Biography:

A genuine breath of fresh air has blown in, from Barbados via North Yorkshire, in the shape of 21 year old singer/songwriter Livvi Franc. Bubbly, unpretentious and down to earth are words not often used in the music business, but this multi-talented songstress with the model girl looks is as laid back as they come.

An authentic blend of cultures and music styles, Livvi refuses to be pigeon-holed, describing her impressive body of work as a mix of pop, R&B, folk, and the Caribbean specialty, Reggae, with an underlying Soca beat. The diversity of her music even echoes her accent, a Barbadian tinge interspersed with the occasional flat vowels of northern England.

Livvi spent the first five years of her life in Harrogate. At five, her family moved to her dad’s homeland of Barbados. Livvi grew up in Barbados wukking up to Soca music, speaking Bajan dialect and listening to everything from Bob Marley to The Beatles, and lists a range of female singers, from Etta James, through Nelly Furtado, Gwen Stefani, Lauryn Hill, and Alanis Morissette among her many influences.

Her passion for music was a part of her for as long as she can recall. “Melodies and lyrics were just in me and every chance I got, I would release them.” Livvi’s talent for singing was picked up both in and out of school, with countless performances in school concerts, local pageants and private audiences for her friends. At the age of 11, she started songwriting and began filling books with her ideas. Taking up the guitar at 15 helped with the songwriting, and gave her a structure for the music. “My guitar playing is not for public consumption, but it has been an essential tool for my songwriting. I’ve recorded around 80 songs, but written hundreds with my guitar.”

Her route to the big time is like something out of a fairytale. “My friend used to babysit for a woman who had worked in music in Barbados. At her prompting, I made a tape of myself singing some of my self-penned songs and gave it to her. After listening to it once, she rang to say that she would love to work with me, if I was interested. That was five years ago. Kerrie Thomas is now my manager and she, along with my co-manager, Allison Hunte, helped me get the deal with Jive Records in America and RCA over here, all part of Sony.”

Livvi co-wrote most of the tracks on her remarkable debut album, due in mid-2009, collaborating with a host of celebrated songwriters and producers. In the US, she worked with Salaam Remi (Amy Winehouse) on the funky, infectious dance fuelled track ‘Now I’m That B.I.T.C.H!’ (an acronym for Being In Total Control of Herself)
and JR Rotem (Rihanna, Sean Kingston) who produced the sensational ‘Lovey Dovey’. Future Cut (lily Allen) produced one of the albums more downbeat, emotional tracks, ‘Hummingbird’ and the sparkling, surf-guitar powered ‘She Loves Love’ was produced by Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen, Kylie Minogue, Natasha Bedingfield).

Outside of music, the BajanBrit likes to watch movies and hang out with her mates. “I’m not a big beach babe of late, thanks to a manic recording schedule, but the sea, especially the clear blue waters of Barbados, has long been an inspiration for my songwriting. Chef Livvi also loves to cook! She confesses to a real love of the culinary arts. “Cooking de-stresses me and allows me to be creative. I am not a big fan of recipes; I like to do my own thing, and I am always concocting new dishes. You name it, I can cook it! I also like to bake. I make a wicked sweetbread, a Barbadian dessert. I always thought if I didn’t get the opportunity to have a career in music, I’d be a chef. ”

One listen to her debut single ‘Free’, which combines a gorgeous, insistent melody with inspirational lyrics, is all it takes to prove that Livvi Franc won’t be enrolling in cookery school any time soon.