Laura Mvula

Laura Mvula, born Laura Douglas on 23 April 1986, is a British classically trained singer and songwriter from Birmingham, England. She first gained musical experience as a member and director of various a cappella, jazz, neo-soul, and gospel groups and choirs. She is widely known for her critically acclaimed studio albums, including Sing to the Moon and The Dreaming Room, which blend orchestral arrangements, soulful vocals, and diverse musical influences.

Mvula grew up in the Birmingham suburbs of Selly Park and Kings Heath with two younger siblings. She began playing the piano and violin during primary school and later attended Swanshurst School for girls. During her teenage years, she performed with the a cappella group Black Voices, touring internationally in 2005. In 2008, she earned a degree in composition from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and formed the jazz and neo-soul band Judyshouse. She also directed the Lichfield Community Gospel Choir and the Alvechurch Community Choir. While working as a supply music teacher and a receptionist for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, she began writing song sketches that caught the attention of industry managers.

In May 2012, Mvula signed with RCA Records and released her debut extended play, She. Her debut studio album, Sing to the Moon, was released in March 2013 to positive critical reception, reaching number nine on the UK Albums Chart. The album earned her two MOBO Awards for Best Female Act and Best R&B or Soul Artist, as well as a Mercury Prize nomination. In 2014, she released an orchestral re-recording of the album with the Metropole Orkest, with whom she later performed at the 2014 BBC Proms and the 2015 North Sea Jazz Festival. She also contributed tracks to the film soundtracks for 12 Years a Slave and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Mvula released her second studio album, The Dreaming Room, in June 2016. Featuring collaborations with Nile Rodgers, Wretch 32, and the London Symphony Orchestra, the album received critical acclaim, won an Ivor Novello Award, and earned a second Mercury Prize nomination. Following her departure from Sony in 2017, she composed the musical score for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Antony & Cleopatra. Over the following years, she presented a radio documentary on anxiety for the BBC, collaborated with Carlos Santana on the album Africa Speaks, and had her music featured at the 2019 BBC Last Night of the Proms.

In February 2021, Mvula launched a livestream concert titled Under a Pink Moon and released the 1/f EP, showcasing an 80s-inspired musical style. She subsequently signed with Atlantic Records and released her third studio album, Pink Noise, in July 2021, supported by singles such as Safe Passage, Church Girl, and Got Me.

Throughout her career, Mvula has received notable recognition, including an honorary doctorate of music from her alma mater, Birmingham City University, for her services to music. Professionally, she continues to use the surname Mvula, which she retained from her ex-husband.