Jess Glynne with Conrad Sewell

Who knew a trip to Pizza Express could inform a young teenager’s life so greatly? One evening in 2003, Jess Glynne’s parents returned home from a night in Soho with a signed CD by a new singer they had seen performing at the restaurant’s regular Jazz night. “It had such a profoundly immediate effect on me,” remembers Jess of her parents playing Amy Winehouse’s debut album, “Frank.” “I’d always loved the big pop vocals of Mariah, Beyoncé and Whitney, but hearing a woman’s voice that was basically a jazz vocal, so full of individuality? Then realising she was British and still a teenager? That was the moment I knew I wanted to be as singer too.” 

Glynne is a woman in possession of a rather fantastically distinctive vocal herself. You’ve already heard the 24-year-old’s richly evocative voice on Clean Bandit’s UK No.1 classical-dance smash “Rather Be,” which is the highest selling January No.1 since 1996. The track very nearly didn’t happen though. “I’ve never sung on a song that I haven’t written myself, so initially I wasn’t at all sure about doing it,” Jess admits. “But then I met the band and we went to the studio and had such a great time recording it. I absolutely love the song and I’m so happy to have been a part of it.” She went on to feature on Route 94’s incredible UK no. 1 hit “My Love” not long after. Not a bad way to start the year…