91Èȱ¬

This week, Jools chats to Celeste, the 91Èȱ¬â€™s Sound of 2020, about her musical journey so far, loves and influences, illustrated by a diverse selection of clips from the extensive Later... archive. The soulful singer made her debut on Later… a year ago, shortly after the release of her hauntingly beautiful breakthrough hit Strange. Celeste, who started making music in Brighton, is now based in London and joins Jools ahead of the much-anticipated release of her debut album, due at the start of 2021. She draws influence from the greats, including Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, whose records made up her grandfather’s collection, and the likes of Billie Holiday, whose CD was played on repeat in the Brighton pub she worked at as a teen.

This week’s performances offer introductions to two artists who are tipped for success in 2021. The first takes us to the legendary Parr Street Studios in Liverpool, where Wigan band The Lathums have been recording their debut album with producers Chris Taylor and James Skelly, the latter the frontman of famed Merseyside band The Coral. The indie four-piece started off at Pemberton’s The Music Project College and have quickly garnered a huge fanbase via a series of EPs, the latest of which, Ghosts, is due at the end of the month. The Memories We Make, a collection of music from their first two EPs, charted at number 14 in July, helped along by a spot on fan Tim Burgess’s renowned Twitter Listening Parties.

Second up to make their debut on the show is singer-songwriter Joesef, who only started performing his dreamy soulful music at the start of 2019. Previously, Joesef hadn’t considered a career as a singer, but a fateful open mic night changed that when a friend-turned-manager convinced him of the strength of his voice. He creates his personal and emotional lo-fi pop tunes at home, the latest of which, EP Does It Make You Feel Good?, is released on 9 October.