Mercuy nominee Laura Mvula: I'm friends with Jill Scott, John Legend and Alicia Keys

Laura Mvula may have been on the music scene for less than a year but is already receiving calls from A List stars in the USA.

The 27-year-old singer/songwriter has been inundated by the music elite since releasing her mulit-award nominated album Sing To The Moon back in March.

‘Jill Scott is my new bezzie mate. And a couple of others – John Legend has been in touch,’ the soulful star told Guilty Pleasures at the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize in Camden on Wednesday – where her own record was nominated as one of the Albums of the Year.

‘And Alicia Keys,’ she went on, adding: ‘She heads up a charity called Keep A Child alive and she holds a Black Ball every year in New York. Carole King, Pharrell and me and her are performing. That should be cool. It kind of feels like I’m dropping all these names. I don’t think they realise I’m not all that huge!’

With famous names adding her to their speed dial and her album already featuring in BRIT and MOBO ceremonies, life has changed dramatically for the singer since her album was released in Spring.

‘It’s a bit strange this new world, but a lot of it is interesting and weird in a new way. I’m mainly focused on trying to tour this album which, I tell you, is quite exhausting! We’re literally flying to America tomorrow.’

Although the singer lost out to James Blake on the night, Mvula stressed she would spend her night celebrating hard whether she won or lost.

‘I assure you I will be hungover tomorrow! I don’t want to think about the flight!’ she laughed.

[Originally published Metro, Guilty Pleasures, Thursday 31 October 2013]