Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S11 Ep 15: Laura Mvula

Episode Date: April 21, 2021

This week we invite Laura Mvula over for lunch. Laura is about to bring out her third record on July 2, Pink Noise, so to celebrate Lennie made a sumptuous chicken, spiced potatoes, salad and Nigella's salted chocolate chunks!We talk about the ‘changing landscape’ in the music industry, her musically gifted siblings and her podcast series ’So You Wanna Be A Musician’ she launched with her sister. We go from growing up in Birmingham in a Christian household to a first kiss in Jamaica, supporting Prince on tour to Single Ladies being her karaoke song. It's all in there! Love this girl and it's a joy to have her back with such wonderful music! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm Jessie Ware and I'm with my mum, Lenny. Hi darling. Hi mum. Mum and I have been discussing about restaurant reservations. We're about to be let out and allowed to eat outside. So how many do you think you've made? Ten. I haven't made one. You're mad. Sneeze you lose.

I would love to know where you are going or where you were most looking forward to going and eating did you do what i did and book closer places or did you do what lenny did and hope for the best i'd be happy for a coffee just sitting outside to be perfectly honest don't believe you i would so today yeah we have a friend of mine who was my first ever support act when I first ever did a UK tour. She's phenomenal. She's so talented. She had a rocky ride with the old industry and she's back with her third record coming out in July called Pink Noise and she is a bloody star.

It's a totally different sound to what one expects of Lauren Vula. It is 80s. It is big shoulder pads. It is Prince-esque. It's got all the emotion of all her other music, which was always so emotive, right? But yeah, it's electronic. It's synthy. It's sexy. And she did this incredible live stream, which was just really exciting to watch. I kind of fist pumped the air. I was so proud of her. And it's just really nice to be chatting to her today. What are you cooking for her, Mum? I'm making chicken marinated in ras hanout and honey. And I've made spicy potatoes, spiced up my potatoes today, and a nice salad that you've just tried to add to because you

didn't think we had enough. And where did you get the inspiration from? I saw what Otto Lenge was delivering from his restaurant and I thought, I wonder if I could do that. That's a nice rasenut. I'll have one of them. I'll do that. Yeah, because that had lemon juice in. Oh, it was lemon juice as well. And lots of garlic.

So it was garlic, lemon juice, ras hanout and honey. Pud? Oh no, you've done it, haven't you? Well, I've just done strawberries because you said... No. Actually, they're not that good, the strawberries. But I have also done the salted peanut and chocolate bars. The Nigella spesh.

It is very dangerous. Yeah. And with crunchy. With crunchy in it. You just put a whole package of salty peanuts and it makes salted chocolate. Dangerous and delicious. And you use cheap, cheap chocolate.

It's kind of like a Yorkie in thickness, but with all the kind of flavour of a dairy milk, fruit and nut, but with naughtier stuff. Well, it's salty. It's really good. Laura and Vula coming up on Table Manners. laura you're here i'm here in a colorful woolly jumper cheers it's so nice to see you to the end of a sodding lockdown you're so great

I'm just realising how much I needed I don't think I've seen you for years I know we've been in touch but we haven't I mean a lot has happened

since the last time I've seen you yeah it's divorce yes management labels

all of it my therapist says seismic shifts several in the last few years has therapy really helped? do you know I bowed out of therapy

for ages probably at the time when I should have made a more regular commitment to it but more recently I called up my management and I was like, you've got to get me some help. Why?

Has it just been, has it been quite overwhelming? Do you like fizzy? I'm fine with fizzy. Fizzy's good. Yeah. Has it been, because listen,

I mean, look, take us through it all, but you're on a new label now. Oh yeah. Because something bizarre happened where were you dropped i was but that's bizarre because you are one of the most critically acclaimed uk like darlings of them it makes no sense to me and it probably didn't make any sense to you at

the time right i fully regretted how much i had already identified as a little bit of a darling like I thought there was love there just there's a lot of love there well yeah but record companies are but this is the thing we all know that the industry is dug eat dug

and unpredictable it changes every second it's so fickle and because i'm so um i don't want to say gullible that's the first word that came to my mind but i think i'm trusting i'm very trusting yeah i like to build genuine relationships with people and so i don't think I even, for one minute, thought that that was even an option. No.

But why would you? You were up for Brits, you were up for Ivans, Mercury's. I mean, all of it. It was all there. And the album, that album that I just put out, The Dreaming Room, that won an Ivor. It was gorgeous. Best album.

Thank you. But so what was their reason? I don't know. To this day, I'm not sure. I got a six-line email that said, after discussions, we've decided we will not be renewing the next option. Thank you for your efforts. Your efforts.

Wishing you all the best for the future. That was it. Were you managed? Had you changed management by that point? No, by then I still had my old manager, Kwame, who I still chat to. He's a lovely man.

Lovely guy. But it was just so unprofessional and so inhumane. And I don't think I accepted it for ages. Like, I don't think it sunk in. I was just determined to talk about it with whoever would listen. What did your family say because they were all involved in your music they were devastated my sister said the other day that she actually thinks she didn't support me enough in the moment because she was so believing in me as an artist

she just kind of thought well fuck them like if that's the if that's the vibe they're wrong and you'll be fine but actually it was traumatic and I needed to like deal with that pain because I was humiliated it was one of those and it's public humiliation as well and that's what's so I think that's what so brutal. It's like you put your art out there. You put yourself out there. You did a great album. You won awards with it. I mean, that's all labels want, isn't it?

Well, maybe not, but. Okay, so that happened. So that happened. Didn't really know what it meant for me, what I was going to do. Because your whole life has been music, right? This is it. And, I mean, that's the beauty of feeling secure, come what may, in that I've been an amateur musician from Birmingham.

From as long as I can remember, I grew up making music in, up making music in whether it was in school choirs classical ensembles playing violin piano writing for other people I had a band I had a soul band when I was like 19 um I sung in an acapella group it's always been there music has always been just the way that I do life. When I started making albums and I got signed, it became, that was another thing for me. That wasn't something that I planned. Like, I wasn't like, I want to be a solo artist. It was just, it happened because Kwame, my old manager,

heard some songs on SoundCloud. So when that first album came out and was a huge success, and I was lucky enough to have you come and support... Sorry, I'm just going to clatter a little bit. Yeah, no worry. And I was lucky enough to have you come and support us on tour, and, you know, it was such a dream. You really burst onto the scene,

and that's a really cliche way of saying it but was were you kind of a reluctant pop pop star at that point because you're you're very you're softly spoken you're normal you're birmingham girl like you have your family around you in the band yeah was it was it quite daunting the prospect of being in the label yeah because yeah suddenly being in the limelight I had resisted being a front person for so long why because I never saw myself as someone who was strong enough vocally visually I don't know I just never felt that I was that person that you want to see but everyone did want to see carrying the show

and also like a really captivating performer like a really captivating performer and if anybody has I don't know if you're going to put the live stream back out I hope so because honest to god so many people have tried to do

the live stream during lockdown right now isn't it it's a thing and it's really hard to get right and you can either be a very big pop star that can have millions behind their one and i presume yours didn't have millions behind it it was slightly more lo-fi. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was fantastic. Where did we do it? Some studio in East London. It was the first thing, so I was terrified. Oh, you didn't look at all. I felt like you looked most commanding and in control I'd ever seen you.

You're really kind. Did you have to, like, go into another, like, persona? I had to, like, drink copious amounts of Prosecco on the set. Because it had been years now. I mean, I've been doing, like, support things for other people, like, side shows and, like, oh, no. But not in my own right. This was you re-emerging, rightging this is the re-emergence and i just felt like i was so ready with the music the packaging everything was there but now i needed to be there yeah yeah yeah i mean it's pretty brave to do that you know it's like the

live stream's a big old beast in itself um And it's, you know, people have tried and failed and some, a few have succeeded. But yours was really spot on. It was also nice and short and sweet. Yeah. Thanks for saying that because I was worried. Nah, it wasn't. That it was too short.

It presented. It was like 27 minutes. But I thought that was good. Did you sing Green Garden? I did. But she totally that was good. Did you sing Green Garden? I did. But she totally reimagined her older songs. Because this album is more electronic. It's got 80s music.

You know your major inspiration for this, you and Dave. Who? Who was? Dave Akuma. Well, I mean. No, you're a major inspiration for this. Shut up. I'm not joking, Jessie.

Come on now. Stop. I said, if Dave was, you're a major inspiration for this. I'm not joking, Jessie. Come on now. Stop. I said, if Dave was here, he'd know. I went to see him and I was like, listen. I want to be a pop star. He was like. Did he give you a big hug and help you? Dave Akumu is like.

That was one of the most extraordinary few days spending chatting with that man i know the way he listens i know he's literally the og yeah yeah yeah yeah he's wise isn't he's really actually wise you feel safe when you're with him so did so for anybody who's listening david kumu produced my first record and really nurtured and looked after me in that first quite daunting period and really, you know, helped me understand how to enjoy making music. So Dave was involved in this record? No, in the end he wasn't. I think that will happen at some point.

I think I was still at the early stage where i still wasn't sure what i was doing actually let me not he was involved in the sense that he helped coach me into a space where i was ready to just go and do it yeah as as you know he's such a gentle soul but with like gravitas wisdom like most things that come out of his mouth I'm just like okay yes and so I needed that I felt nourished every time I was around him and I felt understood and heard and that for me was really healing this new record from what I've heard you know it's you present it and that's what I loved about the live stream you presented it it was like this is the world come into my world yeah this is the world that i've created yeah what do you say you say like 80s sunsets yeah yeah i'm some bullshit no some delightful language

but you've got those shoulder pads on like you look like a strong woman that had been resurrected like there was like resurrection in that performance and I loved it and I was so proud of you and I think there's so many people that are on your side yes but sometimes the business gets in the way and muddies that for me sorry I'm just taking my shoes off but when the business gets in the way of that sometimes it doesn't feel as easy to remember like who you are and that instinct thing like literally quite like now I'm being reminded of like but law what's your inner barometer saying like do I even know what that is because I'm I will sit at the table and be like okay yeah yeah that sounds good too okay yeah I don't know about that but you're convincing me that that's I should go in that direction because otherwise if I don't then everything falls apart

I'm always trying to remind myself that the reason I'm here is because I followed my instincts from day one so if I abandon that because such and such over there says yes but their favorite thing to say to me these days is the landscape has changed oh my god it has changed it's changed in the way music is good but good music I mean I yeah I think that's right if you have a good song people are going to listen and take note but there's so much that surrounds like being an artist now like no denying that the fact that we have the podcast has helped me yeah and you also you have not it's not a podcast no it's something you do with your sister yes explain what it is but I wonder whether that's also been really helpful to be able to balance things out

so my sister who plays in my band actually no she now plays in Florence and the Machines band we had loads of chats over lockdown about like what the hell are we supposed to do like how are we gonna earn and I say we because I've had that pack mentality where I think about my brother and my sister like that your brother played the cello. He plays the cello. He plays the cello, yeah. And he's doing, you know, he's doing really well, but he found like fitness.

His side thing is training people in the park. And he's got these classes that he puts on, which is great. And actually, because he's a freelance cellist, he's still had, really luckily, and because he's a freelance cellist he's still had a really luckily and because he's ace he's does a lot of film school stuff so a lot of the air studios and field schools have been going ahead right through through lockdown so he's had that but for my sister touring was it so what next obviously she she was teaching as well which is fine but we all need realistically we need more and when Florence tours she tours for like a year and a half two years the whole thing you know I feel for so many of those crew members and session musicians and including my crew yeah that just they go right okay well i'm usually jumping from one tour to the next

it's been tough for them yeah so what is this idea that you so then she came up with this idea we'd coined a term within my band my touring band whenever we had a tight spot we're in a tight spot or someone was a bit pissed off on the bus or I don't know. We're hungry and there's no service station for like four hours in America. And then we've got to get on and do the gig. Someone will turn around and go, so you want to be a musician? So that became the term. And so Dion took that and was like, I'm going to make a show called So You Want to Be a Musician.

And we'll just interview, just chat to all the musicians that we know. How fascinating. For young musicians, young artists, young creatives coming up that have a lot of time now to think about what they're doing, what they want to do in the future how to shape their careers and it's just a discussion basically so it is a podcast it is a podcast but we do it on zoom i'm just loving being able to support her so um similar to this amazing because i think there's something about the family bond that's kind of you can't replace it you can't it's just blood so Dionne and I are very close and it's very easy for us always to find things interesting things funny things to chat about so I'm just there as a support to her every

week and we've just had you know not and not just musicians it will be crew members next week we've got Florence's tour manager coming on Rebecca and it's just a great way to engage with people real people within the music industry that are doing the groundwork like that rarely get championed as well as creatives who are trying to figure out how to do what they want to do from the heart but also pay their rent um and and it's just a way of forming relationships as well so that people don't feel alone because i think that's one of the biggest things that certainly come out of this new era of what the hell is going on the changed landscape look i just forgot to say something before i get the dinner i'm an honorary brummie are you seriously yeah

my mum was born in birmingham and i went to university in birmingham half my family lived in birmingham i had no idea so whereabouts do you do you come from so i was born in sally park birmingham sally park um and grew up in kings heath that's where i lived when i was a student over the optician shop mr spriggs no way yeah so what was what was growing up in birmingham with your brothers and sisters who you're obviously really close with what was on the dinner table on the dinner table mum legend she is um i looked forward mostly to sunday's sunday dinner because that's caribbean my parents are both well my mum was born in saint kitts oh yeah we've been there we love you've been to say yeah we loved it wonderful it's been to St. Kitts? Yeah. No way. We loved it. Wonderful. It's beautiful. What was that place we went to where we had lobster and corn?

Johnny Cakes. Yeah. You had the Johnny Cakes. Yeah. Took the lobster out by your feet. Yes. And then put it on the barbecue. I've only been once.

Can you imagine? It's gorgeous. We had such fun, didn't we? It was great. And it wasn't overdeveloped no no no because nevis was at this is this is the thing there's a lot of competition within our family because my dad's side is jamaican oh we've been there too yeah so um because jamaica was the first caribbean island i went to as a teenager that's etched in my memory as the caribbean experience which bit though which

we were all over we were in kingston and then we were in ocher rio's runaway bay that's where i had my first kiss oh jamaica i know good kiss actually it was awful oh no it was terrible but i just like the memory of holiday romance holiday. He made me a mixtape. Oh, my God, what was on the mixtape? A mixtape. Did everyone get a mixtape? Yeah, it was the best gig. It was the thing, right?

It was like taking you out for dinner. Are you the same age? You're 86, aren't you? I'm 84. Yeah. It was a whole thing, the whole mixtape thing. I'd never had one until that point. Brian McKnight.

Oh, wow. He wanted to have sex. It was like a dream come true. Yeah, it was... I mcknight oh wow he wanted to have sex yeah it was i was just like oh my gosh it wasn't yeah it was my first sex tape my one and only sex tape mom so so okay so caribbean sundays caribbean sunday dinner so you got your rice and peas usually it's chicken yeah um stuffing fried planting sometimes there will be a fish option usually salmon if like if we're really okay yeah are your parents religious so growing up yes my mum is is a devout Christian. I haven't spoken to my dad in a long time, so I have no idea where he's at with stuff.

But certainly growing up, it was a very Christian home. Were they together when you were younger? Yeah, so it was very traditional. Sunday dinner, massive table. Usually someone from church who's come over for dinner to share the day with us so did you love your mum's cooking oh my gosh to this day love it I mean I have to say I was gonna ask are you a are you a massive cook I mean yeah I love cooking I love eating I love trying out things did you teach no she didn't teach me at all oh because I was so greedy

she didn't teach me that's interesting when Jess is in the kitchen she just tried to make the salad bigger and I wanted to kill her really why because I'm in control she says I'm really slobby and messy it's not beautiful it's not like the hard. I've had to learn by being like. Subservient. Subservient. And yeah. Why did your mum like teach you and you had a very wholesome affair?

No. That's why I was interested to know because my mum can't deal with me in the kitchen space. I think I'm a bit the same. No, same as mum. And if I say, oh, it's maybe it's time you taught me that.

And she'll be like, well, just watch. That's exactly... Give it to me, I can do it. Oh, doing it wrong. I'm with your mum. It's very interesting, because I thought it would... I thought she would engage with me on that level of, oh, my gosh, yes, this is the thing to hang out.

People in charge don't engage. No, I think that's what it is. She's been captain of the ship for so long. Yeah, that's it. She's just got to get it done and to slow it down by my sort of questioning. But how much is that? Oh, you just feel it.

Oh, I don't... What does that mean? Are you a good cook? Jessie can cook. No, you're not. Oh, no, you... No, you know what? I'm an aspiring cook.

Okay. I think I have... That's a lovely expression. Yeah. That's a lovely expression. Yeah. That's a bullshit expression for... I deliver root, mostly. Okay, so, like, what was the last meal that you were really proud of cooking?

Oh, Jessie. What was that? I can't remember, but it would have been, like, Spag Bowl. No. Hey, look, look. I had that the other night. Spag bol, if you can get it right.

We had it last night. I love it. At least I try to do it well. So what's your secret weapon? I put loads of veg in my... Which veggies? Anything I can think of. So lots of peppers.

Oh, okay. Lots of peppers in spag bol. Yeah. Everything goes in. My ex said that actually my spag bol was the vibe like he really to be fair it's not like i had range so he's just being kind but yeah i mean it's not a complex dish i used to when i was married yeah when I first got married, I was in the kitchen. How old were you when you got married? 23.

Why so young? How long had you been together? We were together for five years before we got married, I think. I think it had a lot to do with the way I saw the world back then and what I imagined for myself I was a very very Christian girl and it was just almost a natural thing the church community that I belong to you know I wasn't encouraged to have boyfriends so So by the time I was of age, the conversation about courting,

oh my God, I'm using that word, and getting engaged and getting married to start a family was just like, what's what you do? And you, hon, when did you get signed? Got signed 2011, made Sing to the Moon 2011, 2012. I got married 2009.

Okay. We divorced 2015, 2016. Do you think it was... 100%. ...down to this world? I think we did not know what hit us. Gosh, that just really hit me then. hit us um gosh that just really hit me then um as incredible as this journey is I think we were two very young people who had made this amazing decision to to be together for life with no real concepts of what that meant um I had not had boyfriends before him i was a virgin and so moving into it was like

a massive shift i was married and then i made sing to the moon and i was traveling and becoming this version of a boss lady that i'd never witnessed that part of me before not really I've always been hugely dependent on the people around me to kind of carry me did he go touring with you he tried he tried but he wasn't it wasn't his thing yeah what's his job he's an opera singer oh wow he's actually got I saw something on he's got something on the bbc at the moment yeah it's like a one-man opera with an orchestra it's amazing but i mean do you keep in touch we haven't spoken in a long time but there's no animosity it was just has he has he found someone else i have no idea so you you don't, haven't, you don't. It's just, it's completely.

I wonder though, look, like I, I've been with my husband since we were 18. Wow. We had a couple of years off. Yeah. So it's funny.

We have many similarities, you know, we lost our virginities to get, you know, it's like, sorry, mum. Sorry.

Anyway. So, mum, I have sex, I have children. Sorry, Mum. Sucks. Sorry! Anyway. Yes. So, Mum, I have sex, I have children. I'm really sorry to let you know. I know that. I did once. I've gone red. Right.

But I wonder whether him being an opera singer and then you having this really, gargantuan like success um it may have been hard for him oh 100 it was well our relationship our kind of uh dynamic shifted so it went from being me being the needy one like i was crazy like i wanted to be around him all the time. I felt that marriage... Is he gorgeous? Oh, gosh.

Everybody used to call him Obama. Oh. Oh, my God. He was like a young Obama. He's an angel. Like, he literally was, yeah, very special guy. But I hadn't lived and hadn't grown. I grew up sheltered.

So going from my old life into the big bad music industry was like a baptism of fire. So, okay, so you're single? Yeah, desperate to find somebody. I can't believe she... Have you looked at her face? You were really kind, desperate to find somebody. I can't believe she... Have you looked at her face? You were really kind, but... Just gorgeous.

The perfect package. Perfect. Who are you looking for? Because we might be able to sort this out. We have many a listener. Listen, please. Listen, babe, I had a message from this bloke yesterday. I'm going to put it on now.

Wow. It's not about you, I'm afraid, because they don't know that you're on yet. But it was for my brother. No way. I'll tell you, this is what this guy, he sent me a list, okay? Hi, Jessie. Just wanted to submit my application to date Dr. Alex. There are lots of reasons why we should give things a shot, so here goes.

Number one, by the way, we have eight points. I will choose some of them. My mum thinks I'm handsome, intelligent, and a great catch. I'd hope Dr. Alex would agree once we'd met. My nana also agrees. From Manchester,

Lenny would love that. Massive foodie, think I'd fit into your family. Used to go to Aberstock where you used to go. What? And then sends a picture. Sent a picture.

No, no, no. I actually, I did a bit of Instagram stalking. I was like, I'll send it on. He's very cute. What's your name? Danny Hill. You's very cute. What's your name? Why not?

Danny Hill. You're very cute. Have you sent it on to Alex? No, I needed to vet it with you and the team. I think it was all right. I love that. So listen, listen, you may get some bloody marriage proposals after this, girl. Listen, beggars can't be choosers.

I can't believe that someone hasn't snapped you up. I wonder whether that's my problem because I can't believe that you someone hasn't snapped you up i wonder whether that's my problem because i can't believe it nor i'll tell you i can't believe i've not been re-snapped up i'm telling you what is going on i think the same for my mother i think i'm too picky choosy i think we're in a new space i think it's different even to when I got married it was so did you have the full white wedding and everything what was your first dance it was Coldplay which now that's gonna make me cry because Chris Martin got in touch with me just like this week to say amazing things about um Church Girl the new single which is wow wow Do you like Coldplay? I love them. Like, I absolutely

am in love with them. So him to write to you this week. Is that the first time you've chatted? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, actually, no. He won't know. But I supported them once. Now, this is a perfect segue into somebody else you've supported, Prince. Yes. And now

I don't know if this is true and maybe you will be able to confirm or deny so i heard prince presented one year you don't need to confirm or dinner No I would like to confirm Okay so listen When you get When you get A Prince story Yeah you've got to milk that shit

So okay so not only have you supported him He was a massive fan of you He really actually was I was in the studio with somebody who told me this story last week And it tickled me And I love that you're basically confirming it so basically prince at the brit awards one year laura was up for best female yes and some other women were up for brilliant women were up for best female now they asked if prince would um and you can change tell me if i'm getting this wrong this is like this has been down the grape vines you know what i mean chinese whispers and um so prince gets asked to present a brit award

now prince doesn't just do anything does it he's prince right he says yeah he sees who's on the lineup sees that his friend lauren vula who he's a massive fan of is up for the best female he's like well she's going to win it. I'm going to come and deliver that Brit to my friend Laura. 100%. Now, Laura didn't win it. Somebody else did. The way that he reacted when he announced it, when he opened the thing.

He was pissed. What did he say? He didn't say anything. He didn't even announce it because he was too pissed off it wasn't Laura. Did you ever have a meal with Prince? Yes, I did have a meal with Prince. This is what happened that night. This sounds like I'm about to say something really out. Front page news. Yeah. That night at the Brit Awards where I was rubbed. I love that. It's on YouTube, this moment where I do that It's on YouTube this moment Where I do the losers clap

Yeah You know I learnt it from Rachel From friends And um Afterwards I was Devastated for several reasons Obviously I wanted the award Secondly you know

Prince I knew I'd been told, you know, several times that Prince was doing that because he thought I was going to get it. And they tried really hard to get the result before so they could confirm. And they, obviously, the Brits just not having that. So, but he was like, surely she'll win. I'm sort of like a welcome to the reality of making commercial music in this country. And got drunk with all my friends. Because it's like the second price. So you get well pissed.

Yeah. And then I think it was like 1am. My phone's going and it's kieran who used to manage prince and um she's like darling prince is having a party oh my god do you want to come i was like what now she's like yeah now so i remember i was with my brother and my sister my brother will never live this down because it's one of the stories i like to share about my brother. And if you need to understand who my brother is, you just need to know this story. Okay, brilliant.

Obviously, Dionne and I were like, oh my gosh, let's go. Like, what? I remember like, where's my other eyelash? Where's my other shoe? I was like, this is it. And my brother's like, I've got to get to bed. He sounds like this is this is it and my brother's like i've gotta get to bed this is my brother this is this is james douglas who just got married and um he was like yeah i've gotta go to bed i'm tired like james this is once in a lifetime

like we're gonna go and party with prince come on he was like no i'm not having it so my sister and i um i remember it was somewhere in shoreditch we pulled up i remember thinking it can't be here this is a dark street there's nothing like we've taken a long time prince i was like this can't be it but then we see like this massive, big bloke, big black guy standing outside of just one of the, what seems to be like a shut up shop. Like there's nothing there. And he's just like sunglasses on. It's the middle of the night.

That was the clue. Yeah, that was the clue. And then, so I wind down the window. Cause I'm not entirely sure. Like I could be wrong but i'm just like um i'm inviting is this is this prince's party oh god and he's like what's your name and i'm like oh it's laura um with my sister and he's like hold on and he does it it's like a film he does the thing on his little thing

and then suddenly the the um shutters go off of this place it was like a 90s music video and so it's like kind of dark there's like these two waitresses carrying hors d'oeuvres on there with these trays just fucking love him but there's no but there's not really anyone there there's this band i can see his band are no but there's not really anyone there there's his band i can see his band are there chilling there's someone in the dj's booth and then he's like in an alcove so he comes with his cane he walks over there's like no one there i'm like this is what's happening this is amazing and he's like hey i don't remember thinking this is it. I've met Prince before, but this is different. Now is conversation.

We will have an exchange. Everything I say has to be meaningful. And you're pissed as a newt. I'm pissed literally and in both ways. I'm pissed off and I'm pissed out my head. So he's like, he says says to me how do you feel and I was like I'm disappointed that I'm disappointed very good yeah very good he loved that oh I'll never forget it I remember that you're like he was so poetic and then he he ushered me and my sister into this alcove to sit and chat and he just for a good like

20-25 minutes was just talking about how much he loved me and what I do and that I should stay on course and that um owning music was really important and independence was really important and obviously i'm paraphrasing because i was drunk so i can't remember most of it but um but i remember dion saying to me she was really emotional afterwards and she said to me he's the first celebrity or whatever that next to you has looked me in my eye because normally what happens is even though my brother and sister are beside me most of the time they don't get acknowledged um and we're very close to the point of it's if it's one of us it's all of us it's like one thing so when she said she felt seen and heard and she was acknowledged

as an individual as a musician it was really special yeah um and she said she'd never had that before so we both went away sort of giddy with booze and this new prince experience and um he's i what i remember most about him it was like being back at college music college just like chatting with another musician with about what you wanted to do it it was it was very ordinary and apart from like the two women with hors d'oeuvres floating apart from the models i love that with the with this empty room like oversized trays like in a fucking garage there's no

yeah that was in a garage yeah in a summer in Shoreditch oh man you've got a print story though man

that is amazing but it was beautiful and I like I'll never forget Never forget. Whilst mum sorts out the chicken, thank you, mum, I'm going to ask you, we're going to just go for it before we get mouthfuls of food in. Last meal.

Yes. That I made. No, we're past that, babe. Don't worry. We've established, babe. I'm not going to ask you to relive that nightmare. So, last meal on earth or before you go into a desert island. Start a main pud and drink.

Starter. Don't overthink this, Laura. Don't overthink this. Don't overthink this. Don't overthink this. Burrata. Just give me some cheese. Okay. Main course.. Burrata. Just give me some cheese. Okay.

Main course. Just burrata, no little shishy things. If you want, sing me a song with it. Okay, fine. Next main course has to be, and I'm sorry about, because it should be like my heritage food, but it's not. What is it? Lambuna, lamb jalfrezi, peshwari naan, pilar rice.

We could go for a curry together, I think. Oh, my gosh. But I think you're a bit hotter than me. I go hot? Yeah. Buna's kind of mild. Okay, so you're going Indian to take away. Yeah, it's Indian for me.

Where's your favourite spot that you get a good Indian from? There's a couple. It depends. If I'm going toian to take away where's your where's your favorite um spot that you get a good indian from there's a couple it depends if i'm gonna go tradish yeah you've got to go back to birmingham you've got to go to lady pool road it is actually well renowned yeah birmingham is an important curry capital um lady pool road have you found any good ones in london you know i gave up a bit i'm not gonna lie but that might have been homesickness even though i've been living here for like seven years um but now i love me a dishum i love me cricket which is the fusion stuff it's good um but that isn't like that's that's it's a little bit more fancy pants it's a bit more fancy pants if I'm just going

to go Tradish then I'll go Rana Stoke Newington Pud Pud oh apple and rhubarb crumble custard

oh decisive yeah zap can you make that rhubarb's in at the moment babe go get it I need to

okay let's just accept that one of my flaws, one of my major flaws is that although I keep a lovely home, you'll walk in and be like, oh, this is great.

A bitch cannot cook. Yet. And it's disgraceful. Jessie, do you want to help? Yes, sorry. Help or help? Shall I help? Sorry.

I'm sitting here like... Help yourself to some chicken. My mum will be mortified. Help yourself. Get going. Wow. What would be your drink of choice? Oh, my drink of choice? You can have more than one. You can have an aperitif, you can have a digestive.

Sorry, Mum, thanks. Do you know, I am pretty simple when it comes to bevies. I love a glass of red. Yeah? Do you want some more, Jaz? It suits me really well. Any particular bottle?

Any particular bottle. I've got one here as well. A Malbec suits me just fine. Do you want some more done? No, I'm perfect, Mum. Thank you. So, how is it? Because I've never made it. Mum, it looks great. Oh, my goodness. Is it nice? It looks really perfect, Mum. Thank you. So... How is it? Because I've never made it. Mum, it looks great.

Is it nice? It looks really good, Mum. It's genuinely warmed my soul. Oh, God. I think you're quite easy to please, to be honest. No, it's... That's the two glasses of wine. Come on, Bev. No, I'm telling you, that's really gorgeous food.

Mum, it's really... I don't want to say the word, but it's moist. I'd say it looks very moist. It is very moist, but that's what we want. Do the potatoes work? The potatoes do work. Laura, what do you think? Guys, I'm like shocked in my head.

No, I'll tell you why. You know, sometimes when you don't know what to expect, you know that you're going to see lovely people, but... You don't know if the food's going to be shit. You don't know what the food vibe's going to be. Were you a bit scared? I wasn't scared, but... You don't know if the food's going to be shit. You don't know what the food vibe's going to be. Were you a bit scared? I wasn't scared, but I wasn't expecting... You know, it's different when you're hungry and you eat

and it feels that feeling. It's not too spicy. It's gorgeous. That's great. Well, Laura wouldn't have minded it spicy, but this is great. This feels soulful. It's soul food. It's like you care.

Oh, that's such a compliment. It really is. Mum, those potatoes are very good. Do you parboil them or do you stick them straight in? I did parboil them. But they were sweet. Did they have onion powder on them? Yeah, onion, garlic, turmeric, mustard seeds, coriander seeds.

Mum, they're really good. Canned, a little bit of chilli. They are good, aren't they? They're good, Mum. So, listen, we're going to have a bit of pud now. But I've got a few more questions to ask you. I feel like we haven't talked that much about food, but I think it's fascinating, so it doesn't matter.

Do you think you've got good table manners, and Vila I think you just you just adjusted her knife and fork thank you um I think thank you so much yeah I've got wicked table manners I know that sometimes I can be a bit forgetful if I get excited and the conversation is flowing then or as a kid if I got bored you know then I would just I gotta but I think I mean I think I haven't been watching you eat but I mean you know generally there is the occasional if I want to I do talk with my mouth oh come on it happens to the best of us. Can you put those on the table? Okay, so, these are very delicious. Oh, oh!

They're like crack. And, so, get ready. Please let me know when I'm allowed to have one. You can take one now! Are you sure? Yes, babe! Take yours out, darling. Mm-hmm.

Oh, wow. Right, you tell me how gorgeous those are. It's chocolate salted peanuts. Mmmmm. It's good isn't it? I love that Laura's Greg Wallis and she's literally having to taste it. I'm just getting spoons out of here. Okay I'm just serving everybody raspberry and strawberries yeah?

Okay. Oh I didn't even wait to put the strawberries in there. Oh baby have another strawberries don't worry don't worry so cheeky excuse me can i ask my question yes do you sing karaoke i should shouldn't i but i don't all right if you had to which song would you choose? Beyonce. Which one? Single Ladies, probably. I love that. You'd go and get in there,

wouldn't you? I think I'm going to go back on mine, and I think I'd like Single Ladies. You'd just go to the... Yeah. I don't know why I said that. That's really interesting. I wouldn't... Like, thinking about it now...

But you'd have to have your brother and sister in the back going yeah and your mum the joke is that we that's how we pretty much started

we were doing we were a wedding band really and um lots of people requested that one Jessie maybe she could do your

because it's when you throw the bouquet maybe she could do your bat mitzvah oh my god no I think we're throw the bouquet. maybe she could do your bat mitzvah. Oh my God, no, I think we're beyond that. She can be a guest at my fucking bat mitzvah.

I meant to do it. No, she can be a guest. We're going to get all your friends to perform. We're going to have Dave, Jack. Dave would be in the band. Jack will be.

Felix. Laura, I could have you here for many more, forever. It's honestly been so lovely to reconnect with you. Apart from, I've been, you know, I've have you here for many more, forever. It's honestly been so lovely to reconnect with you. Apart from, you know, seeing you from afar.

I'm so proud of you. I'm so excited for everyone to enjoy this new adventure you're on. And yeah, you're doing great. I did the same Green Garden once. Oh mum, just leave it. Okay, leave it. Leave it. garden once. Oh mum, just leave it. Okay, leave it.

It's weird how much you remind me of my mum and I. It's so funny. Well, well that was such a pleasure to have her over and just love i mean look when i met laura she didn't say anything she was so shy and and and you'd see her perform and it was such an honor to have her support me and i just i love her i love her and it's been a tough old ride that was such a candid conversation i couldn't take my eyes stunning she's so beautiful every she's her skin her bone structure she's just beautiful beautiful so listen table manners we're gonna put it out there laura's looking for love yeah oh my god mom maybe we could be like the meddling yentas

that's what my friend used to have a jewish a jewish um dating scheme jessica we could do it as a side thing yeah table manners you're a yenta mix and match so yeah table manners listeners uh if you'd like to be set up with the divine lauren vula she can't cook but that's okay she could appreciate something she appreciated your cooking it was very good today, Mum. Was it good? Those potatoes. I told you. Just put it down. Say it again just so we've got audible record of it. I don't even know what to put in.

I think they were spicy potatoes. They weren't spicy at all, but that didn't matter. I put chilli in. Yeah, I couldn't taste it. Did anyone taste the chilli? It was cayenne, smoked paprika, some chilli flakes flakes garlic powder and onion powder and some mustard seed and coriander seed and I put a little shake of coriander and cumin in see I couldn't taste any of those apart from the sweetness of like the onion powder oh but they were heaven well they're a bit spicy weren't spicy but they were

great they were amazing but you cut them up smaller than a roast potato they were heaven weren't they a bit spicy weren't spicy but they were great they were amazing but you cut them up smaller than a roast potato they were like half the size i didn't want just you to think it was the same thing it was very very good did you you like them and what do you think of the chicken chicken was yum was delicious was it butter and ras no no butter just ras hanout and honey oh yeah and i undercooked it slightly because i was worried it was burning so it was a bit was it underdone i hope no it's all right i bloody hope not now you tell me it was moist um thank you for listening thank you to lauren vula um her record is out in july so but singles are out already now church girls amazing along with the rest just go and have a listen and celebrate one of our like

treasures of the uk jesse can i ask you yeah how many outside reservations have you got for dinner i mean i have so i've got outside ones haven't got is that you saying you want to come to one of mine yeah okay i've put kudu i've put fallow um leroy for inside so that's a may brat are you sure you're going to be warm enough no a lot of these are for inside try to get on evelyn's table nightmare i mean it is only a 10 cd that's for have you booked i'm now booking in july i'm not going away am i i may as well just eat okay thank you for listening we will see you next week lots of love table manners is produced by alice williams