Liam Bailey
We’ve been checking for this U.K. singer here at LargeUp since we first came across him as the featured vocalist on ragga jungle don Shy FX’s lovers rock throwback “Soon Come.” Before that existed though, Amy Winehouse was so impressed with Bailey she signed him to her Lioness label. Following her death, her own mentor, producer Salaam Remi, began working with Bailey on his debut album, signing him to his Flying Buddha imprint. Just a few reasons why Bailey, the son of a Jamaican father and British mother, was named #3 on our toppa top artists to watch for 2014. The singer, whose music is rooted in soul and often inspired by reggae, is set to make his U.S. debut this week with performances in Austin: Friday night (9:30pm) at Remi’s showcase at Remedy, and Saturday night (8:30pm), alongsie Erykah Badu, Thundercat and Cody Chestnutt at the Okayplayer SXSW showcase at Bungalow.—Kieran Meadows