Mahalia Burkmar, originally from Leicestershire but now based in Birmingham, is a 20-year-old singer and songwriter who wrote her first song when she was around 8 years old, and was signed to a record label by 13. However, she didn’t release her first EP until 2012, called Head Space. It features the soothing and delicate song ‘Let the World See The Light’, where it’s evocative lyrics truly presents how talented Mahalia is at song writing. As an extra treat, the EP includes a cover of ‘Mardy Bum’ by Arctic Monkeys, which gives an acoustic, expressive twist to the upbeat classic.

Her big break came from singing her single ‘Sober’ on the Youtube Channel Colours, which features simple performances by artists against a single-coloured backdrop. Mahalia’s bright red puffer jacket with matching bandana complimented her smooth R&B track and made her stand out above the rest, racking up 18.5 million views to-date.

Filled with confidence after supporting the likes of Jorja Smith and Ed Sheeran, Mahalia has gone on to headlining her own shows, performing her new EP Seasons on a European tour. This includes her single ‘Surprise Me’, which features her sultry vocals and in the accompanying music video a bright yellow boiler suit, highlighting her very cool and extremely talented persona.

If you take a look at her Instagram, she’s no longer just an ordinary girl from Leicestershire; instead you will see pictures of her and her friends, travelling between LA and London, touring wherever her music takes her. However, from interviews and reviews, you can tell she is very down to earth and is just loving what she’s doing, making her signature music of “psycho-acoustic soul”.

Mahalia headlines at The Wardrobe Leeds, on Monday 15th October.

Caris Dollard

Image credit: Atlantic Records