About

About

Lilli Unwin is an enchanting and soulful young singer, songwriter and arranger with an authentic sound, an evocative yet playful stage presence and a penchant for intelligent and insightful lyrics. She has performed at many venues across London, including Ronnie Scotts, Spice of Life, Brixton East and Hoxton Bar and Kitchen. As well as Manchester and Cheltenham Jazz Festivals, Wolverhampton Arena Theatre and Brainchild Festival amongst others.

In 2019 she released her debut EP ​‘it may not always be so’,​ with a sell out show at Kansas Smitty’s featuring brilliant London musicians Shirley Tetteh, Conor Chaplin, Corrie Dick and Rupert Cox. ‘it may not always be so’ is a reflection on the vulnerable strength of young women navigating the modern world. 

The EP was engineered and mixed by Alex Killpartrick (Jordan Rakei, Snowpoet, Kit Downes, Native Dancer) and produced by Sam Crowe (Lianne La Havas, Native Dancer, Rosie Lowe, Mark Guiliana). Lilli was awarded a Career Development Bursary from Help Musicians UK where she was mentored by US artist Becca Stevens (Universal and GroundUP Music) and MOBO-nominated artist Natalie Williams.

“It may not always be so’ is a beautiful collection of songs featuring a wide array of styles and soaring melodies that stay with you long after each listen. Lilli is a refreshingly authentic, tender, and fearless songwriter poised for greatness” Becca Stevens

In 2017 Lilli was selected as one of 14 artists to work with Mercury-nominated artist ESKA on a composition residency at Band on the Wall, Manchester.

Lilli is a member of the London Vocal Project, the UK’s leading contemporary jazz-vocal ensemble led by jazz pianist and vocalist Pete Churchill. As part of LVP, she performed in the world première of Jon Hendricks’ Miles Ahead in New York in Feb 2017, produced by Quincy Jones. In addition to regular concerts in venues around London, recent highlights for the group include singing with Dave Holland, Norma Winstone, Nikki Illes and others as part of a tribute for Kenny Wheeler during the London Jazz Festival 2015 at Cadogan Hall, and performing with the New York Voices and Swingle singers at Kings Place as well as performances at the Royal Albert Hall and Ronnie Scotts.

Aside from writing, performing, recording and collaborating, Lilli is also a keen educator and workshop facilitator. She is the founder and director of the exciting SE London based community choir ‘Our Voice Choir’.

Her previous projects have included:

Reworking The Great American Songbook, with the Lilli Unwin Band – blending subtle grooves and story-telling into a cathartic jazz performance. (Featuring Flo Moore, Matt Robinson & Corrie Dick.)

Her project HYLA made waves in the alternative pop world with their intergalactic soul sound. They released their debut single ‘We Went Blind’ and amassed over 70K Soundcloud plays and many online reviews.

Also actively involved in the electronics music scene, she has collaborated with producer Ben Hayes, whose Hedonia EP (April 2015) – which features Lilli – was widely praised by Complex UK as “dizzying,” and by Clash magazine as “soulful and future facing.”