ArtistInfo

Shura

voc, key, GB, Manchester
Singer / Songwriter / Producer of Electronic and Pop
A.k.a. Aleksandra Lilah Denton Alexandra Lilah Denton

Aleksandra Denton, better known by her stage name Shura, is a British singer, songwriter and producer. Aleksandra grew up in Manchester; her mother is a Russian actress, and her father is an English documentary filmmaker. She has two brothers, one of whom is her twin. She attended Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. She began playing the guitar when she was 13 years old and started recording music at 16. During university, she formed a band with guitarist Patrick Duncombe and collaborated with producer Hiatus (Cyrus Shahrad), who remixed her 2011 debut single "River". Shura features on six tracks on Hiatus's 2013 album Parklands, including "River" and the singles "Fortune's Fool", "Iran Air" and "We Can Be Ghosts Now". She took a gap year after her university studies and developed her songwriting skills while working in the Amazon rainforest. Following her work with Hiatus, Aleksandra decided to assume creative control over the production of her music. During night shifts at her workplace (a video editing facility), she watched YouTube tutorial videos on how to use music production software. Her single "Touch", co-produced with Joel Pott of Athlete, drew positive notice from internet blogs during early 2014; its music video was directed and edited by Aleksandra herself. Two other singles, "Just Once" and "Indecision", followed the same year, and she also produced a remix of Jessie Ware's single "Say You Love Me". Shura has been longlisted on the BBC Sound of 2015 poll, and is signed to Universal Music Publishing Group in the UK.[15] Shura's musical influences include Blood Orange (2), Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, J Dilla, Drake, Peter Gabriel, Haim (2), Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Elton John, Madonna, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Portishead, Prince, Diana Ross, Ed Rush, Patrice Rushen, Raphael Saadiq, KT Tunstall, and Tina Turner.

Instruments

• Vocals
• Keyboards
• Percussion
• Backing Vocals
• Guitar

Genres

• Electronic
• Pop