Leah Sykes
Photo credit: Jessica Steddom
I discovered Leah Sykes in 2019, but I really started following her last year when she dropped “Love Is” with Ellrod (I absolutely love this artist/songwriter) and Hauf and then I completely got hooked when I heard “Surprise”.
Sykes has such a unique tone. It’s rare to hear these types of vocals in pop music nowadays and that’s one of the reasons why I love this artist. And on top of that, she is a great songwriter.
I’ve been meaning to interview her for quite some time, and it finally happened !! So here it is. I hope you like it. And please, go stream her new single “Sorry To The Waitress”, it’s a smash and it’s my favorite Leah Sykes’ song: amazing melodies and production. The hook melody is without a doubt my favorite part :)
So yeah, go stream it now !! :)
Photo credit: Jessica Steddom
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
I grew up in Jacksonville, FL as the fourth of five athletic kids. The family sport of choice was swimming. Every day consisted of the drive to practice in my mom’s mini-van as she bumped John Mayer, the locker room music of 50 cent, and my dad’s wagoner blasting James Taylor. When I was 12 years old, tears in my eyes, I approached my mom and told her I didn’t want to swim anymore; I hated it. She comforted me and assured me that wasn’t a problem, but that I had to take the time I would have been in the pool and invest into another activity. It was then that I purchased my first guitar from my older brother with my own hard-earned $50. I began to write music shortly after and when I turned 18, I moved to Nashville, TN, where I currently live, and began actively pursuing my craft ever since.
Do you remember your early musical memories?
My parents used to give us a weekly bible verse that we had to memorize. My older brother and I got tired of trying to recite them from memory, so we put them to song instead! To this day, I still remember all the melodies we created to memorize Psalms 1… That was 17 years ago.
When did you know you could sing?
I was 7 years old when I made my friends listen to me sing Seven Years by Norah Jones while I did my best impression of her. Gosh, I was probably so annoying, but I remember thinking I did such a great job and sounded just like her! I did this with all of my favorite artists. It wasn’t until I was 12 that I started to discover I had my own voice to share and that it was worthy of hearing.
Growing up, what were your favorite records to sing along to?
From Carol King to Eminem, I don’t think I could possibly name them all. But I vividly remember locking myself in our garage, away from my siblings and parents, just to sing along to the whole Kelly Clarkson breakaway album. Remote control in hand and bare feet doing their best clumsy dance, I pretended I was performing for the masses. The imaginary crowd and I always went wild when I sang Walk Away.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I started writing poetry before songs. I’ve always been obsessed with clever rhymes, but it wasn’t until I bought my brother’s guitar from him that I started putting my poems to melodies. I think I was 14 when I finished writing my first song.
At what point did you decide to become an artist and release your original music?
I was 15 years old! I started playing in coffee shops and at open mics, passing out free downloads of my songs, doing whatever I could to hopefully be heard in more places than just Jacksonville, FL.
How would you define Leah Sykes, the artist?
An open-book with no page unturned. A conversationalist who just happens to be singing. An unabashed softy.
As an artist, what lessons have you learned since the beginning of your career?
If I like what I’m making, at least one other person in the world will. I spent a long time trying to sound like other artists or do what I thought people wanted to hear, but it only resulted in a bunch of songs I wouldn’t want to listen to in my free time. The day I finally started making music for myself was the most freeing feeling.
"Sorry To The Waitress" is your new single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Being a super confrontational person, I wanted to write about getting to the bottom of a disagreement at all cost. The “cost” in this particular song is other’s watching eyes. Whether you have been the people fighting in public, or the ones eavesdropping on the drama, I think everyone will find a spot of relatability.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this particular single? Who helped you create it?
Willie Breeding, Stephen Ellrod, and Mike Robinson all helped bring this song to life! It took 2 sessions to finish writing it. I remember I started the first session bummed because I wanted to go to Chili’s for dinner but my husband didn’t want to… I wish I was kidding. We decided humorously to make the setting of the song a restaurant. To this day the song is still saved in our shared document as “Sorry to the Waitress // Devin goes to Chili’s”
What made you want to release "Sorry To The Waitress" as a single?
After our first session working on it I knew that, while it wasn’t yet finished, it was going to be a really special one. I was right. “Sorry to the Waitress” represents a feeling and frustration that I needed to verbalize and knew I had to share. I also think it’s hella catchy.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
My friend Jessica Steddom and I were doing a photoshoot unrelated to the song! I told her I wanted to capture something that felt effortlessly honest to my personality. You know she must be good at what she does when I give the most vague instructions and she produces exactly what I was looking for. We were walking the streets of East Nashville when she told me to pop a squat on the sidewalk and she started snapping. 3 months later, it became the single artwork.
What appeals you the most about being a songwriter?
Having an outlet to voice my frustrations, struggles, happiness. It is such a blessing to be able to talk through every situation in my life from being madly in love to overthinking a bad dream with people who relate; people who can help me verbalize those emotions.
What is your proudest moment of your career so far?
Opening for Lizzo!!!!
What advice would you give to young artists?
Write about things you care about. The beauty of choosing a creative field is that you can create literally whatever you want. Never forget to make music for yourself and do what feels genuine and natural for you.
What major life lesson have you learned in 2020?
Wow, I feel like 2020 has taught me so much. I became educated on issues I was once ignorant to, I was forced to be alone and work through things within myself I had been ignoring, it challenged me to find new ways to be creative, it reminded me that I didn’t always have to be “productive”, but most importantly it taught me how much I rely on outside factors for my happiness. I can’t base my worth in my career or my friendships or the material things I have. My happiness and worth come from beyond me and live within me.
What are your goals for 2021?
To eat something green every day and to check on my people more. It’s really easy to rely on someone to update their social media and then forget that that doesn’t mean we know what’s going on in their lives. I want to call, text, FaceTime the people I care about more and, when I can, hang out in person! People are not just what they’re doing, I want to know how they’re doing.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
If we all tried to be more empathetic to each other’s struggles.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
No one’s life is perfect. Everyone experiences hardship. You are never alone.
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