Hiya Leah thanks for joining us in the virtual RGM lounge today, grab a brew and take a seat.
What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
Oh that’s a big question! I feel like it’s my form of self-expression – whether that’s writing or performing. There’s such a release of energy when you sing too, or through the vibrations of a guitar. It’s also always helped me with regulating my emotions and honestly brings so much joy into my life. I kind of fell into doing music as it was a hobby that made me happy and just turned into more. If you can have a career in what you love, then why not?
Introduce us to you all and your musical history.
My mum says I never shut up since I could talk. When I was 5 I’d watch Pink live on DVD and try and climb my mum’s curtains so I could do trapeze like her hahah. I don’t have any musical family so all I did was sing until I started flute lessons in school, but my secondary school music teacher invited me and my parents to some under 18s open mics when I was 14, and then I just kept getting invited to grown-up open mics, so I went! People started asking to book me for pub gigs so I borrowed that teacher’s equipment until I could afford my own speakers, and eventually could buy my first guitar at 15. That’s when I started teaching myself and properly writing songs. By 18 I was gigging 2-4x a weekend in my local pubs and I saved to record my first singles! Now I’m on my 6th. It’s really nice to think how far I’ve come, bit emotional haha!
What’s the live music scene like in your town right now? Anyone we should be looking out for (Bar you of course)
Okay so I’ve grown up in Burton-On-Trent/ Derby, but I study in Birmingham. Burton and Derby’s local scene is super acoustic, super small, super friendly, with not really any grassroots venues but loads of pubs and very talented!! Lucille is one of the coolest Derby bands I know honestly, I can’t wait for them to drop some music. Birmingham has some incredible grassroots venues and I feel it’s finally starting to get the respect it deserves. One incredible female artist In Birmingham I just LOVE is Genevieve Miles – totally check her out.
I’ve seen a lot of people struggling for support recently online. What’s your view on the industry?
My view on the music industry is kind of middle of the road – it’s not positive by any means but it’s out of my control, so I just deal with it hahaha. It feels like a “what comes first – the chicken or the egg?” situation: what comes first – the audience or the industry? Industry people want to see you’ve got an audience, but to grow an audience you need opportunities, and who has all the opportunities?? The industry people!! But there are good people there that will like what you’re doing, and eventually those 100 no’s turns into a few very important yes’s. Just gotta keep pushing.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
I feel like I’m underneath it, like I’m slowly peaking through the floorboards. Certain opportunities have helped me get closer into the rooms, and I feel certain if I keep going I can make something out of this lil dream of mine. It feels closer than ever, gotta keep pushing up the floorboards!
Tell us Two truths and a lie about you.
- I broke my arm on a bouncy castle when I was 7
- I did an ABBA tribute in a nightclub dressed as Frida when I was 17
- I met Noel Gallagher when I played Y Not this year
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
Not really. I just think Don’t Be A Dick. If you don’t have bad views and you’re not a bad person, technically you shouldn’t have anything to worry about really.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not why not?
I’m kind of unfazed. I like just living my life. I’m so sucked into living my life the way I do that I forget to check what’s going on in the world so I miss conspiracy theories.
What was your best experience on stage?
Ohhhh this is tough!! Gotta say at TRUCK Festival this year. I have this little section in my set where I introduce all the women on stage with me and we all get around one microphone, put all instruments down and do a 4-part acappella version of one of my unreleased songs (next year ;0 ) called “The Wine Song”. It’s such a stunning, empowering, special moment. Love it to pieces.
What was your worst experience on stage?
I’m quite lucky, I’ve not had many awful things happen at my gigs. I think the worst was probably just where the DI box on stage suddenly stopped working and I could no longer play my acoustic. It made things feel quite empty but I just went BIG on the performance – whipping my hair around, dancing, the lot. Carried it through.
Tell us something about you / each member that you think people would be surprised about.
Me and my live band – we’re all losers really. Like I want to spend my time reading when I’m at home, and the rest I spend obsessing over sending out emails or all the boring business parts of being a musician instead of going out. I NEVER go out unless it’s after a gig or during festival season, which is crazy to say how much I write about wine. The others, Toby Joe and Louisa, all have their own little introvert things and are obsessed with music so prefer to stay in. The boys love films, Louisa loves crafts. At the end of the day, musicians are the losers that stayed in the music room at school lunchtime who suddenly “got cool” when they left all because music is apparently a cool person career.
What are the next steps you plan to take as a band to reach the next level?
Ohh. I’d say get a good support tour. That’s the aim. And keep recording, we’re off to the studio in November record new music. Very excited.
I hear you have a new single, what can you tell us about it.
I do!! Just A Bore is my very first sad song. It’s about female experience and feelings of not being good enough. After past relationships and heartbreaks, I felt so much pressure to be an unrealistic idol of a woman in today’s age in every relationship I entered. Like I must be more than the woman on a screen to keep someone entertained.
Like I have to be some larger-than-life person for someone to stay and listen. We all convince ourselves we must be more than we are, then we realise we’re expecting something sub-human from ourselves. It’s silly to think we’re conditioned to feel like we need to be perfection to be loved or desired instead of just be ourselves. So this song was my way of working through that. It’s super stripped back, very passionate, raw. I’m excited to have it out in the world
What was the recording process like?
Hard. It’s hard working on sad songs. It’s like reopening a scabbed wound, feeling it fresh all over again. However once it’s finished, theres a beautiful sense of relief and release. Worth it completely.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
I think when I recorded my first few I was too timid to always communicate what I wanted. It’s difficult to always get it across and when you’re young and a little uneducated it’s even harder. Not only is it scary but you dont know how to describe what you want so you just give up. Now I understand my sound so much clearer and have worked on my confidence to say what I want. That’s been the best part.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
No honestly not really!! I like how raw and stripped back it feels. It makes it more powerful. Adding more I think would take away.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
This isn’t my last release this year – I have one more after Just A bore! And it’s feisty, fiery, gazey. I adore it. The perfect storyline successor, with lyrics strongly stating that I’m never going to crave to be anyone else ever again. It’s here to bring an end to an age of adhering to my self-doubt in my work, going full-force into my English Countrygaze/ singer-songwriter/ indie-rock reverie.
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