2. Laura Marling
Who She Is: One of the single most talented singer-songwriter-guitarists out there. Heralding from Eversley, Hampshire, she's been writing and performing since she was 16. There's even one famous story wherein she was refused entry into one building where she'd been scheduled for a gig, citing she was too young to enter. Her response? Setting up on the street corner and playing all night there instead. Her songwriting skills are continually praised, and her guitar work is brilliant. Complex and melodic, but not too in-your-face, and with a voice that sounds much more aged and mature than you'd expect of a young British girl. Her three albums have each garnered more acclaim than the previous one - 2008's Alas, I Cannot Swim; 2010's I Speak Because I Can; and 2011's A Creature I Don't Know. She has another album out May 2013 titled Once I Was An Eagle, so let's see if she can top herself once more.
Sample Performance: Before sharing, allow me to say that this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a writer... pick just
one video to give you a proper introduction to Laura Marling. But I can't! No lone video can work. So, I had to go with three. The first is her alone, the other two are with a full backing band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1TL8IKq9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJPtPrx7BzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQWNq3SY-2c
Official Website:http://www.lauramarling.com/