Singer/songwriter, pop and classic rock with a little jazz and blues. Dynamic vocals & meaningful lyrics. "[Janeen] Leah could carry the torch for a new generation for female singers." Bob Leggett -Music Connection. "Best Album of 2005." -AntiMusic.com
Influences
Jeff Buckley, Sarah McLachlan, Cocteau Twins, Ella Fitzgerald, Depeche Mode, Tori Amos, Heart, The Cranberries, Delerium, Pilgrimage, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Massive Attack, Bjork, Jellyfish, The Grays, Jimi Hendrix, Garbage, Fiona Apple, Sunny Day Real Estate, The Pretenders, Harry Connick Jr., Billie Holliday, Led Zepplin, Portishead, Lenny Kravitz, Chris Cornell, The Sundays, Concrete Blonde..... Recently: Jamie Cullum, Gavin Degraw, India Arie, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Emillianna Torrini, Goldfrapp....
Sounds Like
When I was a kid, I wanted to sound like Anne Wilson from Heart. My vocals can be funky, bluesy, jazzy and I can belt it out when I want to rock! I would probably be lumped in with all the other solo female artists like: Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones, Chantal Kreviazuk, Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, KT Tunstall, Natasha Bedingfield....
Create Your Own
Janeen Leah - 'Fallen' Live at Karma
Janeen Leah performing live at Karma Coffeehouse in Hollywood, CA
My story so far…
I grew up in Aurora, Colorado with 3 older sisters….all singing and getting on each other’s nerves. I saved my babysitting money and bought my first guitar when I was 14 and began to put my half-crazed, pre-pubescent poetry to music. With the support of great parents and a desperate desire to get far away…I moved out to Los Angeles when I was 18. Thinking I was going to take on the world, I quickly was slapped in the face with the reality that I was in the real world…but, I got over it and continued to take on the world…most humbly of course.
I began school at Musicians Institute in Hollywood in the fall of 1999 and I was married that following March to my soul mate (seriously)…I was 19. He’s also a musician, but we didn’t meet at Musicians Institute, we met at church. We were dirt poor and we lived with his parents for the first 8 months of our marriage while he worked and I went to school.
I loved going to MI, it was a great experience where I met a lot of wonderful people. I was privileged to record an EP with extremely gifted musicians who were all attending the school….a most memorable time. I ended up leaving MI though, just after attending only a year and a semester….it was expensive and again, we were dirt poor. We moved out to Utah, so that my husband could finish up his degree at BYU (a degree that he started before he moved out to LA to be a rock star and met me) thinking it was the most grown up and mature thing to do, for him to have a degree and get a job…so we didn’t have to be so poor anymore. Well, of course we were still very poor the whole time he was in school and we had our first child there in 2001.
After he graduated we made the long awaited and anticipated move back to LA, when our baby boy was 5 months old. We got a cozy apartment in Burbank, CA….where I was fortunate enough to meet Robin and Keven Brennan among other wonderful friends and music connections. I met Tushar Parte online (he’s in India)…he contacted me interested in writing and recording a song together…I heard some of his work and was impressed and I’ve always loved Indian music, so I was thrilled! He sent me the tracks that he recorded on his end and I had to find a way to record my vocals on my end. Fate brought me to Aaron Walk, who at the time was an intern at West Lake Audio….we recorded a few songs together including the song from Tushar in India ‘Wine of Consciousness’….and when Aaron had to move on to bigger things….fortunately for me Robin and Keven were there to help me turn those few songs into more songs and make an album….my debut album ‘Time is Never Wasted’ in 2005. It was so magical how it all came together, it was fate.
2006 was a crazy year that brought me much unexpected pain and spiritual growth….all in that year…my sister divorced her husband, my other sister separated from her husband (both of these brother-in-laws, I considered my brothers), I suddenly stopped hearing from my best friend (childhood friends – to this day it’s still a mystery), my parents separated and my son was diagnosed with autism. I had many pity parties that year….my life was mostly blissful in comparison to that point, so it was very jarring. I wrote more songs that year than ever in my life. And also in 2006, I was approached by Mr. Black for his collaboration project, 'Apples of Eve'...a compilation of female artists with Mr. Black....our song is called 'Return To Catastrophe'.
I loved working with Keven on ‘Time is Never Wasted’ and he later decided that he wanted to record a couple songs together for him to produce….of course I jumped at the chance and the songs ‘Rainy Day’ and ‘Calloused Heart’ were recorded when I was 4 months pregnant with twins, those two songs and those two babies were born in 2007.
In August of 2008, I left my babies with Dad, Grandma and Grandpa for 2 ½ weeks to go to India and record an entire album with Tushar Parte. It still feels like a dream that I was there, I’ve never gone anywhere outside of the US and I went to the complete opposite side of the planet! I loved it. I loved the people, the culture, the food and the over-all experience of being there and recording an amazing album with a group of some of the most gifted musicians I have ever met! We recorded live in the studio, it was magic. I didn’t love, the smell of the streets, the crazy driving, and the toilets….but I got over it because everything else was so amazing. The hardest thing was seeing the half-naked children begging and sleeping on the streets….I felt so helpless and I missed my own children terribly and when I came home my babies didn’t remember me for a day… so that was so hard….but I grew and it opened my eyes to many things. I’d jump at the chance to visit India again. This album has yet to be released, they are working hard on post production right now. I’m trying really hard to be patient, but I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!!!
So, that brings us up to the present day (summer 2009)….I’ve just been signed to indie label f.Boo headed by Robin and Keven Brennan. I’m so excited!!!!!!! We are in pre-production right now for our first album together….the plan is to release it this fall. Keven Brennan and Nate Wood will produce it and they are both brilliant, so I can’t wait to get this rollin’.
Sorry this was so long, but what can I say…life is good!
Well, that’s the story of my life so far. To be continued….
Amoeba Music - 6400 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA. (website)
Backside Records - 139 N. San Fernando Blvd. Burbank, CA. (website)
Melodic Revolution - 34 College Street. Clinton, NY. (website)
Music Town - 17034 Stuebner Airline. Klein, TX
SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MY MUSIC! I am an independent artist, if you like what you hear, please support! Here's some simple ways of how you can:
- Add me as a friend and put me in your top 8!
- Add one of my songs to your page by selecting the song you want in the player and click add!
- Email your address to burke@janeenleah.com if you want to promote offline. Flyers will be sent to you to hand out to friends and family!
- Please feel free to add any of my banners to your site and link it to JaneenLeah.com or MySpace.com/JaneenLeah
THANK YOU!!
Hi Jannen, I'm singer and songwriter brazilian It's a pleasure to meet you here! All the best for you Thanks for the add!! Cheers Celso Galvão Ola tudo bem??? sou um cantor e compositor brasileiro é um prazer conhece-la obrigado por me add saúde e sucesso!!! Celso Galvão
Hey! Pete Hopkins here. I have written a tribute song for the one and only Michael Jackson and I put it up on my myspace today. "Mr Jackson"
also check out this video montage created by a fan to accompany it http://bit.ly/40PdpU -thank you @yourockradio (follow him on twitter) -its very moving
Hey whats up its your boys from EdstanleY we need your help were trying to get our song "Drop your weapons" played on UCLA RADIO we need you to call in this sunday (Between 8 and 8:30 Pacific time) and request it for us the number is 310-825-9999 and listen in at www.uclaradio.com we would appreciate it if you could thanks
www.loopapparel.com/store/category/women www.loopapparel.com/store/category/men NEW TSHIRTS WENT LIVE TODAY! Check them out if you have a sec. I hope you dig em'... let me know. Thanks for all the support!! Dave www.davetamkin.com www.twitter.com/davetamkin www.facebook.com/davetamkin
what are you doing thurs july 9th If your 21 you and your friends should come check out EdstanleY they have a show at the Blue Cafe in Huntington Beach Ca They're a 3 piece band Scott Gripe does guitar/vocals Justin Brescia is on drums and Dave Reese is on bass you would love the show it will be a blast , If you choose to come, email me your guestlist @ jvarnado@tmo.blackberry.n et so i can put you and your friends on the list, hope to hear from you
The address is 17208 Pacific Coast Hwy Huntington Beach, California 92649
THEY GO ON AT 10PM !!! SHOULD ARRIVE AT 9PM please mention EdstanleY at the door myspace.com/edstanleypromo
Just wanted to let you know I have posted a blog in which fans can leave their condolences for Michael's family. I will be printing them out and forwarding them to the family within the next few days.
Please visit http://www.thetreesite.com and tell me what you would like to see on my site. Also you can email me at thetree@thetreesite.com. If you can help me make it better by Dreamweaver or just some cool CSS or HTML let me know. Have a great day! Thanks!
WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY S.MACKAY-SMITH (FOOTAGE USED BY KIND PERMISSION, WWW.SMACKAYSMITH.COM). STARRING PILAR ALVAREZ (WWW.PLANETPILI.COM). "YOU CAN'T MAKE A SOUND (ORIGINAL MIX)" WRITTEN BY GIANLUCA LICCIARDI. PERFORMED BY SCHLOCK!. TAKEN FROM THE FORTHCOMING "GREATEST sHIT VOL. 1 (1978-2009)". (C) 2009 MODE2 RECORDINGS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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