Lisbee Stainton was raised in Hamble[2] and Basingstoke.[3] She started singing at age 5, and wrote her own songs from the age of 9. She launched her career by becoming the first unsigned singer-songwriter to play The O2 Arena (London) in 2007.[4]
Her parents, being from Pontrilas in Herefordshire, led her to receiving her first airplay on BBC Hereford & Worcester including a BBC Introducing session at the Courtyard in Hereford.[5] She was discovered by Tom Robinson when he heard her music on MySpace, and he invited her to play on his BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music radio shows in April 2009. Subsequently, her singles "Red" and "Never Quite An Angel" were playlisted on Radio 2 for 5 and 6 weeks respectively, and "Just Like Me" was single of the week on the Radcliffe and Maconie Show.[3][6]
Stainton toured with Joan Armatrading in April 2010. When BBC Radio 2 attended to record the headline act in Bristol they decided to record Stainton's set too, and aired this on the Radio 2 In Concert programme.[3][7] She subsequently toured the United Kingdom in September and October 2010 followed by a European tour with concerts in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Norway.[8]
She has since been a regular guest on Andrew Easton and Andrew Marston's BBC Hereford & Worcester radio shows.[citation needed]
In 2012, Seth Lakeman was so impressed with Lisbee that he subsequently invited her to become part of his band, singing and playing the banjo, harmonium, guitar and harmonica.[9]
