Laura Marling

Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is a British folk singer-songwriter.

Marling appeared on The Rakes track Suspicious Eyes from the band's 2007 album, Ten New Messages, credited as 'Laura Marlin'.

She performed at the 2007 O2 Wireless Festival and at the first Underage Festival in August 2007 at Victoria Park, East London, before releasing her debut EP "London Town" on WayOutWest Records.

She played with a number of groups and released her debut album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, in 2008.

Her first album, her second album I Speak Because I Can, her fourth album Once I Was an Eagle, and her seventh album Song for Our Daughter were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2020, respectively.

Her sixth record, Semper Femina, was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Folk Album category, as was Song for Our Daughter.

Her songwriting is associated with sex and relationships, the modern concept of womanhood, and trauma.

Marling is the youngest of three daughters.

Her mother is a music teacher.

Marling's father, Sir Charles William Somerset Marling, 5th baronet ran a recording studio, introduced her to folk music, and shaped her musical taste, an experience that Marling later described as, "a bit of a blessing and a bit of a curse. ... [because] I couldn't slot myself into the age-appropriate genre".

She learned guitar at an early age.

Marling was privately educated at Waverly Primary School in Finchampstead, Berkshire and Leighton Park School, a Quaker school in Reading, Berkshire.

During her secondary school years she felt uneasy around other people and was afraid of death.

After completing her GCSEs at age 16, Marling joined her older sisters and settled in the outskirts of London.

She soon joined a cluster of intertwined bands that were drawn to acoustic instruments and tradition-tinged melodies—the group formed a musical movement that was labelled "nu-folk" by the British press.

Marling joined the original line-up of indie folk band Noah and the Whale and appears as a background vocalist on their debut album, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down; however, she left the group before the album's 2008 release due to a dissolved relationship with the band's lead singer, Charlie Fink.

Marling later collaborated with Mystery Jets and contributed guest vocals to their 2008 single "Young Love".

Early in her career, Marling performed with members of the band Mumford & Sons: Ted Dwane, Marcus Mumford, and Winston Marshall.

Marling was invited to tour with Jamie T after he attended her second solo gig.

She has toured with a number of other musicians including Adam Green from the anti-folk band The Moldy Peaches.

Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim was released on 4 February 2008, and was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize.

The album, as well as subsequent singles, were released on Virgin Records.

The third and final single from her album, "Night Terror" was released on 27 October 2008, coinciding with a six-date "Night Terror tour".

Marling's television appearances include The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Later With Jools Holland, performing "Ghosts" and "New Romantic", respectively.

In 2008, she appeared on Russell Brand's Radio 2 show alongside her sister.

She once chose to perform on the street after being denied entry to one of her own performances for being underage.

The follow-up to Alas, I Cannot Swim, titled I Speak Because I Can, was released on 22 March 2010.

Produced by Ethan Johns, the album has a more mature sound and lyricism, dealing with "responsibility, particularly the responsibility of womanhood".

The album is preceded by her singles "Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)", released on iTunes in December 2009, and "Devil's Spoke", released on 15 March 2010.

On 28 March 2010, I Speak Because I Can entered the UK Albums Chart at Number 4.

It was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Music Prize.

She won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards and was nominated for the same award at the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Brit Awards.

Marling joined her older sisters in London at age 16 to pursue a career in music.

Marling's third album, A Creature I Don't Know, was released on 12 September 2011.

The album received positive reviews and reached number four on the UK album charts.

During October 2012, Marling completed the 'Working Holiday Tour' of the US as a solo performer.

In 2013, NME listed the album at 263 in their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

At the time, she announced that the fourth album, later named Once I Was an Eagle, was finished and was scheduled for a February 2013 release; this was later delayed until May 2013.

On 8 March 2013, Marling confirmed that the album would be released on 27 May 2013 and would be released in the US one day later.

Marling's fourth album's first single, "Master Hunter", was released on 17 April 2013, while Once I Was an Eagle entered the UK charts at number 3.