Laura Mvula joins Julie in the studio as her UK Represent following the release of her second album ’The Dreaming Room’.
On people judging her album -
Laura: “It’s a free World when it comes to opinions, people say whatever they want to say these days, it’s hard.”
On giving the album a message -
Laura: “This album is everything that I have experienced in the last three years, which for me is heartbreak, is madness, is too much fast paced-ness, it’s collaboration with legends, it’s orchestral, it’s funk, it’s soulful, in the true sense of the word and it’s my dream, genuinely, straight up.”
Interview package includes:
On talking about her anxiety publicly in newspapers etc
Laura: “Most people assume it was this big plan, unfortunately, I have a motor mouth, if you ask me enough questions, I will just tell you everything. I’m not very well media trained.”
Laura: “Everybody knows, it’s been a rough couple years, you gotta laugh you know, I was raised that way, my mum was very much that person. Be grateful, find the things to be happy about. There’s always joy somewhere.”
Laura: “The anxiety thing, I’m glad of it. I think it was important of me to share that, but no I did not expect that it would cause such a wave. It’s hardcore, people are a little bit like ‘Oh yeah the new album and by the way?’”
Laura: “I’m kinda dealing with it as it comes and I still stand by my decision to be open. You know what, I got tired, I think I put on a facade with ’Sing To The Moon’”
Laura: “It’s time to be who I am.”
Laura: "I was born in 1986 on April 23rd the day of Shakespeare’s birth (or was it his death)? I love the Birmingham people. We’re just killing it right now.
On introduction to music
Laura: “My daddy, he can sing, play guitar and piano, and we had a piano in the house, and it was kinda mash up but it didn’t matter ‘cos it was the biggest thing in the room. And as a kid of course you just gravitate towards it. When I saw my friends play violin they had the private lessons. We couldn’t afford that so I had to wait until a certain age to be able to play violin. I thought it was most unjust .When I was of age, I got the Abracadabra book, swam through it, i was playing all the parts, I loved it. I was obsessed with anything musical.”
On her friendship with Nile Rodgers
Laura: “He is genuinely a fan, like he just thinks that I’m better than Beyonce”
On why Laura got Nile Rodgers on her album
Laura: “It was to do with his musical influence, this is the man who’s first song was “everybody dance, clap your hands”. Oh my days! He was the one to put that card in there on charts.”
On meeting Wretch 32
Laura: “So Wretch comes up to me and I’m like oh my god, it’s Wretch 32 he’s gonna say Hi, ‘cos it’s loud so he comes in my ear and he doesn’t say hi, he starts singing my first song, She.”
Support from Wretch 32
Laura: “To this day he refuses to come to my shows because he doesn’t wanna cry.”
