Laura Marling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura Marling
Marling performing at the Sydney Opera House in February 2012
Background information
Birth name	Laura Beatrice Marling
Born	(1990-02-01) 1 February 1990 (age 35)
Genres	Folk folk rock indie folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar bass piano ukulele
Years active	2006–present
Labels	WayOutWest, Virgin, Ribbon, Chrysalis Records
Associated acts	Noah and the Whale The Rakes Mystery Jets Johnny Flynn Mumford & Sons Ed O'Brien

Laura Beatrice Marling (born 1 February 1990) is an English folk singer and songwriter. She is known for her beautiful voice and thoughtful songs. Laura won the Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist in 2011. She was also nominated for this award several other times.

Laura moved to London at age 16 to start her music career. She played with different bands and released her first album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, in 2008. Many of her albums have been nominated for important awards like the Mercury Music Prize and the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. Her songs often explore themes like relationships and what it means to be a woman today.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Laura Marling is the youngest of three daughters. Her mother was a music teacher. Laura's father, Sir Charles William Somerset Marling, had a recording studio. He introduced her to folk music, which greatly influenced her style. Laura learned to play the guitar when she was very young.

She went to Waverly Primary School and Leighton Park School. During her school years, she sometimes felt uncomfortable around other people.

Music Career

After finishing her exams at age 16, Laura moved to London. She joined a group of bands that loved acoustic instruments and traditional folk sounds. This music style was sometimes called "nu-folk" by the media. Laura was part of the band Noah and the Whale and sang background vocals on their first album. She also sang on songs by The Rakes and Mystery Jets. Early in her career, she performed with members of the band Mumford & Sons.

First Albums: 2008–2011

Laura Marling in 2011

Laura was invited to tour with singer Jamie T after he saw her perform. She also toured with other musicians like Adam Green. She played at big music events like the O₂ Wireless Festival. Her first album, Alas, I Cannot Swim, came out in 2008. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize that year.

Laura Marling performing at Glastonbury in 2010.

Laura appeared on TV shows like The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. She even performed on the street once when she was too young to get into one of her own shows!

Her second album, I Speak Because I Can, was released in 2010. This album had a more mature sound and lyrics. It explored themes of responsibility, especially for women. The album reached Number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Music Prize.

Laura's third album, A Creature I Don't Know, came out in 2011. It also received good reviews and reached number four on the UK album charts.

Once I Was an Eagle: 2012–2013

In 2012, Laura toured the US as a solo artist. She announced that her fourth album, Once I Was an Eagle, was ready. It was released in May 2013. The album's first single was "Master Hunter". Once I Was an Eagle reached number 3 on the UK charts.

For this album, Laura wanted a very simple sound. She recorded all the songs by herself, without a band. Once I Was an Eagle was her third album to be nominated for the Mercury Prize.

Short Movie and Semper Femina: 2014–2017

Marling in 2017

On December 16, 2014, Laura announced her fifth album, Short Movie. The album's title track was the first single. The album came out in March 2015. Laura wrote these songs while living in Los Angeles. She worked with her band to finish the album in London.

The second single from the album, "False Hope", was also very popular. Both singles were praised by critics for their bigger sound and Laura's confident singing.

In October 2015, Laura announced a tour in the US. She played new songs from her upcoming sixth album. In November 2016, she announced her sixth album, Semper Femina, which was released in March 2017. This album was also highly praised. Semper Femina was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

Laura also covered songs by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Bob Dylan for the TV show Peaky Blinders.

Recent Music: 2018–Present

In 2018, Laura formed a new musical project called LUMP with Mike Lindsay from the band Tunng. They released their first album, Lump, in June 2018. Laura wrote the lyrics and sang, while Mike played most of the instruments.

In 2020, Laura sang on a song called "Cloak of the Night" with Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. On April 5, she announced her seventh solo album, Song for Our Daughter. The album was released early, in April 2020, partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant many of her tour dates were cancelled.

Laura Marling performs in San Francisco in December 2021.

Laura performed many songs from Song for Our Daughter in online concerts during the pandemic. These included Live at the Union Chapel and The Lockdown Sessions. In March 2021, she announced a UK tour to perform these songs live for the first time.

In May 2021, Laura announced a second album with LUMP, called Animal. It was released in July.

After her daughter was born in 2023, Laura began writing her eighth album, Patterns In Repeat. This album explores themes of motherhood and parenting. It was released on October 25, 2024.

Acting

Laura co-starred in a short film called Woman Driver. It was filmed in Marfa, Texas. Laura won "Best Actress" at the 72-Hour National Film Challenge for her role. The film was shown at the London Short Film Festival in 2015.

Personal Life

Laura Marling was in relationships with Noah and the Whale singer Charlie Fink and Mumford & Sons member Marcus Mumford. She lived in Los Angeles, California, for a while before moving back to London in 2014. As of 2020, she lives in Stoke Newington with her boyfriend and older sister.

Laura has said she is a private person but loves being around people. She is also studying for a master's degree in psychoanalysis, which is a type of therapy that helps people understand their thoughts and feelings.

In February 2023, Laura announced that she had given birth to a daughter. In November 2024, she shared that she was expecting her second child.

Discography

Solo Albums

• Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008)
• I Speak Because I Can (2010)
• A Creature I Don't Know (2011)
• Once I Was an Eagle (2013)
• Short Movie (2015)
• Semper Femina (2017)
• Song for Our Daughter (2020)
• Patterns in Repeat (2024)

With Lump

• Lump (2018)
• Animal (2021)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Laura Marling para niños