Swedish Singer Leon on Making Pop Music Come Alive

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No one is sent to anyone by accident, and in our case, Léon is certainly no exception.

I had first seen Léon’s live show a few weeks ago in New York. Wielding only a microphone and a confidence one could never buy over the counter, she filled out not only a stage, but furnished an entire venue (including coat check) with her electric howl, her sincerity and her purposefulness. A dull songstress Léon is not.

Since her date in New York, she’s tromped across the U.S. selling out most of her shows and leaving showgoers wishing she could stay a little longer. This is Léon’s first long U.S tour after a few fun-sized shows last year. Her time here, as she recounts, has been unpredictable and eye-opening.

“You never know who’s listening to your songs, and I’ve been so curious to find out,” Léon confides. “There have been people at my shows in their 50s and 70s, and then there are 18-year-olds and a mix of genders. It’s been amazing.”

The daughter of musicians, it seemed like Stockholm was too small for a young girl with pen, parchment and a fierce love of writing. Lucky for us, her career didn’t end there. After uploading a song titled “Tired of Talking” to Soundcloud, she was contacted by Chris Anokute (the industry vet behind Katy Perry), and her life seismically shifted from Sweden to the ten-person tour bus she currently calls home.

“It’s intense. We do five shows in a row, and I’m touring with my friends. I’m surprised my voice is still working,” she tells me over the phone while in California.

Escaping from town to town to perform leaves her little alone time between shows — a perfect paradox for a songwriter who’s working on new material. With a full band constantly around her and a diary that begs to be opened and used, Léon’s schedule has been one of constant movement.

She reveals, “I’m afraid of feeling extremely lonely, because you surround yourself with people constantly. I almost don’t want tour to end [even though] the only time I’m alone is when I take a shower.”

The other difference between home and tour life? The audience. U.S. crowds are reportedly quite different than their foreign counterparts. From disrobing audience members to a shameless ass-smacker, the states have kept Léon as entertained as she’s kept us.

“The energy from the audience here is different, because it’s just a different culture. It’s super fun!,” she laughs. “People here are dancing and singing along. I had to actually ask a girl in San Francisco, ‘girl, did you just really just smack my ass?’”

With a mind full of tour narratives and a heart weighty with new ideas, it seems like Léon will have enough to work with when returning home to write. A new album is in the works, and she assures us it’s well underway.

Léon has taught us that it’s ok to speak from the heart and to be human. And if we ever forget, slip on some headphones for a sweet-sounding escape strategy.

Léon’s new single “For You” is out now.

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