about leah
I imagine I was steeped in musical influences even in my mother’s womb. My father is a musician, and as a young kid, I remember him often playing his guitar, singing or whistling to himself, or playing music on the radio—or whatever vintage sound system we had at the time.
As I remember it, I always loved music, but I didn’t really discover I could sing until around the age of 12. That’s when I began exploring music more intentionally and practicing by imitating whatever singer I was listening to. Even as an adolescent, I had an affinity for music that was “before my time.” I loved the Oldies station on the radio and especially enjoyed the sound of folk songs from the ’60s and earlier. My dad had a record player, and I remember putting on Cat Stevens one day and just falling in love with the songs and melodies.
My dad mainly played and sang folk/Americana songs, but he had such a curiosity and appreciation for music that he explored a wide variety of genres—and I was exposed to all of that growing up. I remember discovering Ani DiFranco, a folk/punk musician, in his CD collection. I was about 16 at the time and in serious need of emotional outlets and expression. Ani DiFranco’s music helped facilitate that and became a huge inspiration for me to learn guitar and start writing.
At 18, I finally acquired some basic guitar chops and learned a collection of songs that I loved to play—and especially to sing. After a few years of waiting tables and working odd jobs, it occurred to me to try street performing, or “busking.” On my first day playing at the 16th Street Mall in Denver, someone dropped a $100 bill into my basket. I took it as a sign to pursue music, in whatever form that might take.
Street performing quickly became a love of mine, and combined with a strong case of the travel bug, it took me from Denver to Austin, to New Orleans, and eventually bouncing back and forth between Put-in-Bay, Ohio, and Key West, Florida. Key West is where gigs finally started happening for me (haha), and it became my regular job. It’s where I became an entertainer and learned how to work a crowd. I developed the skills to run a PA system on my own and got comfortable performing through sound equipment.
I also had the opportunity to form a band with two other seasoned and talented musicians—shout out to Randy Morrow and Andy Wescott!—and experienced the joy of playing live with other musicians.
