The Purple List Interviews: 5 Things We Learnt From Leah Cleaver

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Leah Cleaver is a star in the making and was an easy choice for this year’s Purple List. Originally from Luton but now a full Londoner, she has just released her second EP, ‘Baby Don’t Move‘. Having been at the listening party, it was great to see a celebration of the project and all involved. This felt fitting as the EP’s message was to celebrate those around this artist, and they celebrated her.

As a singer who knows how to make great music that makes you dance and think, here are 5 things I learnt from this insightful conversation before we release the full interview on YouTube tomorrow.

1) Music doesn’t always need to be cohesive.

The process of an individual artist is not the same across the board, and each musician has different goals. Some set out to tell a story in a streamlined way, while others tell that tale through different parts. Leah is someone who writes and explores music in various ways. This may come in the form of genre variety or whom she references in the music. As she states, music creation is ‘exploring’ and ‘the things I like’, a showcase that this comes from within.

2) Soul is key to her musical upbringing.

When asked about the records that defined her musical taste, Leah highlights three iconic records. They are Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black‘, Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace‘, and Otis Redding’s ‘Otis Blue‘. She indicates that her Aunt’s taste, the unique voices and tones of these artists, and soul music in general had a profound impact on her. These have become important factors within this artist’s own music, with her voice used in different ways to indicate a variety of feelings and emotions.

3) Embarrassment is ok.

Leah speaks highly of the power of love and being very open in showing this to those she cares about. This led to a discussion on people being embarrassed to be this open, and wanting to avoid that feeling. One aspect highlighted was people being worried about someone filming them on a night out. She countered this by highlighting a viral clip of someone being filmed dancing, which got a lot of love on social media. It shows that people do appreciate authenticity and that going against the curve and just enjoying yourself is nothing to be ashamed of.

4) She is here to fight back against the oppression of queer, Black, and Asian communities.

The release of ‘COUNTRY CLUB‘ was a statement on celebrating queer Black love and opposing those who stand against this. Leah described the impact of being an ally and artist in support of these communities, and the significance of learning about the origins of dance music. Being a part of these groups and meeting individuals within them has brought her ‘So much joy’ in return. This also led to a discussion around the visuals, where filming access was refused within or outside country clubs. As a result, they filmed it DIY fashion on the London streets. This saw them create their own, as the lyrics of the song point towards.

5) The people around you are important to how you create music.

In a discussion on advice for upcoming artists, Leah highlighted the importance of a good team. Being able to trust those around you and ‘Speak so openly and candidly’ is important in the creative process. This leads to you exploring places you wouldn’t have thought possible, something friends are important for in all walks of life. Oh, and also the music itself should be the most important factor and have a healthy distance from social media.

Leah Cleaver is on Instagram and TikTok. You can stream below or buy ‘Baby Don’t Move‘ here. Also, watch the full interview tomorrow and read more Purple List interviews.

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