Laura Marling Biography

Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990), is a folk-pop, singer-songwriter from Hampshire, England. Initially predominant within the London 'Nu-Folk' scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her sound is characterised by striking melodies and poetic lyricism.

Marling was born in Hampshire, England, the daughter of Sir Charles William Somerset Marling, 5th Baronet . She was part of the original line-up of Indie folk band Noah and the Whale and was romantically linked with singer/guitarist Charlie Fink. She is featured 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 and split up with Fink that same year.

She also appeared on The Rakes track "Suspicious Eyes," from the band's 2007 album Ten New Messages. Marling was found by singer Alan Donohoe on the social networking site Myspace, before she was asked to appear on the album. Marling would later collaborate with Mystery Jets, contributing guest vocals to the single Young Love, released 10 March 2008.

She was personally invited to tour with Jamie T after he attended her second-ever solo gig. She has also toured with a number of other musicians from the UK and beyond, including Adam Green from the Anti-folk band The Moldy Peaches. She performed at the 2007 O2 Wireless Festival and also performed at the first Underage Festival in August 2007 at Victoria Park, East London, before releasing her debut single "Ghosts" on WayOutWest Records.

Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim was released on 4 February 2008 and would later be 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 6-date "Night Teror tour."

Marling's television appearances include The Late Late Show with Craig Furguson and Later With Jools Holland, performing Ghosts and New Romantic respectively. In 2008 she appeared on Russell Brand's Radio 2 show along side 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 is due for release on March 22 2010. Produced by Ethan Johns and entitled I Speak Because I Can, the album is reported to show a definite maturity in Marling's sound and lyricism, dealing with "responsibility, particularly the responsibility of womanhood." The album is preceeded by the singles "Goodbye England (Covered in Snow," released on iTunes in December 2009 and "Devil's Spoke"