Leon O’Leary is an indie rock singer-songwriter from Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Influenced by artists and bands such as Ben Howard, James Bay, Sam Fender and The War on Drugs, O’Leary implements roots of folk with ethereal soundscapes, shimmering guitars, and the electric energy of rock to create the melancholic sound discovered within his music.
Following the release of his debut EP ‘Pretend (To Be Saviours)’, we caught up with the talented singer to learn more about his artistry, inspirations and the challenges he had to overcome.
- How did growing up in Suffolk influence your musical style and songwriting?
I think growing up on the Suffolk coast played a part in the way I wrote songs for sure. I tend to use a lot of metaphors related to nature which I think comes from being surrounded by the forests and coastline around the old village I used to live. Being in that kinda environment definitely nurtures songwriting and gives you time to think about what you want to write or will be going to write. I also think the influence of being surrounded by a lot of folk and acoustic music from the open mics I used to go to as a kid still has influence on the music I make today and sits pretty much as the root of the indie rock music I make.
- Can you tell us about the first time you picked up a guitar and what inspired you to start making music?
I’m not sure what inspired me for sure but my parents played loads of music when I was little and I’d be dancing around like crazy to Kings of Leon or singing to The Killers so I think that definitely played a big part. As a kid in primary school where they forced you to learn guitar though, I initially hated guitar haha. It was too big for me at the time so I struggled quite a bit. Originally I was gonna be a drummer cause I loved banging on stuff to music so my Dad got me this little Yamaha electronic drum pad thing to practice and learn on. Long story short, I realised though that I liked singing and writing songs and two of my friends were playing guitar so I wanted to do the same. So I started singing and playing with this toy ukulele my uncle got me when I was really little cause it was just my size at the time. Ukulele wasn’t gonna be forever though so when I reached 13 I finally got my first guitar which was a second hand Little Martin (again, cause I was quite a small kid so this one was perfect) and evolved from there really.
- Your music is influenced by a diverse range of artists like Ben Howard, Bruce Springsteen, and Hozier. How do these influences shape your sound?
There are so many artists that influence me in different ways. Ben Howard’s ‘I Forget Where We Were’ album had such a huge influence over my songwriting and composition. Listening to that album for the first time had such a big impression on me even to this day with all the guitar sounds, ambience and the cinematic feel of the songs. Completely different, but Springsteen’s songwriting means a lot to me in terms of the stories and messages that he writes. I never felt patronised or preached to listening to his music, just heard. His sound also has an effect on some of the songs I’ve written as I love that American rock tone. Hozier is a newer influence for me, love the bluesy rock sounds in his music, his compositions are always really interesting.
- Can you walk us through the creative process behind your single ‘Pretend (To Be Saviours)’? How did it evolve from the initial idea to the finished track?
Usually with lyrics, I just come up with ideas from zoning out in the shower or on the bus when I’m thinking about life or philosophies on things. Pretend started off as just a few lyrics on my phone written about virtue signalling and saviour complexes which is something that is a personal gripe of mine. It was also a subject I was slightly nervous about broaching as I know it’s a delicate subject and a bit of a buzzword for the wrong sorts. It only started becoming a song when a friend of mine who was in the band at one point started sending over some riff ideas just over voice notes. We were sending ideas back and forth and eventually I put the lyrics I had to the music. For this track I really wanted to go rockier than the previous tracks so started recording a demo with my good ol’ tele thinline and began putting bass and drums to the track.
Originally the track was 5 mins and would of been way longer if I hadn’t cut out some lyrics, big shoutout to Jake Day at North Acre studios who recorded and mixed the track cause he helped us cut the track down to a much more radio friendly length.
- This song is the title track from your debut EP. What can you tell us about the EP?
The EP is pretty much a mixture of tracks that I feel most proud of right now and kinda sum up the range of music I make from indie rock to more folky sounds. They don’t have much in common with one another in terms of what they’re about or even how they sound. The EP is just showing you who I am I guess. My thoughts and feelings on what’s going on in life put into one genre casserole of all the sounds and styles I like.
- Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories or challenges you faced while creating the EP?
The EP has been for the most part an independent project. The only track that didn’t evolve me recording or mixing was Pretend ’To Be Saviours’, every other track has been mixed by myself at home and recorded between my bedroom, lounge and old college studio where we did most of the drums. It can be quite challenging trying to juggle everything on your own, especially with producing, recording and mixing where you’re relying totally on yourself for problem solving, ideas and in a space that isn’t necessarily a professional studio environment. Looking back it was funny but I remember feeling so flat after I accidentally deleted a mix for Hook, Line and Sinker which I was working hard on. I had to start again from scratch. Just had to keep telling myself I can do it better. It took quite a long time for me to finish the EP as I wanted it to be perfect and mixing in your bedroom isn’t always easy so there was a lot of going back and forth to each mix to make sure it sounded good on anything and not just the monitors in my room. It’s still not perfect but I tried my bloody best.
- How do you stay motivated and inspired to create new music?
Just constantly listening to and watching new and old artists. There are still tones of sound that I want to create and always new things happening in my life and the world that I want to write about but for now are just a few notes on my phone. I think to stay motivated you gotta have some time away from writing occasionally, go out and see shows, jam and become hungry to write again.
- What advice would you give to emerging indie-folk artists looking to make their mark in the music industry?
My advice is that you’ve gotta be ready for the long game when it comes to music and not to take things too personally or serious. Just enjoy the ride, write the music you like, be open to criticism and really important – don’t compare yourself to others. It’s really easy to compare yourself with where you are at now and to other artists who may be doing things or accomplishing goals that you haven’t reached yet. It may motivate you to want to work harder but the truth is it just steals all the joy from what you are doing now and from all your own accomplishments. Don’t let music also consume you, go out in the world, be with friends, explore, travel, try new things, etc. I did this for a long time and forgot to actually enjoy life. I think devotion can actually hinder your creative energy than improve it.
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