Lianne La Havas

I suppose I see myself as a modern soul artist.

Normally I begin writing a song with just with aim to express something, and sometimes I don't know what I want to express until a sentence comes to my head that will sum up everything about how I'm feeling at the time.

I kind of always wanted my own music to just sound like, like me, I suppose, like if I was music it would be the music I make, I think.

I highly recommend time to yourself.

Sometimes on stage I prefer to feel more glamorous, so I'll go all out when it's a stage outfit like sparkly, colorful, and have a certain shape. If someone is watching it from far away they can maybe remember the shape or the color.

It's really important that my lyrics are truthful.

I quite like ABBA.

My dad is Greek and my mum Jamaican. My grandparents brought me up for most of my childhood, but I saw my mum and dad all the time.

Women who have strong identities, who know themselves, really inspire me.

When I write I find a quiet place.

I love the music of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu and more recently the music of Laura Marling. All these women share a strength and a wisdom in their voices and music that really makes me want to make music and sing.

I love vintage and I shop vintage a lot because it's just such great value for money.

I love Diane Keaton's style in 'Annie Hall,' but I like to think my own style is like a cross between 'Annie Hall' and Prince.

I like to dress for my shape - I think it's important for women to do that generally - it makes me feel good.

Well, I like shopping.

It's the love you have for yourself that's most important.

I maintain that I never expect anything, therefore I'm always pleasantly surprised.

I've always had this identity thing. When I was little, I was always changing my handwriting because I couldn't decide which one I liked best.

I think I'm sort of blind to genre. As long as it has a sort of honesty about it, which I think you'll hear in whatever music you respond to, then I think it doesn't need to be called anything particularly.