Laurel's first ever video - "Fire Breather"Singer and songwriter Laurel Arnell-Cullen is running late. And so she’s literally running, darting from the bar toward the stage in London venue, Dingwalls, on a Wednesday night in late November. She’s about to get behind the mic to open for label-mate Dan Croll, and has a full-capacity audience to entertain with her brand of confessional alt-pop.“I’m nervous, but I’ve got to go,” she quickly exclaims, smiling over her shoulder as she dodges between punters. When the lights dim, and she and her four-piece band launch into their opening song, she hides her nerves well. Somewhere between the stairs in the crowd’s standing area and her spot-lit position center-stage, she transformed from Laurel, bright-eyed teen, to Laurel, the rather sultry, mononymous performer. I have to keep reminding myself that she’s just nineteen.
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Laurel’s rounding off the year with a new single, “Fire Breather,” to whip up interest in her forthcoming album. She’s been recording it in her bedroom and teaching herself how to produce the tracks on Logic. “I want to get it finished, and to be really proud of it,” she says. “I just want it to be a collective piece of work that can say, ‘Yeah! This is my first album, this is what represents me right now.’”Back in Dingwalls, her 8-song set shows promise. She’s got a powerful voice, and controls it well when she switches from a subtle coo to all-out belting on tracks like “Mankind” and “Blue Blood.” She holds onto the mic stand, playing with her hair and channeling a coquettish confidence.It’s refreshing. Both on and off stage Laurel just exudes a certain calm. I ask how she feels entering the entertainment world when people can scrutinize her every move and decision on social media (shout out to Azealia Banks), and she sounds unfazed.“I don’t have a problem with people seeing what I do because I keep my private life private,” she says, laughing. “And I don’t have a lot of private stuff anyway: I’m quite an open person.” If she can maintain that slightly naïve optimism down the line, 2014 might just be a great year for Laurel. And even if she hardens, she’ll always remember how she branded herself as “London’s last sweetheart” for a while first.Tshepo has been busy this AM texting her mates about the Beyoncé record and she’s on Twitter - @neuthings.