Leony, one of Germany’s most sought-after artists, has released her much-anticipated debut album “Somewhere In Between.” The album reflects Leony’s duality and identity as an artist, showing both her confident and sweet, sensitive sides. The first half of the album features new works and pop hits, while the second half showcases exclusive acoustic versions of records that Leony has worked on as a vocalist, songwriter, or artist.
“I‘m someone who grew up in a very small town but always knew I wanted to become a singer,” Leony says at the top of our interview about her debut album “I‘m very passionate about my music but I don’t take life in general too serious. I’ve never decided to do music, it was always in me and I always knew I wanted to be a musician.”
“My debut album turned out exactly how I wanted it to be! It shows all different sides of me and tells all the stories I wanted to tell!” — Leony
The 24 tracks on the album were written in Berlin with Leony’s team, composed of Vitali Zestovskih, Mark Becker, and Leony herself. The album’s first track, “Say My Name,” sheds light on who Leony is, and the lead single, “Holding On,” sees her explore a more melancholic side of her songwriting.
Leony shared that music has been a part of her life since she was young. “I started playing [the] guitar when I was six years old, and since then, music has been a big part of my life. I started writing my own songs when I was 12, and I knew from that moment on that I wanted to do music as a career.”
Leony’s debut album showcases her impressive range as a singer and songwriter, and the varied themes and emotions within the tracks provide insight into her life outside of the spotlight. “This debut album is close to my heart, and it was important to me that the themes of my own life are reflected in it,” Leony shared.
Leony’s team crafted “Holding On” with an 80s-influenced sonic palette, as they previously used on “Remedy,” and Leony expressed her hope that people take something of their own from the song, whether it’s connecting to the lyrics or feeling uplifted by the melody.
“I think we constantly learn new things about ourselves but especially in the last year I‘ve learned that it‘s important to always want more and to always keep pushing boundaries and step out of your comfort zone,” Leony adds.
Leony mentioned that she and her team spent three weeks locked in their studio last year. Although there were already many songs on the album that had been released, they had to write a few new ones. However, they followed their usual approach of writing when they felt inspired, and Leony personally wrote most of the lyrics to make them as personal as possible and go with the flow.
In regards to the story told through her album, Leony stated that she was able to include everything she wanted. However, Leony also acknowledged that there is much more she wishes to showcase to the world, and while there were many songs that did not make the final cut, it was because they did not fit within the album’s context. Despite this, Leony believes that the album is perfect as it is, from her perspective.
Like Leony’s ballad “Lifeline“, which is about being there for friends who might be going through difficult times, and Leony hopes that the song’s message of support and encouragement will resonate with listeners.
The central theme of the album, according to Leony, is to always stay true to oneself and not let others dictate who you should be. However, Leony also recognises that once the album is released, it is out of her control and everyone interprets it differently. Nonetheless, Leony hopes that listeners can take from the album what they need at the moment, making it a unique and personal experience for each individual.
The final song on the album, “Shooting Stars,” concludes the album on a positive note, reflecting on everything Leony has experienced and achieved in her life so far. “I’m just grateful for everything that’s happened, and this song is meant as a kind of ‘cheers’ to my life, to all the people who are playing a role in it and who have helped me get to where I am today,” Leony shared.
Leony’s debut album “Somewhere In Between” is a testament to her talent as a singer and songwriter, and it is sure to cement her place as one of Germany’s most exciting musical exports.
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