This lady made us cry with her song Pretty Me, had us singing out loud, very embarrassingly I might add, to Use Somebody and had us raving with her Armin van Buuren collabs. We’re talking about Laura Jansen, one of our favorite girls behind the piano. She has the voice of an angel and an incredibly charming, quirky style.

On top of all that she seems awfully, but we’re sure nobody is that perfect.

Laura is in London at the moment where she is busy working on her new album. She was nice enough to let us pick her brain about the favorite things in her life.

What’s your favorite…

Perfume?

Right now its a tie between Dahlia Divin by Givenchy (heavy, but great at night) and Michael by Michael Kors.

TV-show character of all time?

The Golden Girls. All of them. I could rattle off a list of wonderful TV characters I love (I’m a huge fan of re-watching great shows like The Wire and The Sopranos) but honestly, The Golden Girls have been a part of my pop culture life since I was a little girl. So familiar and so funny. They remind me of every member of my family.

Breakfast food?

Poached eggs with avocado and bacon on a piece of wholesome toast. You can never go wrong ordering this but please don’t ask me to make it. I have yet to master the art of a perfect poached egg, no matter how many Youtube videos I watch.

Weekend getaway?

All I do is travel so you’d think a perfect weekend for me would be staying home. Strangely enough, its the opposite. My favorite weekend getaways have included a stay at the Babbington House in the UK, a solitary and windswept weekend on the Dutch island of Terschelling, Paris by train with no map and no plan and Berlin when it’s not winter. My next weekend escape is hopefully going to be Istanbul. I’ve never been but am so curious about the city.

Mascara?

I’m not a mascara snob and stick to good old Maybelline. I think it’s more important to curl my lashes then to cover them in fancy mascara.

Workout?

I’ve tried a lot of different things but haven’t yet found the structure that keeps me coming back. I think I probably need a boot camp style workout. I’m a big fan of Kayla and have her books on my ipad for when I travel. I also love the Workout Trainer app by Skimble because it lets you choose and then guides you through a variety of workouts no matter where you are.

Restaurant in the whole world?

Just one? Come on, that’s so hard. I’ve eaten at some amazing places but honestly, the weird, hard to find, ones are my favorite. For example Tsiakkos & Charcoal in London (better known as The Greek) is a strange little restaurant with no sign and no ambiance and the best food. The owner plays soul music from his laptop, it’s a secret after hours place for rock stars and weirdos and looks like your grandmother’s living room. Have spent many hours here. On the other end of the spectrum is the Antiguo San Angel Inn in Mexico City which is one of the most beautiful spots to sit and have an inspiring meal. Unforgettable in every way and incredibly romantic.

Instagram filter?

X-pro, I think? It makes everything pop and go moody.

Road trip song?

I have spent hours and hours in vans with boys in the band. Road trip music is a sacred and tricky thing. There’s always a point where someone is sick of your ‘interesting and new’ music and we end up playing The Beatles or Phil Collins’ Greatest Hits. No one can argue with that and everyone ends up singing along.

Shoe designer?

I wish I cared enough to spend my money on fancy shoes but I’m not fancy enough I guess. I wear heels when I sit at my piano but out in the world I need shoes that look good and can take me walking. Good old Converse All Stars work with everything but in my secret dream world I would only wear Manolos.

Place to write music?

My friend Ed Harcourt has a crazy little studio called The Rook’s Nest in London. It’s filled with a huge collection of instruments, art, masks, toys and religious objects and it always gives me permission to write outside of my comfort zone. The whiskey there also helps.

Concert hall / stage in the world?

I’ve been very lucky to get to play most of the places I’ve dreamed of playing. Last year with the Armin van Buuren tour I got to sing at Madison Square Garden and that was a huge moment for me. I’ll never get to do that again so I was aware of every second. The concert hall where I have the fondest memories is of course Paradiso in Amsterdam. Its holy ground and to be able to stand on that stage and sing is an unforgettable thrill. I knew when I was a little girl that Paradiso was the goal so to stand there is a gift I don’t take lightly. Nothing compares to it in the whole world.