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.
The UK country scene is one that is growing at a rapid pace and Laura has been at the forefront of it, winning ‘Best Female Vocalist’ at the British Country Music Awards for two consecutive years. Laura has enjoyed live dates at some of the UK’s most prestigious festivals and stages including C2C, The Long Road, Liverpool Sound City, The Great Escape, Black Deer, Cottingham Folk Festival, Secret Garden Party, Cornbury Music Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival and Camp Bestival. As well as support slots for some of the most notable talent coming out of the UK and US, including Devin Dawson, Andrew Combs, The Shires, The Wandering Hearts, Devin Dawson, Catherine McGrath, Colm Mac Com Iomaire (The Frames), Jess and The Bandits and Ward Thomas.
Her latest acoustic EP “Nashville Stole Your Girl” was released end of September 2017 and achieved number 5 in the iTunes UK Country Music Chart and received critical acclaim, securing a session on Bob Harris’ BBC Radio 2 show.
2018 saw Laura return to Nashville to co-write with some of the world’s greatest songwriters including Jeff Cohen, Beth Nielson Chapman, Leslie Satcher, Ray Kennedy, Jenn Bostic, James Slater, Philip White, Mike Fiorentino, Chris Lindsey, Ketelyn Clampett, Jason Lehning and Palmer Green. She returned to the UK armed with a bundle of fabulous songs ready to perform to hungry audiences. Stay tuned across Laura’s socials for updates on release dates.
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