Maria Evangelou's own vocal style aspires to her idols, including Nina Simone, Etta James, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye.

Born and raised in North London, Evangelou studied piano at Guildhall as part of her BMus Hons degree; initially classically trained, she found her own calling in jazz and pop.

"I grew up listening to bands such as The Rosettes, James Brown, and a lot of Motown Soul singers. Those big, passionate vocals and amazing songs resonated within me," she says.

Now, ...