Last Show: Tuesday 21 st September 2021
Heads Up returns with two of the finest emerging bands on the London jazz scene. Tonight's 'Heads Up' show features two young vocalists Loucin and Sofia Grant.
LOUCIN
Loucin is a London-based vocalist and songwriter with her influences rooted in jazz, neo-soul and RnB. Loucin was first able to express her love for jazz and swing when vocalist for Leeds University Union Big Band for three years. As part of several projects including lead vocalist for Tomorrow’s Warriors Female Frontline, backing vocalist for Poppy Adjuda and as part of The ‘Living’ Choir for Cherise’s EP, Loucin has performed at festivals and venues across the world.
Taken aback by the crowd’s hushed reaction at her first public performance at the age of 14, Loucin realised her voice could command an audience’s attention. Her original project has been a way for her to connect with her audiences and reflect on issues like marginalisation, identity and oppression. She is due to release her debut EP later this year.
SOFIA GRANT
Sofia Grant is a vocalist, composer and event curator. She lived in Barcelona for three years, immersing herself in the improvised music scene and developing a unique sound as an artist. Classically trained on the piano and saxophone, she has amassed years of performance experience as a session vocalist, keyboardist and saxophonist, performing with projects including jazz outfit PYJAEN, Lunafruit, Hilang Child, and Clemence.
In 2018, Sofia founded Higher Ground Jam Session, an improvised music gathering in East London, which has grown into a thriving community and was recently featured at Brainchild Festival. With improvisation a central part of her creative practice, she wanted to create a safe space where performers of all backgrounds could experiment freely. She says: "I see our improvised gatherings as a radical and aspirational space, a re-imagining of what the music industry could look like.”
Her debut single ‘Storm’, recorded with an all-female band, was released in February 2020. It received airplay from Jazz FM and Soho Radio, earned her a place on Women in Jazz’s AMPLIFY roster and a sold-out performance in New York City.
Her debut EP will be released next year, a body of work grounded in jazz and folk with vocal harmony at its core, which explores ideas of climate collapse, community and care.