[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Being the busy chap he is, Leicester-born 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist Leo Stannard has not long unveiled new single ‘In My Blood’, his first offering since the ‘Free Rein EP’ released earlier this year and the follow up to collaborations with Black Butter label mates Kidnap Kid and Kant. He’s also been working on an album, and has a fortnight-long October tour coming up that includes a stop London’s Oslo. Time to get to know him better, then.
Hello Leo Stannard. How are you, and what are we interrupting?
Hello! I’m doing really well, I’ve just been rehearsing for a festival in Amsterdam so that’s exciting.
You’ve said your new single ‘In My Blood’ is the first proper taster of your album – how close are you to finishing it now?
Pretty close I think, but it’s hard for me to put a cap on it because I’m writing all the time and that means there’s so much new material to consider. I’m hoping it’ll be done in the next couple of months.
How long have you been working on the album? Is there anything you can tell us about it?
I suppose I’ve been working on it for most of my musical life so far! I’ve been planning it for so long so it’s amazing to now have the resources to actually do it. I can tell you that it’s going to be a proper album, not just a random collection of songs. I can’t wait for people to hear it.
What do you think makes a great album?
Great songs! That’s an obvious one, but it needs real shape and flow as well. Going through lots of different moods and taking you on a real journey.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Your newer material is quite different from your earlier, more acoustic work – are you going to continue in this vein?
Some songs will be more like that but also on the album there will be acoustic tracks. They won’t be exactly like the ones I did back when I was 16/17 because I think I’ve evolved a lot as an artist. So there will be a real blend of everything I do.
Do you come from a musical family? What prompted you to start performing?
Not really. My mum sang a bit when she was younger but that was about it. I remember begging my mum to get me a guitar which was on sale at my school for £10 when I was 9 years old, and as soon as I got it I didn’t really put it down. Then started writing songs about a year after that so this is something I’ve always done.
What’s been the highlight of your time as a musician so far?
Going on my first little headline European tour was incredible. I thought that nobody would turn up to the shows but every night, lots of people were there so that was a pretty humbling experience.
What do you do for fun?
Music consumes most of my life at the moment but I love playing football and pretty much any sport actually. But the most fun thing for me to do is play shows, I absolutely love it.
What’s the most exciting thing you have planned for over the next few months?
Headlining a festival in Amsterdam is going to be incredible. I love going to festivals so I’m really excited about this. Also, Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities.
Anything else we should know?
You should listen to Michael Kiwanuka’s new album, it’s seriously good.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1471596999521{margin-right: 15px !important;margin-left: 15px !important;border-top-width: 10px !important;border-right-width: 10px !important;border-bottom-width: 10px !important;border-left-width: 10px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;border-left-color: #1e73be !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #1e73be !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #1e73be !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #1e73be !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;}”]
Factfile
How long have you been making music:
I’ve been writing songs since I was 10 years old, and playing guitar since I was 9 – so quite a while!
Where are you from:
A really small village near Leicester called Ragdale.
What musical pigeon-hole can we shoehorn you into:
I suppose I’m a singer songwriter but not in the really traditional sense. I want each song on my album to be able to fit into various genres but all feel as one solid record.
Which track of yours should we embed in the space below:
‘In My Blood.’ The acoustic version of my latest single has got a very nice mellow atmosphere about it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA9iCmGPAtU” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]