Lianne La Havas

Offering a mostly acoustic and hushed hybrid of alternative folk and soul, Lianne La Havas was born and raised in London, England, the daughter of a Jamaican mother and Greek father. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist 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. La Havas' debut album for Warner Bros. was planned for release in early 2012.