Rae Morris

She was born and raised in Blackpool, Lancashire, and started playing the piano when she was four years old. She gigged in Blackpool and around the north-west of England during her college studies. She attracted the attention of BBC Radio Lancashire presenter Sean McGinty, who put her forward to perform on the BBC Introducing stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2011. She was signed to Universal Music Publishing Group the same month, and to Atlantic Records in September 2011. Rae had received attention from other labels, but said she chose Atlantic because they "would take it slow" and "didn't blow any smoke up my arse". Atlantic later dropped her from her contact following her second album due to differences in the direction of her career - she later signed to RCA. She contributed guest vocals to three tracks on Bombay Bicycle Club's 2014 album So Long, See You Tomorrow, including the single "Luna". Also in 2014, she featured on the Clean Bandit song "Up Again" (from their debut album New Eyes) and opened for George Ezra on his European tour, as well as embarking on her own headlining UK tour. She is the partner of Benjamin Garrett who himself records under the name 'Fryars'. They both live in Primrose Hill, London with their daughter. Trivia: Morris chose the stage name "Rae" not as a contraction of her birth name 'Rachel', but in tribute to her grandfather 'Ray' who died before she was born.