Where are you from?
I was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and I'm based in Melbourne, Australia
How long have you been making music?
I've been singing and writing songs since I was 12 years old.
How many songs /albums have you released to date?
I have as of yet released one song, "elique". I'm planning to release my second single in the coming months!
Can you tell us about your latest release and the background and inspirations behind it? [link]
My debut single"elique" is a sultry and sweet, r&b/neo-soul ‘taboo’ tune-about forbidden fruit and the daydreams of the inner yearnings. "elique" is a moment out from reality, It's a bittersweet feeling - like chasing a butterfly to the edge of a memory you can’t get out of your mind.
How have you ended up in the music industry?
I have always been singing, and it's something I've loved to do since day dot. It's been my refuge and greatest love in life..music, because it's always been there. "Music, that's what I'm doing with my life"..I didn't have much say in the matter. Music somehow found me and it became my great passion.
What do you think of the current state of the music industry?
I think there was a lot of things going wrong with the industry in terms of being able to "make it" in the same sense as you could back in the day..even in the 90s and early 2000s. Originality wasn't really something the mainstream was after so the music that was on the TV or music channel all sounded the same (it still is the case). But then we became resourceful as musicians and artists. It's a great time to be an independent musician today. You have direct access to so many resources that makes it very easy to get your music out there, to the whole world, not just your backyard. It's also much easier to find and interact with your audience and people that will dig what you do. This shift is something that allows musicians to make the music they want to make, and get it out in there. We are very fortunate.
Who do you think is the most influential artist?
Right now, I would have to say Lizzo, she is killing it. She is unconditionally herself in all that she does, if not in her musicianship! She is inspiring self love, which is something we still need to be reminded of. All the while she is making us enjoy ourselves with her music, message and bad-ass-ness! Lizzo for president!
Who have you collaborated with so far in your career?
I have been very fortunate to get to work with a very talented Zimbabwean-born local Melbourne artist by the name Thando. I have the great pleasure of singing backing vocals for her. Working with Thando has opened up some really amazing opportunities and allowed me to grow as a singer, performer, musician and a person. I have a lot to thank her for. You should definitely check out her and her music! She is absolutely incredible. (https://www.facebook.com/thandomusic/)
How do you think you differ from other artists?
I feel that one thing that differs me from other artists would have to be that I don't write or make music with a particular sound in mind. I'm not considering any trends or what is "hip" when making music. What comes out is what comes out you know? Of course you have your influences ingrained in your musicianship but when I make music I don't sit there and think "ooh this needs to be a hit, this need to sound like this to get played on the radio yada yada". I make the music that's true to me, and that is real. There will be plenty of people that will vibe and get into it because it's genuine.
Dead or alive, who would be your dream collaboration?
Oh my goodness..would probably have to be Yebba! Or maybe Emily King!
What was the first album you bought?
The first album I ever bought was Kanye West's "The College Dropout" ! I remember I would badger my non-musician friends to understand the dopeness in each track, but they never got it haha.
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
My favourite song at the moment I.D.n.Y.L by DeAndre. Give it a listen, he is out of this world!!
What other hobbies or interests do you have?
I'm a huuuuge movie-nerd. I absolutely love cinema. Back in the day you could drop the name of any actor, and I would be able to tell you at least 5 movies they'd starred in! These days, I don't have the time to maintain that haha..but I still watch a lot of movies.
Tell us more about your upcoming project or this new project?
As mentioned, "elique" was my debut single off my forthcoming EP called "Full Disclosure Pt. I ". It will have a lot of R&B/Neo-soul vibes along with some modern electronic and jazzy vibes! The songs are like the pages in a diary, stories of my life or stories told to me that inspired me to write the songs . It's almost a confessional, putting stuff out there that is easier to sing that to talk about.
What’s in the pipeline after this project?
While I'm finalising my second EP "Full Disclosure Pt. II " I will be putting together a band, starting to gig here back in Australia. I went home to Sweden for a visit a couple of months ago and would love to do some more shows there in the future.
Where can listeners find out more about you?
WEBSITE: https://www.lheonmusic.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/iam.lheon
INSTA: http://instagram.com/iam.lheon
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZtODAS54R7M2B-jYbl9Myg
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/iamlheon
SOUND CLOUD https://soundcloud.com/iamlheon
BANDCAMP https://lheon.bandcamp.com