Brooklyn native Leon Thomas is a connoisseur at just about anything creative. As a talented singer, songwriter, producer, and actor, you won’t find him at his Breaking Point anytime soon.
The thoughts and emotions behind this 60s-inspired, soulful R&B album came from more of a negative place. “There was so much frustration. I was feeling like I wasn’t being heard. Even though I was being through and from other artists, I wanted to be heard as myself, and really embody the self that I see in myself. It’s taken some time to evolve in that. Now I feel so proud of myself for being able to pull through blocks in the road.”
The two lead single off this album Breaking Point and Crash and Burn, are full of intricate soul and gospel ballads. But his favourite of them all was Breaking Point. “It was a really vulnerable moment for me. I feel like I’m always living in this imaginary world, but now this is based on my life at this time.”
But Thomas is excited to perform Crash and Burn live. “When I did my other tour, I sang the song and people sang it back to me. I’m excited to sing that record and see how far it’s come.”
However, there’s a juxtaposition of this live space of Thomas’s musical space. “There’s this record in the beginning of the album Slow Down, which is this perfect juxtaposition of this live space of my musical self, and what I love from the program space of my musical self. That record and Fade to Black are really good examples of how I fulfill that balance.”
Electric Dusk didn’t come without its inspiration and challenges. Thomas recounted tips and advice given to him from R&B and rap legends, such as Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer, Babyface. “I spent more time with him on a personal level. There was this pressure I was putting on myself to be the best I could be. His whole thing was just about trying my best, to be honest. He also talked about the factor of cool.”
Thomas also believed the album embodied elements of the sixties. “There’s a simplicity in some of the lyrics. I was playing with psychedelic elements with R&B. It’s definitely inspired by a place in that ’60s realm. It was cool to mix that in with the producer I was working with.”
Thomas believes no matter what he does, it’s always rooted in vivid storytelling. “I’m telling stories when I act, sing, write, and produce.”
Musically, sometimes that storytelling factor comes easier when working and producing for other artists. “Writing for other artists, you kind of get to play therapist. You’re like ‘Tell me all your problems’ and you’re pushing them to be more vulnerable.”
But for writing for himself, it can be more uncomfortable. “I really have to dig deep and find some of those uncomfortable moments to talk about, that I maybe wouldn’t say on a first date, that I’m now going to have to sing for the entire world.”
Now signed to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records, a subsidiary of Motown Records, Thomas will soon embark on the upcoming More Motion Less Emotion tour. The most important thing for him right now is to gain new fans with engagement. “I want it to be intimate in a way. I’m not going to have all the bells and whistles because I want them to understand what the songs mean to me.”
The timing of this album meant a lot to him, too. The project’s timing was more based on the label’s needs, rather than the choice of Thomas himself, who had these songs written for two years. “After working on Certified Loverboy, it was momentous, where I knew there were going to be a lot of eyes on me. It was the Drake effect that every time someone works with Drake, everyone wants to work with you.”
As for working with other artists, Thomas would love to have Ariana on one of his projects again. “She was on one of my first projects, Metro Hearts, and we recorded a Drake cover. I just feel like that would be really cool because it’s interesting how things can progress.”
Ultimately, Thomas wants this to be an exchange of energy, what he believes music is. “I want people to better understand me. “It’s easy to make assumptions about me, but I spell out the range of emotions I go through during this album. It’s a nuanced conversation, but at the end of the centrepiece is understanding me better.”
Now centre stage, after being behind the scenes in the game for so long. You can catch Leon Thomas on the More Motion Less Emotion Tour, alongside Ty Dolla $ign this fall. Listen to Electric Dusk wherever you get your music.
Moonbow Magazine 