Dionne Bromfield is an English soul singer from London, born in 1996. She becomes the first artist signed to Amy Winehouse’s Lioness Records in September 2009.

Recording career

Her debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield, is released in 2009 and consists of 12 cover versions of classic songs associated with vintage soul and 1960s girl groups. The album includes songs such as Motown standard “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, recorded as a duet with Zalon, and “Foolish Little Girl”, originally a hit for The Shirelles in 1963. Other songs on the album include “Beechwood 4-5789”, “He’s So Fine”, “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” and “My Boy Lollipop”.

Her first single, “Mama Said”, is released in 2009. “Yeah Right” follows in 2011 as the first single from her second album.

Musical influences and style

Bromfield says she listens mainly to Motown and wants to keep her music in soul rather than move towards R&B or pop. She names Marvin Gaye as her favourite singer and says she also admires Aretha Franklin, Ne-Yo and Beyoncé. Her recordings are shaped by the Motown and 1960s records she hears at home growing up.

Early development

She starts to take singing seriously at the age of ten after an aunt notices her ability and sends her to a professional vocal coach. The following year she sings for Amy Winehouse for the first time. Winehouse later pairs her with producer Jon Moon, who has worked on the deluxe edition of Back to Black and with artists including N-Dubz, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Yusuf Islam.

Songwriting

Bromfield says she is writing original material but keeps her own songs for later use. Winehouse describes her as a constant writer and encourages her to gain life experience before focusing on deeply personal songs.

Performance

She says singing on stage feels like being at home, and she records and performs with a strong emphasis on classic soul repertoire.