I recently caught up with LA based songwriter Leah Capelle to talk about her new self titled EP and life on the West Coast. Check it out…

RLR: So you recently released your Leah Capelle EP. Tell us about it. What was the process like for you in developing songs for this album? How does it differ from any previous works?

Leah Capelle: The Leah Capelle EP is my first official release. The songs were written over a span of a few years and collected, rewritten, and curated for this project. It was such an amazing experience for me to take the songs I had been playing solo for so long, orchestrate them, and hear them with a band for the first time. This EP is a pretty personal project, as some reviewers have mentioned, and I feel like it was a vehicle in which I was able to grow up, to figure out who I am, and who I want to be as a songwriter. I really respect artists who are comfortable genre bending and trying new styles, and with this project I wanted to explore my boundaries a little bit. My producer Jeff Bova and I had a lot of fun picking the songs I had written that didn’t all completely conform to each other, but that fit the same overarching genre of indie folk/rock.

RLR: A big part of what Red Line Roots stands for is collaboration, community and bringing folks together and fostering an environment where artists help each other. How do you feel about that preservation of unity and family sentiment in the folk music community around your own town or city? How does it play into your own music and where you come from?

LC: I recently moved to Los Angeles, so finding a community was a bit of a challenge because the city is so sprawling! I have a big group of friends back home in Chicago, so moving and being on my own for the first time was a bit of a shock. When I moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, I felt a deep presence of unity and collaboration- everyone wanted to meet each other and work together and create beautiful things. I loved that! I have met extraordinary people this past year, both in the music business and not, many of whom have become my “family” in California. I have worked with some amazing, artistic people, and my band and I vibe well and take care of each other. I think people would be happier living anywhere if everyone worked together to make their city or town more community based. Music is one of the only global languages that can unite across all barriers!

RLR: If you could collaborate with anyone (dead or alive) musically, who would it be?

LC: Adam Duritz, lead singer and primary songwriter for Counting Crows. Working with him would be a dream come true. Their music has shaped me in huge ways, and his lyrics are so inspiring and so complex. I never get tired of listening to his songs.

RLR: What is 1 record that shaped you when you first started playing and also, who is 1 ‘lesser known’/independent artist or an album that you are listening to now that you think folks really need to hear about?

LC: Sara Bareilles’ album Little Voice was a significant influence on me when I started developing my style. I deeply respect her and the arc of her career, and always find myself learning her songs compulsively and performing them in my sets. I’ve been compared to her a number of times, which is always extremely flattering to me! As for a ‘lesser known’ album I’ve been obsessing over, take a listen to the album Joy of Nothing by Foy Vance. He has been a supporting act (and close friend) of Ed Sheeran’s for a couple years now, and that album just speaks to me at my core. His writing is impeccable, songs lilting and powerful, and talent inspiring.

RLR: Aside from music taking up a big portion of your life, do you have any pastimes? What would you want people to know about you aside from your musical endeavors?

LC: I really like camping and rock climbing (when I have time!) I’ve been getting into yoga lately, and I love going on adventures. But like every twenty-something in the 21st century, I’m perfectly happy sitting on the couch and watching Netflix on a day off. I collect vinyl, crystal figurines, and moose paraphernalia. I have a cat named Harper that I love probably as much as I could possibly love anything, and the ocean is my happy place.

RLR: Anything else you want to plug?

LC: My band and I made a music video for Would You Know, the single off the EP! It was directed and shot by videographer extraordinaire (and blues guitar sensation) Jesse Davey. We’re extremely proud of it, and you can check it out on my website [www.leahcapelle.com], on my Official Facebook Page, and on YouTube. Additionally, find me on any and all social media and reach out. I love hearing from people who find my music!