Next Wave #777: Liv Dawson

Warm, soothing sounds from a pop prodigy...

“Someone described my music as when you’re having a shit day or feel a bit crap and you come home and sit in front of the fire with a warm blanket. My music represents that warm blanket.”

Liv Dawson is assessing the reaction to the music she has released so far. “It’s quite random but it’s cool that people find it comforting,” she continues. The 18-year-old endeavours to create a “contemporary electronic sound with a soul and R&B twist,” coupled with honest and thought-provoking lyrical content.

‘Tapestry’ was our first introduction to the singer last year and, as the lyrics suggest, “it’s about everything in your life being part of your tapestry.” It would appear that frank themes are a benchmark in Liv’s discography. “There’s always a lot of things I want to say in a song, so all of my tracks are really honest.”

Latest release ‘Searching’ was produced by electronic wunderkinds Disclosure, so how was working with the Lawrence brothers? “About a year and a half ago we wrote the track and it was the first time I met them. I’d never seen a picture of them before, I’d just seen their artwork and I was like, ‘Who were those guys who were in the studio the other day?’ They told me it was Disclosure,” laughs Liv. “They’re so down to earth and they’re the nicest guys – they’ve given me loads of advice.”

Other long-term collaborators include production powerhouse Jimmy Napes. “I first wrote with Jimmy when I was 13 or 14 and it was when he was just starting to write with Sam Smith. We clicked straight away. He’s been there from day one so whenever I go in the studio with him now it’s really natural.”

With a sold-out headline show at London’s Omeara in the bag, thoughts now turn towards a debut album. It’s a lengthy process but going very well, according to Liv. “I’ve got so many songs but I want to keep writing and writing and getting as many songs as I can so I can pick from them,” she says, ensuring the best is yet to come.

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WHERE: Surrey
WHAT: Thoughtful, melodic creations bound with electronic subtleties and R&B sensibilities
GET 3 SONGS: ‘Tapestry’, ‘Reflection’, ‘Searching’

FACT: As a young child, Liv appeared in both Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Take That tribute, Never Forget, in the West End.

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Words: Shannon Cotton
Photography: Sophie Mayanne
Styling: Vincent Pons

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