Growing up in West London, 22-year-old Nilüfer Yanya was immersed in music by her artist parents, who have Turkish, Irish and Bajan heritage. She grew up listening to Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse and Pixies and, unusually, you can hear traces of all three in her guitar-driven soul.
Rejected twice from a popular music degree she sought her own path, rising from the capital’s open mic nights to BBC Radio 6 Music’s playlist with her breakthrough single, Baby Luv.