The Sit Down with Leah Blevins
Following the recent release of her highly lauded album “All Dressed Up” Kentucky-born singer-songwriter Leah Blevins is set to return to the UK this month for festival appearances at BST Hyde Park and State Fayre as well as supporting The Black Crowes in Manchester.
Raised in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, Blevins’ journey to this moment has been shaped by hardship, hope and an unshakable spiritual foundation. “All Dressed Up” blends soulful Americana with country and subtle pop sensibilities, offering both vulnerability and strength from an artist whose music is rooted in truth, resilience and unwavering faith. Produced by GRAMMY winner Dan Auerbach, this is her second album and her first to be released on Easy Eye Sound which we talked all about as well as her upcoming trip across the pond when we recently caught up with Leah over Zoom.
Hey Leah, thanks for taking some time to hang out and you’re coming back to see in like three weeks’ time.
“Yes, we leave on the 23rd of this month, which is wild because it's like, holy shit, it's already June. Another expression that we all know it's like time flies, but it really does once you hit a certain age and yeah, I'll be there from the 23rd through the 30th of this month.”
Oh, so you've got a little bit of time to firstly, get over jetlag, which never gets any easier coming this way, but it's not just purely like a work trip and you've got a little bit of time to adjust and explore a bit.
“Yeah, I think we have one day out of the time that we're going to be there to just explore, check out the cuisine and have a good time, stress free.”
Looking back to when you came over for C2C, which I guesswas three years ago now, what are your memories of coming over to London, getting to play that festival and getting to meet the fans over here?
“Well, it was obviously a good time for someone who hasn't been able to be over in another country as often as most, so it's always, I’m wide eyed and enjoying the experience. Luckily, I've built a community over there as far as family out in Scotland, so, a gentleman who's tour managed me all the time that I've played over there has taken me as family, so he always shows me around to all the glorified spots and some of the not so known places. It always is a charming experience and especially all the people as well.”
Obviously, it's not as straightforward as just you want to come back here as there are other things to consider, but since you were lost here, has it really been a focus to be trying to get back as often as you can?
“Definitely. I feel like the fans in the UK have this nose for authenticity and I'm not trying to toot my own horn but there's been a beautiful group of people who have taken me in and have stepped with me from 2022 to the current date. So, I definitely want to be around the people thatunderstand what I'm doing and adhere to it. I'm always eager to get back, I want to see as much as I can see and there's never enough time to do all the things.”
Last time that I saw you play over here it was just you and your guitar, looking ahead to this trip, obviously, you've got the support slot in Manchester, you've got the show at rough trade and you've got the two festivals so is it just going to be just you again or have you got anybody that's going to be up there with you this time?
“I'm bringing my guitar player over with me and we're going to play all the new songs from the record, so it's gonna be a new experience for everybody, myself included.”
Raised in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, Blevins’ journey to this moment has been shaped by hardship, hope and an unshakable spiritual foundation. “All Dressed Up” blends soulful Americana with country and subtle pop sensibilities, offering both vulnerability and strength from an artist whose music is rooted in truth, resilience and unwavering faith. Produced by GRAMMY winner Dan Auerbach, this is her second album and her first to be released on Easy Eye Sound which we talked all about as well as her upcoming trip across the pond when we recently caught up with Leah over Zoom.
Hey Leah, thanks for taking some time to hang out and you’re coming back to see in like three weeks’ time.
“Yes, we leave on the 23rd of this month, which is wild because it's like, holy shit, it's already June. Another expression that we all know it's like time flies, but it really does once you hit a certain age and yeah, I'll be there from the 23rd through the 30th of this month.”
Oh, so you've got a little bit of time to firstly, get over jetlag, which never gets any easier coming this way, but it's not just purely like a work trip and you've got a little bit of time to adjust and explore a bit.
“Yeah, I think we have one day out of the time that we're going to be there to just explore, check out the cuisine and have a good time, stress free.”
Looking back to when you came over for C2C, which I guesswas three years ago now, what are your memories of coming over to London, getting to play that festival and getting to meet the fans over here?
“Well, it was obviously a good time for someone who hasn't been able to be over in another country as often as most, so it's always, I’m wide eyed and enjoying the experience. Luckily, I've built a community over there as far as family out in Scotland, so, a gentleman who's tour managed me all the time that I've played over there has taken me as family, so he always shows me around to all the glorified spots and some of the not so known places. It always is a charming experience and especially all the people as well.”
Obviously, it's not as straightforward as just you want to come back here as there are other things to consider, but since you were lost here, has it really been a focus to be trying to get back as often as you can?
“Definitely. I feel like the fans in the UK have this nose for authenticity and I'm not trying to toot my own horn but there's been a beautiful group of people who have taken me in and have stepped with me from 2022 to the current date. So, I definitely want to be around the people thatunderstand what I'm doing and adhere to it. I'm always eager to get back, I want to see as much as I can see and there's never enough time to do all the things.”
Last time that I saw you play over here it was just you and your guitar, looking ahead to this trip, obviously, you've got the support slot in Manchester, you've got the show at rough trade and you've got the two festivals so is it just going to be just you again or have you got anybody that's going to be up there with you this time?
“I'm bringing my guitar player over with me and we're going to play all the new songs from the record, so it's gonna be a new experience for everybody, myself included.”
Even before you come over, it's quite a busy time because, you know, whilst we're talking about these two festivals over here, you've got all of the chaos descending on Nashville right now with CMA Fest. I have a bunch of friends who have flown out there for it and I know for you locals, Broadway is a nightmare at the best of times where it’s like Covent Garden is here or Times Square in New York and you leave it to the tourists, let alone when half the roads are closed and there are so many more people around. It’s obviously a huge week in Music City though and it must be something that you are really pleased to be a part of.
“Oh, my goodness, all of the above. I feel like when you first move to any city, it's chaos, yet you're so eager and you can't look away, so you want to be there in the thick of things, but yeah, it is its own beast and in its own little world downtown which I'm gonna have to partake in that on Saturday and just gear up for what is to come. To be able to play CMA Fest when as a kid, we had GAC, CMTand all those television shows, I remember we had this TV on the floor where my twin sister and I would just sit in front and want to be so affiliated with whatever that looked like. So, this is truly an honour to say the least, whatever stage I get to play, my name's on the poster and I can say that I can check that off my bucket list for sure.”
You have got your name on a poster for a tiny, tiny little show with Garth Brooks and sixty thousand people over here in a couple of weeks’ time which is obviously going to be a great day and it's really showing how country and Americana havebeen growing so much over here. Morgan Wallen sold out there, Zach Bryan sold out twice last year and Noah Kahantoo but Garth hasn’t played in the UK for over thirty years so that day is going to be so special. Then a day later, you head to my home town of Chelmsford to play State Fayre with The Lumineers topping that bill and that is a bit more of a multi-genre festival that has a lot more of the rock, roots and folk sides of Americana and country, so I guess getting to be involved in events like that must be really cool where you can reach an audience that's almost alien and very new to you.
“I think that most importantly, on my path in my career and the way that I write songs, I'm pulling from so many different places. I can understand where it can be polarising that you want to stay in one box or one genre, but that just never spoke to me on any level. To be able to kind of cross over in indie and country, Americana, rock, blues, roots or however you want to classify that, be my guest. I just think that I'm past that thought of putting myself in a box, because it just doesn't feel good to me, so, to answer your question, I'm excited to be affiliated with whatever genre that folks kind of see me through in that type of lens.”
Are you generally someone that likes to explore and see the full scope of festivals and events like that? I guess a lot of the time in the States, when you play something, you arrive, you get out of a van, say hey to artist liaison, get shoved in front of a bunch of people to do press, you get on stage, do a meet and greet and then you're pretty much onto the next show where you don’t even really get to hang out with any pals that are playing it too. Chelmsford from London is nothing to you guys even if an hour and a half drive is still quite a long drive to us, so is it quite nice to not have to think about rushing off, be able to see what else is going on and be able to enjoy the whole experience?
“Yes and I think it allows you to have more focus on the show itself and not feel like you're just rushing to the next thing where everything feels like a blur. We'll get to kind of actually be present to absorb all of it from, you know, the slower paced moments to the get up and go to get the job done type deal.”
“Oh, my goodness, all of the above. I feel like when you first move to any city, it's chaos, yet you're so eager and you can't look away, so you want to be there in the thick of things, but yeah, it is its own beast and in its own little world downtown which I'm gonna have to partake in that on Saturday and just gear up for what is to come. To be able to play CMA Fest when as a kid, we had GAC, CMTand all those television shows, I remember we had this TV on the floor where my twin sister and I would just sit in front and want to be so affiliated with whatever that looked like. So, this is truly an honour to say the least, whatever stage I get to play, my name's on the poster and I can say that I can check that off my bucket list for sure.”
You have got your name on a poster for a tiny, tiny little show with Garth Brooks and sixty thousand people over here in a couple of weeks’ time which is obviously going to be a great day and it's really showing how country and Americana havebeen growing so much over here. Morgan Wallen sold out there, Zach Bryan sold out twice last year and Noah Kahantoo but Garth hasn’t played in the UK for over thirty years so that day is going to be so special. Then a day later, you head to my home town of Chelmsford to play State Fayre with The Lumineers topping that bill and that is a bit more of a multi-genre festival that has a lot more of the rock, roots and folk sides of Americana and country, so I guess getting to be involved in events like that must be really cool where you can reach an audience that's almost alien and very new to you.
“I think that most importantly, on my path in my career and the way that I write songs, I'm pulling from so many different places. I can understand where it can be polarising that you want to stay in one box or one genre, but that just never spoke to me on any level. To be able to kind of cross over in indie and country, Americana, rock, blues, roots or however you want to classify that, be my guest. I just think that I'm past that thought of putting myself in a box, because it just doesn't feel good to me, so, to answer your question, I'm excited to be affiliated with whatever genre that folks kind of see me through in that type of lens.”
Are you generally someone that likes to explore and see the full scope of festivals and events like that? I guess a lot of the time in the States, when you play something, you arrive, you get out of a van, say hey to artist liaison, get shoved in front of a bunch of people to do press, you get on stage, do a meet and greet and then you're pretty much onto the next show where you don’t even really get to hang out with any pals that are playing it too. Chelmsford from London is nothing to you guys even if an hour and a half drive is still quite a long drive to us, so is it quite nice to not have to think about rushing off, be able to see what else is going on and be able to enjoy the whole experience?
“Yes and I think it allows you to have more focus on the show itself and not feel like you're just rushing to the next thing where everything feels like a blur. We'll get to kind of actually be present to absorb all of it from, you know, the slower paced moments to the get up and go to get the job done type deal.”
You're going to get to play this new record over here for the first time, which is obviously really cool and it's your secondfull-length record that's come out and I think one of the ways to kind of describe it is that your first record is essentiallyyour life's work so far and it's telling people who you are, whereas your sophomore project is basically letting people know what you have to say. With that as a perspective, what are you hoping that people take away when they listen to “All Dressed Up” as the message about what Leah Blevins has to say to the world?
“I love that. Just a way to outline it. I feel like at this particular time in my life, I'm in my mid-thirties and when I made the first full-length record and the EPs prior to that, I was learning myself in a different way, learning what I didn't like and much like every human being on planet Earth, you're just trying to find your way and figure out what you're about. I think that at this phase of my life, I know what I'm willing to put up with, if you will and I know what that looks like in terms of how I want to operate and navigate my life, so essentially, this record is just coming into my own in my mid-thirties, feeling themost empowered that I've ever felt and I just want that for everybody. Obviously it ebbs and flows, but that's a general idea of what it's all about.”
You worked with Dan Auerbach on the record and I'm guessing from looking at who he's worked with in the past and who you have toured with, that Marcus King quite possibly might have been part of the link in terms of the introduction between the two of you but regardless, what is Dan like to work with?
“Yeah, Marcus has been so kind to me over the years, he's taken me to the biggest stages that I've ever been on and he has put my name out there on every level so leading to the fact that Dan heard my voice, I assume that's how it all came about, which thank you, Marcus and Thank you, Dan. It all kind of transpired with management reaching out and we met for the first time, kind of got to know each other in a short period and we just wrote for a year and a half. I think there were three different sessions of us writing with artists that I didn't know who was about to walk through the door, which is typically not how I operate, so it was really beautiful to be getting out of my own way, not doing the research before and having themwalking in with those emotions was a beautiful way and take-away from working with Dan. Working with Dan in the studio, what I experienced was very fast paced and he's a very busy individual, but the intentionality is there from start to finish, as soon as we all walk in the door, he's spinning records, we set the pace and so it begins. It was my greatest experience making a record to date.”
I guess one of the things about him is that, is that firstly, that little duo of his, I reckon they’ll do some pretty big things one day ha-ha. You know, The Black Keys are one of the biggest bands in the world and behind the desk, everyone is drawn to “Ultraviolence” and him working with Lana (Del Rey) on that but also we mentioned Marcus and also he worked with Grace Potter on what is probably one of my all-time favouriterecords too as well as pretty much anyone else that is anyone in music. We talked about not wanting to be in boxes but his musical world is so vast and varied, where like you said he would bring in different people in who you weren't aware of and had no idea who was going to walk through the door, so that must be quite interesting as someone to learn from andalso a good way to push you where you can learn from about someone that is bringing in very different elements thanyou're used to.
“Yeah, I think from day one to now, everything's been so new and you're stepping into a world where you're amongst people that you consider heroes, heroes in the musical world and a lot of them just as people. They say don't meet your heroes, but every person I've met in Dan's world has been just gracious, kind and super welcoming. I think that speaks volumes about his character as a person,as an artist and how respected he is amongst the community. It's just an honour for someone of his, look, we're all humans at the end of the day, but there are some people who are just like, whoa, how do they have this, like, wizardry? He was so kind to me and put me in rooms with the best of the best, so all in all, I'm just a very fortunate person in that regard.”
“I love that. Just a way to outline it. I feel like at this particular time in my life, I'm in my mid-thirties and when I made the first full-length record and the EPs prior to that, I was learning myself in a different way, learning what I didn't like and much like every human being on planet Earth, you're just trying to find your way and figure out what you're about. I think that at this phase of my life, I know what I'm willing to put up with, if you will and I know what that looks like in terms of how I want to operate and navigate my life, so essentially, this record is just coming into my own in my mid-thirties, feeling themost empowered that I've ever felt and I just want that for everybody. Obviously it ebbs and flows, but that's a general idea of what it's all about.”
You worked with Dan Auerbach on the record and I'm guessing from looking at who he's worked with in the past and who you have toured with, that Marcus King quite possibly might have been part of the link in terms of the introduction between the two of you but regardless, what is Dan like to work with?
“Yeah, Marcus has been so kind to me over the years, he's taken me to the biggest stages that I've ever been on and he has put my name out there on every level so leading to the fact that Dan heard my voice, I assume that's how it all came about, which thank you, Marcus and Thank you, Dan. It all kind of transpired with management reaching out and we met for the first time, kind of got to know each other in a short period and we just wrote for a year and a half. I think there were three different sessions of us writing with artists that I didn't know who was about to walk through the door, which is typically not how I operate, so it was really beautiful to be getting out of my own way, not doing the research before and having themwalking in with those emotions was a beautiful way and take-away from working with Dan. Working with Dan in the studio, what I experienced was very fast paced and he's a very busy individual, but the intentionality is there from start to finish, as soon as we all walk in the door, he's spinning records, we set the pace and so it begins. It was my greatest experience making a record to date.”
I guess one of the things about him is that, is that firstly, that little duo of his, I reckon they’ll do some pretty big things one day ha-ha. You know, The Black Keys are one of the biggest bands in the world and behind the desk, everyone is drawn to “Ultraviolence” and him working with Lana (Del Rey) on that but also we mentioned Marcus and also he worked with Grace Potter on what is probably one of my all-time favouriterecords too as well as pretty much anyone else that is anyone in music. We talked about not wanting to be in boxes but his musical world is so vast and varied, where like you said he would bring in different people in who you weren't aware of and had no idea who was going to walk through the door, so that must be quite interesting as someone to learn from andalso a good way to push you where you can learn from about someone that is bringing in very different elements thanyou're used to.
“Yeah, I think from day one to now, everything's been so new and you're stepping into a world where you're amongst people that you consider heroes, heroes in the musical world and a lot of them just as people. They say don't meet your heroes, but every person I've met in Dan's world has been just gracious, kind and super welcoming. I think that speaks volumes about his character as a person,as an artist and how respected he is amongst the community. It's just an honour for someone of his, look, we're all humans at the end of the day, but there are some people who are just like, whoa, how do they have this, like, wizardry? He was so kind to me and put me in rooms with the best of the best, so all in all, I'm just a very fortunate person in that regard.”
Fantastic, I Appreciate you taking the time this morning. Enjoy the chaos of downtown during CMA Fest, I hope that traffic isn’t completely shit for you on Saturday and I'll see you at Hyde Park which I’m so excited for. It'll be a lot of funand it such a cool lineup with Zac Brown and his guys, Ashley (McBryde), Jackson Dean and AK (Alexandra Kay) on there too so we can’t wait. My only tip is that is that if it is really sunny, shade is quite hard to find front of house as it is very open but it’s always one of our highlights of the year and I hope you have the best time both there and at State Fayre. It’s been great to hang out and hopefully we’ll see each other IRL when you are here.
“I hope so and another name at those festivals because I don’t want to leave a woman out, Mae Estes is on the bill as well and she is incredible!”
Yes girl! Thank you for that! I am so excited to get to meet her and make up for lost time because we were due to hang out in Berlin back in March when she came over for C2C but she got really sick and couldn’t play in Germany. I flew out there with the girl that is head of her label over here, who told me as we landed how awesome she was to work with and gutted that Mae was about not being able to play, then I’m friends with Kenny Foster and Ashland Craft who both were out there and know her really well, where just the way that Mae is one of those people who whenever her name gets mentioned, people light up and she’s really grafted in town for a long time. Luckily, I got to see her play in London the next week but I’m so happy she is coming back too because I think she is awesome.
“Me too, she is so talented and it’s only a matter of timeuntil the whole world knows her.”
I agree! This has been so much fun, have a safe flight over in a few weeks and we’ll see you soon Leah.
UK DATES
JUN 25 - Albert Hall, Manchester (supporting The Black Crowes)
JUN 26 - Rough Trade Denmark Street, London
JUN 27 – BST Hyde Park, London
JUN 28 - State Fayre Festival, Chelmsford
The new album “All Dressed Up” from Leah Blevins is out now and available HERE. Leah returns to the UK later this month for the dates shown above and you can find full ticket details on her WEBSITE and you can also keep up to date with all that she is up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.
“I hope so and another name at those festivals because I don’t want to leave a woman out, Mae Estes is on the bill as well and she is incredible!”
Yes girl! Thank you for that! I am so excited to get to meet her and make up for lost time because we were due to hang out in Berlin back in March when she came over for C2C but she got really sick and couldn’t play in Germany. I flew out there with the girl that is head of her label over here, who told me as we landed how awesome she was to work with and gutted that Mae was about not being able to play, then I’m friends with Kenny Foster and Ashland Craft who both were out there and know her really well, where just the way that Mae is one of those people who whenever her name gets mentioned, people light up and she’s really grafted in town for a long time. Luckily, I got to see her play in London the next week but I’m so happy she is coming back too because I think she is awesome.
“Me too, she is so talented and it’s only a matter of timeuntil the whole world knows her.”
I agree! This has been so much fun, have a safe flight over in a few weeks and we’ll see you soon Leah.
UK DATES
JUN 25 - Albert Hall, Manchester (supporting The Black Crowes)
JUN 26 - Rough Trade Denmark Street, London
JUN 27 – BST Hyde Park, London
JUN 28 - State Fayre Festival, Chelmsford
The new album “All Dressed Up” from Leah Blevins is out now and available HERE. Leah returns to the UK later this month for the dates shown above and you can find full ticket details on her WEBSITE and you can also keep up to date with all that she is up to on INSTAGRAM TIKTOK & FACEBOOK.