English singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lianne La Havas arrived in the early 2010s with a mostly acoustic and hushed hybrid of alternative folk and soul. Influenced by the likes of Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone, she found success with the release of her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, which reached number five in the U.K. and earned her a nomination for the BBC's Sound of 2012. She continued to develop her indie soul-folk style on subsequent efforts "Blood" (2015) and "Lianne La Havas" (2020).
La Havas was born and raised in London, England, the daughter of a Jamaican mother and Greek father. She was a member of the Paris Parade with Christian Pinchbeck (a future member of Elephant), but the act proved to be short-lived. La Havas eventually shifted to solo work and released "Lost & Found", a four-track EP featuring a duet with Willy Mason, in October 2011. Two months later - the same month she opened for Bon Iver during a North American tour - it was announced that she had been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll. "Is Your Love Big Enough?", La Havas' debut album, was released in the U.K. in July 2012 and reached number five.
