Laura Marling

'Alas I Cannot Swim' Laura's debut album, is produced by Noah And The Whale mainman Charlie Fink, and besides its warm, sweet arrangements for guitar, trumpet, brushed drums and even a male choir, the album is infused with a real intimacy. You'll notice that this album doesn't just appear in a 'normal' format - the music is part of a 'Song Box', designed by Laura, which contains postcards, trinkets and stories - plus a concert ticket to her shows in March. 'The idea came of a conversation I had with a guy who owned the studio I was recording in,' says Marling. 'He said he was depressed with the way music's going, because nobody buys records any more and people are listening to MP3s on bad headphones, using music for wallpaper.' So, she designed the chart-ineligible, beautifully printed 'Song Box': 'I want people to *love music,' she says, 'I want people to treasure it, not just my songs, but treasure music.