Blending jazz soul and storytelling Lauren Manning creates a powerful emotional world in her debut album "Four Walls"

For singer-songwriter and genre-blending storyteller Lauren Manning, music was never a decision, it was a natural extension of growing up in a home where song was as present as conversation. With a sound that threads jazz, soul, and emotional introspection, her debut album "Four Walls" invites listeners into a sonic world shaped by community, vulnerability, and deeply personal reflection. In this conversation, she opens up about the formative role of her father’s guitar, the creative rituals behind her album, and how she continues to stay inspired in a fast-moving world.

GLAMOUR: What’s your first musical memory that really stands out—and how did that shape your path into becoming a musician?

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Lauren Manning: Growing up, and even now, my dad would play guitar and sing at any chance he got, at open mics, with friends, at parties, Christmas, you name it. We also listened to a lot of music at home and in the car on the way to and from school. Those moments really shaped my curiosity about creating my own songs. I didn’t have a single "aha" moment of deciding to become a musician, it all happened organically. Music has always just been a natural extension of who I am.

GLAMOUR: Your sound is a captivating fusion of jazz and soul. How would you describe your artistic vision?

Lauren Manning: Four Walls is a collection of songs I wrote in my early twenties to help me process life and give meaning to my experiences. The vision came together through rehearsing and recording, it became clear I wanted the album to feel like a journey through all the big emotions. Each track was crafted to have its own ecosystem, its own atmosphere. Take "Ocean Deep", for example, it was written in my hometown and includes ambient sounds from the harbour: boat creaks, seagulls, ocean waves, I did this with the intention of grounding the work in places that informed the feeling.

GLAMOUR: What inspired the title Four Walls, and how does it reflect the music within?

Lauren Manning: Four Walls speaks to the paradox of safety and confinement. These songs were written between four literal walls, but the experiences behind them are anything but confined. They come from moments of vulnerability, of stepping outside my comfort zone. I’m really interested in that tension, when do walls protect us, and when do they hold us back? The title holds space for that duality.

GLAMOUR: Can you walk us through the creative process behind the album?

Lauren Manning:: The whole process was very organic, much of it came from simply messing around and figuring things out as I went. The songs came from a need to process life, to hold chaotic emotions in a container, and then be able to revisit them. We performed the songs live before recording, and each show deepened our understanding of what we were trying to say. The band, Nobuhle Ashanti, Tefo Mahola, Sibusiso Matsimela, Shaw Komori, Tamzyn Freeks, and Georgie Jones, has been with me since 2019. Nobuhle was also Co-Producer and Musical Director, and she helped translate my half-formed ideas into something beautiful and coherent. We used a lot of creative exercises in the studio: sharing poems, analysing my paintings, recalling teenage memories before recording "Seventeen. It was all about deepening connection, to the music and to each other. Ultimately, this album is about giving voice to the parts of myself that often feel unheard.

GLAMOUR: How do you see yourself fitting into the broader jazz landscape? What do you hope to contribute?

Lauren Manning: Cape Town’s jazz scene is vibrant and full of life, and it’s had a huge influence on me. Now that I’ve been in London for a couple of years, I’ve come to really appreciate the power of South African live performance, the emotional sincerity, the way artists truly connect with audiences. I hope the honesty and vulnerability I poured into this album contributes to that conversation and offers something meaningful to both spaces.

GLAMOUR: How do you stay inspired and nurture your creativity?

Lauren Manning: I live life. I go to gigs, spend time in nature, fall in love, fall apart, have conversations, walk the streets, and then come back to my room and try to make sense of it all. It’s not always easy, it takes time and care. Writing is a lifeline for me. I don’t write a lot of songs, but when I do, it’s because I really need to. And I’m constantly inspired by the creative people around me, we’re all trying to say something, individually and collectively. That support keeps me going.

GLAMOUR: If you could collaborate with any artist outside of jazz, who would it be?

Lauren Manning: Secretly, I’d love to collaborate with BCUC. They’re my absolute favourite to watch live, it feels like the crowd is being completely transformed. I’d love to be on stage with that kind of energy. I’m also really keen to explore South African house and more experimental sounds. I think there’s a lot of room to play.

GLAMOUR: What’s the most memorable performance you’ve ever had—and why?

Lauren Manning: Definitely the first full gig I performed with a full band at The Waiting Room on Long Street in 2019 (before it turned into a KFC, RIP). It was a turning point. I remember singing Seventeen and just being overwhelmed, something left my body. That catharsis showed me what music could be and what it could do. It changed everything.

GLAMOUR: What can fans look forward for the rest of the year? Any upcoming projects or collaborations?

Lauren Manning: Yes! I’m releasing a music video for Melatonin. It’s all about community, connection, and love. We used a lot of collage visuals, and it features many of my close friends. It was made in collaboration with Malik Ntone Edjabe from Astroclutter Films and should be out in the next month or two. I’m also working on my next album, but that’s still taking shape.