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At age 20, Lelia has seemingly had a lifetime career in the music industry. From her early beginnings at age 14, writing and recording her first song Secrets (from the EP "Louisiana Soul") which was picked up by the popular Joan of Arcadia CBS television show, along with the famed college radio station WXPN in Philadelphia to her soon to be, third independently released record, "Waiting on the 9", Lelia has proven to be all these things. Her career has been one of a constantly evolving cottage industry for herself, built upon a determined work ethic and belief that the fans and her connection to them are what matters most. With over 100,000 fans across her Myspace pages (she has a few of them) and a growing Youtube popularity (millions of views on her videos) Lelia has been very consistent about where she believes the heart of her music career is, her relationship with her fans.

She has toured extensively across the US as an independent artist on the TGIF tour, her new EP has already been picked up for distribution in Japan, and her music has been featured in several television shows and movies, yet the one thing that remains is her consistent grass roots efforts to reach her fans and keeping true to her own sound. From "Rise", the title track off of her second CD, Lelia writes, "You should play more pop, more rock, more R&B", Lelia says that song (picked up in 2006 by The Hills) is sort of an anthem to her music career."I have had people tell me over and over what I should be doing..and it changes every single year according to "what's hot right now" I'd rather be the one making the trends than be the 100th person in line to follow them. So, instead I have declined a few deals, that may have gotten me to the top sooner rather than later, but would have compromised my artistic integrity, and that's one thing I will never give up.

Her new record "Waiting on the 9" came about after Lelia moved out to LA and decided that she would choose to be the executive producer of the new project by financing it herself rather than give up creative control or the rights to her music. Working with a new band and producer, Dave Trumfio, (Wilco and My Morning Jacket) the group was able to come out with a record that finally reflects Lelia's fantastic live sound. Lelia has always shown the ability to swing from different styles and genres and Waiting on the 9 is no different. "Music is about passion and life, and life is more than one dimension, and so what I write reflects that, I hope.", says Lelia.

Waiting on the 9 is heavily influenced by the Motown sound, but with a fresh new perspective. Nothing illustrates that better than the title track to the EP. "The song Waiting on the 9 is about people waiting on their lives to start, and living in the past..I thought it would be a cool thing to tie that idea to the 9 train in New York which stopped running about five years back."

Everywhere I go I see you in the shadows Just like a ghost in and out of my dreams You live in the lost abandoned stations in my mind So hard to find

"Don't Let Go" has proven to be an instant hit with over one million Youtube views and is also a fan favorite at her shows. "Youtube is a new place for me to connect with fans, and I was blown away by what happened to "Dont Let Go". People started passing it around to their friends, and posting it all over and then some pretty influential bloggers got ahold of it, actually all over the world, and it went completely viral and is still going strong. I am going to release an acoustic version of it because of all the requests for it."

So where to now? "I am releasing the record independenttly on iTunes in January, doing a month long residency/party at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and then I plan to hit the road for the better part of 2009, and since my record is already in all the Tower Records in Japan, I am really hoping to tour in Japan as well, that would be amazing! I would love to be out on a major tour and get the exposure a major label brings, but it certainly needs to be the right situation. I've worked really hard at releasing music that I believe in and that I know my fans will love and respect, and that has to be at the top of the list with any deal I may do."

Lelia Broussard's Friend Space (Top 24)