Writing music is a rather natural occurrence in Leon Blanchard’s life. A keen songwriter and singer, the talented British artist has recently unveiled his latest effort, ‘Astronaut’, a wonderfully gentle and meaningful piece built on Britpop and indie-pop elements, all drenched in playful eclecticism and polite minimalism. Having debuted with his solo project only last year, Blanchard is not new to the spotlights, having navigated brief, fleeting success with The Brightlights in his youth.
He’s older and wiser now, all qualities that greatly transpire from ‘Astronaut’. He’s not catering to trends or proven formulas; simply, Leon is expressing himself, learning to be vulnerable and letting listeners connect with his material. It’s a winning approach: the single flourishes among rich introspection and evocative imagery.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Blanchard to find out more about his artistry and future goals… Interview below!
Hey Leon, thanks for chatting with us! I have delved into your history and project a fair bit, and it’s all rather interesting. Before we focus on your latest single ‘Astronaut’, I’d like to ask you: are you proud of the artist you have become today? Does this feel like the beginning of a new era?
I’m definitely proud of these songs. Since I started writing this record, these songs have had a vibe to them I’ve not felt before with any of my previous work… It feels like a fresh start at something again. It’s an exciting time to be writing and putting music out again, I think.
The reader might not know this, but you have had some previous success in the music industry. Almost two decades ago, your previous band, The Brightlights, received national attention. Looking back on that experience, is there anything you would do differently? What’s the one thing you wish you knew back then (and that you know now)?
At that time, we were only 17/18 years old, so there was a certain naivety in the music we made, which certainly added to the spirit of that band. I regret that we just completely folded all of a sudden. We probably needed 6 months off, away from each other, then back to reset. We were quite burnt out from each other, and it was also a busy period; we were trying to balance music with our own lives, and we just needed that cooling-off period. We didn’t realise it back then.
‘Astronaut’ is your latest effort, a meaningful, personal and striking indie gem steeped in escapism and nostalgic imagery. The overall sound is perhaps nostalgic too; what are some of your references when it comes to the ‘Leon Blanchard’ sound?
When I look at a song, it has to have a strong melody, and strong vocals… usually, once those two elements are in place, I can hear where the rest is going… I would say that those two components give the song a strong delivery.
From a songwriting standpoint, what does ‘Astronaut’ mean to you? Can you guide us through its conception/writing session?
I have fond memories of writing and recording the song. I remember it just being a demo for a while, and then once we’d got it sounding complete in the studio, it sounded like we’d made something to be proud of. When I listen back to it now, it definitely feels like we got it right with that one.
You took a decisively long hiatus between your previous band and your solo project; what have you been up to all those years?
After my youth band The Brightliths split, I actually formed a band called Venacava, and then a band called Casanova… they were both just local projects that kept us busy, enjoying writing and playing music. I’ve always written music, I guess it’s one of those thing the more you do it the more you feel like doing it, because you can never feel like you’ve ever written too many songs.
Let’s give a shout-out to ‘The Tiny Giants’, the band that accompanies you on stage. How did you meet them? The alchemy between all of you seems to be strong.
I knew I wanted to put a band together after recording the album, and it all naturally fell into place once that was finished. I’ve known drummer Granty for years, he knew Ellis (our bass player) and then Will came into it from a recommendation from Dave (Dave Formula, who has been producing the album). Once we’d got together, everything jelled pretty quickly. We originally had two guitarists, but they’ve now parted ways with the band. I’m back on guitar, and Will is doing all the keys. We’ve got a good thing going, I’m lucky to be in a group with those guys.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
While recording the songs, it hasn’t always been obvious how to get from A to B to then reach a finish point. It’s a lengthy process when all you have to start with is a guide track. I would say it can be tricky sometimes, trying to get the songs finished to a certain length, that’s always a tricky one! We got there in the end.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
The next steps for us will be to put out the two new singles, then it will be album time! Hopefully, we’ll also start getting out there playing more shows. There’s at least two albums worth of songs to finish too.. so there’s lots to do.
