Lu Cozma's Bio

WITH the folk sultriness and sensitivity of Susanne Vega, the rock 'balls' of PJ Harvey and the pop sensibilities and vocal attitude of Annie Lennox, Lu Cozma is none of these - she's inimitably, distinctively and thankfully... Lu Cozma.

"I'm not searching for a niche or trying to fit into one," says Lu. "I'm making one that's suitably tailored to who I am. We're all unique, and because I'm unique the sound is too."

"I'm at my strongest, most ambitious and most determined now - more so than at any point of my life," she says. "It's a liberating feeling. Progress is rapid and I'm going to continue that way."

Most recent successes of Lu's collaboration with Steve Askew - a former member of the 80s band, Kajagoogoo - have seen the pair perform at a string of festivals, impressing thousands of new fans, taking in Cumbria's Solfest, Togfest in Milton Keynes, and the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

There were also numerous appearances on radio shows - Blast 1386 in Reading, Dundalk Radio 100fm in Ireland and George Jones's BBC Radio Ulster show in Belfast.

"George has been a constant source of encouragement since our first meeting at the BBC a couple of years ago," says Lu.

"I gave him a CD of the material Steve and I had been working on together and he called me the next day to say it blew him away and that we were on to something fabulous. I got on the phone to Steve that very same day and we decided that we'd just go for it. We haven't looked back since".

"It's been a fantastic learning adventure putting the album together, so incredibly satisfying to see all the pieces of the jigsaw fit into place."

"For me, the ultimate thing is performing," says Lu. "I love talking about music, making albums and creating songs, but I do all that for one main reason... performing."

Lu's determination to express her extraordinary and unique voice came from early memories of watching her father; a folk singer, perform intimate shows across the length and breadth of England.

The magical, childhood fascination of entertaining and capturing an audience brought about a natural succession, and it wasn't long before she entered the limelight herself, performing in folk groups, solo projects, on television - even playing at the globally-renowned Mean Fiddler club in London - all before the tender age of sixteen.

The wider world opened up, and Lu took her song-writing career on the road. While travelling through Europe, she stayed for several months in Romania, working in an orphanage.

Using the gifts of her voice and her music - offering them her heart and soul - she encouraged communication in emotionally traumatized children, and it became an episode in her life of unforgettable experience, which was to mould her strength of character and transform her future.

"I was working and living in such a difficult environment," says Lu. "Such beautiful beings, relying purely on self-preservation to get through each day."

"My eyes were opened to the lack of humanity there is in the world, but it also made me see how strong the human condition really is. The will to live is so powerful."

"I am privileged that I was in the presence of those children."

Returning to base in England, older and much wiser, Lu steered her musical career in a new direction, making selected appearances at a succession of live venues across the UK and mainland Europe, showcasing her raw energy and talent to develop a strong following from captivated audiences wherever she performed.

Her live performances also brought more influential fans to her notice. The late Gus Dudgen - who produced Elton John's most critically and commercially successful albums, as well as David Bowie, XTC and Joan Armatrading - met Lu at a party where she was performing a number of her songs.

"We talked on the phone for quite awhile on a couple of occasions," says Lu. "He wasn't negative about the industry but put me straight on how tough it had become. He didn't put me off; in fact I was glad of his openness with me and I cherish the advise he gave, to this day."

This brief influence in Lu's life helped lift her career to yet another dynamic level of experience.

It was around this time, while performing live at a local festival, she came to the attention of one of the UK's most successful and prolific producers, Martin Rushent, who had worked with bands such as T-Rex, Joy Division, the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks, Human League and Belinda Carlisle's Go-Gos....

He took an immediate interest in Lu's career, and they worked alongside each other for two years to create a catalogue of recordings, in a period to which it became an essential catalyst for her artistic development. His vision and experience helped her to grow not just as a performer, but, critically, as a composer and singer-songwriter.

Not long afterwards - after complaining to her friend Nick Beggs that she was sick of her own company - Lu was introduced to the guitarist Steve Askew who, along with Nick, helped found 80's pop sensation, Kajagoogoo.

Often maligned, the group were one of the few British bands who 'cracked' the United States and Steve, with his vast experience and knowledge of the industry, became another invaluable source of inspiration for Lu.

"We began to write and things quite naturally fitted into place," she says. "We knew as soon as we got the first few songs off the ground that we were creating something new and interesting."

"Making something unique, yet approachable to the listener, isn't necessarily the easiest thing to get right, but what we do is organic and it works."

Lu worked on a side-project with a guitarist and songwriter named Gordon Vaughan, creating the beautiful and haunting acoustic album, 5 Months 5 Days - which features one of her most personally rewarding songs, Drowning - but later revisited her musical relationship with Steve to create the visionary partnership that exists to this day.

"Steve is as much 'Lu Cozma' as I am," explains Lu. "He's the composer of the songs, while I'm the lyricist, but we both have something to say about each other's input - we can't keep our traps shut; but in a nice way!"

"He helps me progress by totally surprising me with his ideas; feeding and motivating me with music."

That magical, childhood fascination of entertaining and capturing an audience remains, and Lu's incredible voice, warmth of spirit, infectious smile, and tireless, passionate dedication to her gift holds them to her every word.