A Quick Chat With Leo
Tell us about your debut EP ‘Please Leave Quietly’:
‘Please Leave Quietly’ is deeply and sincerely my locked (and now opened) chest of secrets. It tells those secrets and communicates the feelings that I had been managing for about 6 years and in all honesty, lets them run free. The EP is pretty dark in its entirety but I tried to dabble some major keys at times in the songs and subtle jokes… that you’d probably only get if you have a ‘unique’ sense of humor.
What are some of your favourite tracks from the EP?
This is a hard one… I feel grateful to have ‘Half Unconscious’ out because in its released form it communicates all that I never could have said when I wrote it at 16 which is very special to me.
I love ‘Tendencies’ because of the guitar melody in it and how ironically self involved it is. I am amused at how much space I made to blatantly make fun of myself.
I think ‘Thursday Morning’ is the most special to me. It holds everything of my past and present self. I feel as though the choruses are very ‘of my 14 year old emo chaos era’ and the verses hold the stillness yet sadness that still sits with me at present. I’m really proud of the ending saying “this is me telling you i’m getting weak”. I feel like it communicates that trauma really does stay with you whether I acknowledge it or not. Things can be good and they can be bad but when you go through bad things they always somehow stay in your shadow.
Who are your biggest influences (musical or non musical)?
My biggest influences musically would have to be City and Colour and Julien Baker. I really admire how both of their lyrics are so transparent and sincere. I take big inspiration from how they curate the atmosphere of their songs with musical textures to serve the lyrical content and overarching feeling.
Non-musically, my biggest influence would be the weather. It makes me feel a lot.
What’s your favourite show you’ve played so far?
My favourite show so far would be the first show I played after getting a band to join me. We played a show at the Old Bar that I put on and it was giving all the community vibes and more. My friends Baby Shower, Tamara and the Dreams and The Lazy Susans played and we had a supergroup moment. It was incredibly sweet and wholesome!
What was the first concert you ever went to?
I saw Justice Crew with Jai Waetford opening at Nambour Civic Centre. I can’t remember how but I remember going on stage and doing the moonwalk (whether it was the moonwalk, I have no idea). It was the day before Que Sera came out… miffed to this day that we didn’t get to hear it.
Which album do you have on repeat right now?
I am loving the Novo Amor album ‘Collapse List’ - his songwriting and production is phenomenal. Also Kacey Musgraves’ new album is killer. Aleskiah and Alexander Biggs also recently released singles which have been on repeat.
What’s in store for the rest of 2024?
The rest of 2024 is going to be a whole lot of shows, community and making what’s next. I am really excited to have the EP out and to try and appreciate what an achievement writing and releasing that was for the time being!