photos / Shanna Fisher
story / Koko Ntuen
Have you heard of LA-based singer/songwriter/artist, Leerone? If you haven’t, you need to and now. Think Nancy Sinatra meets the Rolling Stones meets PJ Harvey, dates Nina Simone then meets the singer that you always wanted to be. Its complicated but her voice is an original one with depth and soul you can’t help but revisit your favorite artists to try to figure out what box to put her in. With her smoldering vixen looks and velvet voice you will fall in love her. Then if you get past her beauty and actually listen to her music you will be a fan for life.  Today she is releasing her album, Heart Shaped Bullets – co-written and produced by Chris Seefried (Fitz & the Tantrums) via iTunes. In addition to the new album, Leeroneâs also giving away a collection of cover tunes —  The Lost Records: Vol 1. You can download it here:www.Leerone.com
We are exclusively premiering Leerone’s cover of The Black Keys, “Howlin For You” today on LADYGUNN where we see Leerone dancing around her Silverlake  apartment doing the things we all do when we are alone and obsessed with a song but with better production and more experience!
I got a chance to talk to her about her new album, working with Chris Seefried and making her amazing cover of The Black Keys, “Howling For You”.
Why title this album âHeart Shaped Bulletsâ?
The title âHeart Shaped Bulletsâ signals my intent to dispatch you with my Love Gun. What does that meanâŠ? To put it simply, Iâm gonna kill you with love! The title came to me one day and I instantly fell in love with that paradoxical juxtaposition of opposites. For me, the title is a reminder that weâre not limited to one way of being, but rather that we embody a multiplicity of dimensions and personalities simultaneously. I have a sweet, gentle, tender side but then I have this fiery, punk-inspired badass in me too. Itâs like both sides, and many others, compete for expression.
What was it like making the video for “Howlin’ For You”?
I had a blast! It was important that the video not be a âperformanceâ or an âact.â I just wanted an honest, spontaneous representationâor chronicle, if you willâof a moment in the life of Leerone. It was me being myself and playfully letting loose in the presence of others and a camera, which felt incredibly fun and liberating. I consider the video an homage to what we all do, hopefully, when we think that no one is watchingâthat sense of permission and freedom that we give ourselves. The whole crew was wonderfully supportive, and Iâm grateful for that. And the director, Lindsey Byrnes, was exceptional. She did it as a labor of love. I feel incredibly fortunate to have met and worked with her.
Any word from the Black Keys on your interpretation of the song?
I would love to hear from them. Iâm clearly a fan.
Why did you choose to cover “Howlin’ For You”?
I recorded a bunch of cover songs that I called âThe Lost Records Vol.1.â I wanted to pay tribute to some of the songs that inspired or influenced my sound, so my intention was to record these covers and just give the whole collection away for free download. When I first heard âHowlin’ for Youâ by the Black Keys, I loved the way it felt in my body. I wanted to move, shake a tail feather and get down. And so I did, and it made me feel alive! I just felt that it was appropriate to legitimately honor one of the sources of my initial inspiration. In fact, that desire to just shake off all the inhibitions and connect with where I feel most alive really helped inspire the songs that make up âHeart Shaped Bullets.â So thank you, Black Keys.
What was it like working with Chris Seefried?
Amazing! He was sort of the midwife and the sonic architect for the whole project. Chris facilitated the birth of this new part of myself that I had yet to fully discover and give voice to, and he was more than willing to aid and abet me in my new musical adventures. What happened was, as I was writing songs for the new album, I realized there was a part of myself that desperately wanted to be expressed and explored. It literally felt like this tiger was clawing its way out of my chest and roaring, âhey! I want to speak!â That impulsive inner tiger was uncaged during my first session with Chris. And within minutes of our first collaboration, we came up with âSuzanne.â All the songs materialized that way, really organic. Itâs like the songs just leapt unbidden from our mouths and fingers, and inspired this whole new musical direction. As for the tiger in my chest, Iâm still getting to know her. Though sheâs made little cameo appearances in the past, sheâs never had an entire album fully devoted to her. Sheâs enjoying the attention, which figures. Sheâs an extravert.
A lot of your work seems to be really personal and autobiographical, does that make you feel vulnerable when you play live? Any songs hard to get through on stage?
My music is definitely personal and autobiographical. I absolutely feel vulnerable when I play live, and when I write and record my music. That feeling of vulnerability tells me that Iâm on the right track, venturing beyond my comfort zone and exposing the raw, real depths of me. Itâs not always comfortable, but speaking as a growth junkie, thereâs no other way. Itâs the process of self-discovery. And much like the Howlinâ video, it feels very satisfying to share myself in such an authentic way.
