Lisbee Stainton

Lisbee Stainton was raised in Hamble[2] and Basingstoke.[3] She started singing at age 5, and wrote her own songs from the age of 9. She launched her career by becoming the first unsigned singer-songwriter to play The O2 Arena (London) in 2007.[4]

Her parents, being from Pontrilas in Herefordshire, led her to receiving her first airplay on BBC Hereford & Worcester including a BBC Introducing session at the Courtyard in Hereford.[5] She was discovered by Tom Robinson when he heard her music on MySpace, and he invited her to play on his BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music radio shows in April 2009. Subsequently, her singles "Red" and "Never Quite An Angel" were playlisted on Radio 2 for 5 and 6 weeks respectively, and "Just Like Me" was single of the week on the Radcliffe and Maconie Show.[3][6]

Stainton toured with Joan Armatrading in April 2010. When BBC Radio 2 attended to record the headline act in Bristol they decided to record Stainton's set too, and aired this on the Radio 2 In Concert programme.[3][7] She subsequently toured the United Kingdom in September and October 2010 followed by a European tour with concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway.[8]

She has since been a regular guest on Andrew Easton and Andrew Marston's BBC Hereford & Worcester radio shows.

In 2012, Seth Lakeman was so impressed with Lisbee that he subsequently invited her to become part of his band, singing and playing the banjo, harmonium, guitar and harmonica.[9]