Emerging 21-year-old singer Cole LC has come a mighty long way — and he’s pulled it off in a staggeringly short space of time. Fusing the worlds of R&B, rap and alternative pop into a fluid, melodious sound, Cole LC’s influences and musical heroes are as eclectic as you might expect. He lists his biggest inspirations as Mike Skinner, Potter Payper, Mahalia, Lil Baby and Ed Sheeran. “I want to be unpredictable, but consistent,” he says, and it’s clear he’s working hard to learn as many lessons from his heroes as possible. He draws as much as he can from those figures, expressing his admiration for Lil Baby and Sheeran’s work-rate, Skinner’s presence on and off stage, and Mahalia’s humility, progression and lack of compromise.