Liv Dawson
Liv Dawson – Painkiller (Live) from Raja Virdi on Vimeo.
At just 19 years old, Liv Dawson’s story thus far suggests that it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. She was born and raised in Shepperton, a sleepy commuter-town just outside of London, the closest Liv came to nding stardom on her doorstep was singing along to the ‘Dreamgirls’ soundtrack in the car, one of her earliest musical memories and the catalyst to subsequently starting to write her own music aged just thirteen.
With Liv’s stars-in-her-eyes potential at such a young age she started performing in local pubs and clubs, allowing Liv to road-test her work and establish a con dence which starkly contrasted with her self-confessed awkwardness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she increasingly found herself drawn not just to soulful vocalists but strong female role-models who were unafraid to be di erent, admiring the positivity in the likes of Lauren Hill, Beyoncé and Etta James among others.
Liv went on to sign to Method Records and in May 2016 introduced herself with intimidating con dence, releasing a series of captivating songs. With an undeniably beautiful voice and brimming with soul, at just 17 years old Liv proved she was wise beyond her years with her rst release ‘Tapestry’. Liv continued to expore the limits of her sound along with the trials and errors of being a teenager with the release of her ‘Open Your Eyes’ EP in late 2016.
Early 2017 saw Liv release her next single ‘Searching’ which was added to the Radio 1 BBC Introducing Playlist and sell our her debut London headline show at Omeara leading to a busy summer. Alongside festival season, including performances at The Great Escape, Wild Life and Latitude, Liv collaborated with salute to feature on his single ‘Light Up’ and with Redlight & Kojo Funds on the single ‘I’ll Be Waiting’. Now having just turned 19 she’s just released her newest single ‘Painkiller’ that continues to interlace girl-next-door confessionals with vivid snapshots of young adulthood.
Her sound continues to evolve as Liv does. With over 30 million streams to date and mentor- like collaborators including Jimmy Napes, Tobias Jesso Jr, Marcus Mumford, SG Lewis, Levi Lennox and Disclosure – this undeniable power-list of some of todays most forward thinking musicians, producers and songwriters are lining up to work with Liv Dawson in the belief that her talent and future is equally undeniable.
“A stunning vocal range…it’s gripping whatever she does” – NME
“Dawson’s angelic vocals shimmer over salute’s bold, vibrant production” – Fader
“Fusing the worlds of electronic music and R&B like no other” – Notion
“An emotional depth and confidence well beyond her years” – Pigeons & Planes