A native of South London, with Greek and Jamaican parents, La Havas began teaching herself to play piano, write songs, and sing at the age of seven. Her family’s diverse taste was very influential, when she was a child, her grandparents babysat her often: “They’re from Jamaica, so when I was growing up I listened to a lot of religious reggae–almost hymns, but in a reggae style–on cassettes. But at the same time my mother was listening to a lot of '80s and '90s Michael Jackson, and Mary J Blige, who I loved from a very early age. Plus India Arie, Jill Scott and The Fugees”.