The marriage of surgeon Archie and art curator Edith preceded the birth of an unnaturally quiet child by only a few short months, but eager to cling to conventions, the evenly matched couple (in propriety, in tweed, and in penny-pinching) supplied their daughter with the false story of a chance meeting, incessant phone calls and pleas for third and fourth dates, and an ivory-coloured wedding. Thus, it could be regarded as no surprise that they would produce such a fanciful child. Young Caroline Gladwynn took broken crayon to construction paper, weaving tales of her classmates and their sequined scrunchies, complete with appearances from whichever endangered animal she decided she liked best that week.

When she was six, she was gifted a cello from her music enthusiast uncle, an instrument that met the rigorous standards of her parents. They dreamt of recitals and rounds of applause, of an impressive extracurricular and claps on the back from Archie’s medical mates. However, it was not love at first pluck of string for Caroline. She dreaded her time alone with her cello, displeased with its size and how awkward it felt to cradle its neck. She longed to snap it, to see it shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. Her staunch refusal to practice left her parents with no other option than to see it off, all the while making passive aggressive remarks about the dozens of young girls who would be thrilled with the cello. They could have it, Caroline thought. It appeared that her short-lived music career had reached its natural end.

It was that very same uncle who provided her with her first guitar, which she held in her hands quite tentatively, expecting that it would meet the same disastrous end. She was more willing to provide it a chance when he whispered to her that Edith would not like this one, handed her a bright purple pick, and insisted that she avoid writing off strings as a form of punishment.

Eventually, she developed an attachment to her guitar, treating it the same way that one might treat a limb. Carefully, apart from the few occasions where it was accidentally slammed into walls and scratched. When she reached adolescence, she started to veer from the path of guitar chords, strumming her own simplistic and folksy tune and supplying a few words. She was uncertain of her voice, but she felt that music was best when accompanied by a few well-arranged words, and her tales of sequined scrunchies and tigers and animals hunted for ivory eventually morphed into something that was surprisingly soul-baring for such a reserved girl.

She made a deal with her father that if she continued to excel at her schoolwork, particularly in the strenuous field of science that he’d hoped would land her in the very occupation that he currently held, he would let her play as often and as loud as she liked. Caroline upheld her end of the bargain until the age of sixteen when she left home rather unceremoniously, only a few bags in tow, and set off to London to experience the live music scene firsthand. It was there that she met countless musicians who further nurtured her distinct voice, and following a few collaborative efforts and open mic nights, she pieced together a debut album – Alas, I Cannot Swim. The album was a critical success, earning her a Mercury Music Prize nomination.

Now, she has recently released her fifth studio album, Short Movie. It’s the first album where she has traded her acoustic for an electric, but despite the stylistic change, the lyrics continue to offer emotional purity and an almost aggressive honesty.

music.

Alas, I Cannot Swim (2008)

ghost, old stone, tap at my window, failure, you're no god, cross your fingers, (interlude) crawled out of the sea, my manic and i, night terror, the captain and the hourglass, shine, your only doll (dora).

I Speak Because I Can (2010)

devil's spoke, made by maid, rambling man, blackberry stone, alpha shallows, goodbye england (covered in snow), hope in the air, what he wrote, darkness descends, i speak because i can, nature of dust.

A Creature I Don't Know (2011)

the muse, i was just a card, don't ask me why, salinas, the beast, night after night, my friends, rest in the bed, sophia, all my rage, flicker and fail.

Once I Was an Eagle (2013)

take the night off, i was an eagle, you know, breathe, master hunter, little love caster, devil's resting place, interlude, undine, where can i go?, once, pray for me, when were you happy? (and how long as that been), love be brave, little bird, save these words.

Short Movie (2015)

warrior, false hope, i feel your love, walk alone, strange, don't let me bring you down, easy, gurdjieff's daughter, divine, how can i, howl, short movie, worship me.

facts.

Unprepared for the success of her first studio album, she found herself slipping into an almost hermit-like existence following its release, uncomfortable with the knowledge that so many strangers would know her so intimately.

A massive fan of letters and postcards and will seize any opportunity to send either.

Moved to the southwestern United States for a brief period in 2014, living out of a messy trailer and spending each night roasting marshmallows beneath the stars. She has moved back to London since, but she does miss putting her telescope to use.