “I was there when…“ Now signed to Virgin, Marling is celebrating the release of her debut album Alas I Cannot Swim and she has appeared on Later with Jools Holland, and performed with the likes of Jamie T and Devendra Banhart. This comes after years of diligent writing and touring with friends such as Johnny Flynn and Noah and The Whale, whose frontman Charlie Fink has produced her debut.
Marling is anything but just another female singer-songwriter. Her beautiful alt-folk album, tinged with blues and country, is reminiscent of greats such as Joni Mitchell; its warm instrumental backdrop of guitar, piano, violin and the odd xylophone, serves nicely to allow space for her captivating vocals to send shivers down your spine. Well-crafted lyrics are sung with such remarkable conviction that it is clear Marling is an artist from whom we can continue to expect great things for a long time to come.
To read James Cousins’s interview with Laura Marling visit http://www.nouse.co.uk/whats-on
