Singer/songwriter Laura Welsh first appeared on the British music scene fronting Laura & the Tears, an amiable retro-rock indie combo who released one EP called Love Live On! in 2009. When the band began to drift apart, the Staffordshire native relocated to London and spent a year on her own, writing songs and deciding her next move. After briefly working under the name Hey Laura, she decided to continue on as a solo artist using her given name.nnThe songs she began writing explored darker, more electro-pop tones, and she started to work with the producers Emile Haynie (Eminem, Lana Del Rey) and Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion), eventually scoring a deal with Outsiders/Polydor. Several singles arrived in 2013, and Welsh toured in support of Ellie Goulding and London Grammar. In May 2014, she gained major exposure, singing on British electronic duo Gorgon City's Top Ten hit "Here for You." Later that year, a self-titled EP appeared as a precursor to her debut solo album Soft Control which was scheduled for a January 2015 release. ~ Timothy Monger