Our LCM featured artist today is another fast rising star of the UK Country and Americana, the very talented and multi-award winning Laura Oakes. Laura is orginally from Liverpool but is now based in Leeds. She will be hosting and headlining in London at the Green Note on the 12th December with wonderful special guests Kerri Watt and Twinnie, who we have both featured in the LCM Group. Laura's latest single and our LCM #TrackOfTheDay is a very catchy live acoustic version of 'Glitter'. The video is from a recent 'Under The Apple Tree' session at the home of Bob Harris.

When it’s normal for mealtime conversations to be conducted in three-part harmony, it was only natural for Laura Oakes to go through life singing. Her love for Dolly Parton, David Gates and the Dixie Chicks may seem an unusual music taste for a teenager from Liverpool, North West England but in her teenage years Laura really started to embrace her influences performing anywhere and everywhere.

A visit to Grand Ole Opry in Nashville at the age of 18 proved to be an overwhelming and life-defining experience, driving her to realise her dream of writing and singing country music.

She recorded and self-released her first single ‘Don’t Let It Hit Ya’ in September 2013 which featured in the top 20 iTunes Country Chart. Her second single ‘Snakes and Ladders’ followed in 2014 with similar success.

Laura released her debut Self-Titled EP to iTunes in the summer of 2015 receiving great support from BBC radio across the UK, and similarly from Digital Radio (Chris Country and Amazing Radio). Bob Harris included it in his Best of 2015 retrospective on BBC Radio 2. As the year came to an end, Laura was also awarded the prize of The British Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year and followed up again in 2016 winning the prize for a second year running. Laura currently stands with three nominations for the upcoming BCMAs in October with two songs (Dreamin’ and Better In Blue Jeans) up for ‘Best Song of the Year’ as well as a nomination for ‘Best Female Vocalist’.

The UK country scene is one that is growing at a rapid pace and Laura has been at the forefront of it. Laura has enjoyed live dates at some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals and stages including C2C Country 2 Country at the 02 Arena – London, Cornbury Music Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, Camp Bestival and Time Out Presents: Rising Stars of Country at The Jazz Café. As well as support slots for some of the most notable talent coming out of the UK and US, including Andrew Combs, The Shires, Colm Mac Com Iomaire (The Frames), Jess and The Bandits and Ward Thomas.

Laura is making friends and music aplenty as she establishes herself in the UK Country Music scene. Expect a fresh single “Nashville Stole Your Girl” ready for release 15th September and “Nashville Stole Your Girl – The Acoustic EP” to follow in November 2017.