Tennessee-based diaristic lyricist, Leanna Firestone just released “Reincarnation,” which is the focus track of her latest album Public Displays of Affection. With a dazzling vocal performance, Leanna reflects on a past relationship and her path to healing. We had the pleasure of interviewing Leanna Firestone, and here’s what she had to say:
Q: While listening to “Reincarnation,” I really enjoyed the melodic structure! Can you walk me through the writing and production process for this song?
FIRESTONE: I was in the first and only writing session I’ve ever done with Nick Lopez and Adam Boukis. This was the first time we’d ever met and I was trying to figure out what “Public Displays of Affection” would eventually become. I had already written “You Just Didn’t Like Me That Much,” “God and the Government,” and “Right Person Right Time,” but I was missing the middle. I told the guys that I had wanted to structure the EP narratively, which means that I would be coming from the perspective of having just been broken up with. From there Nick and Adam played mock therapists and asked me about all the juicy details of my last relationship or rather the lack of it. After revealing how anxious and discouraged I was about love, and loving again, we wrote Reincarnation with Adam producing, Nick top lining, and me writing lyrics. It’s based on actual advice my mom gave during my first heartbreak.
Q: How do you hope listeners respond to this song?
FIRESTONE: I hope that listeners are reminded of their own resilience. Getting over someone always feels impossible until one day it doesn’t seem so hard anymore. To quote the song “I’ve found out, that I’ll find it again” and I think the listener will too.
Q: I love the vocal range of this song! What vocal routine did you follow before/while recording “Reincarnation”?
FIRESTONE: I do vocal warmups to the Jacobs Academy account on Spotify. My favorites are the 10 and 15-minute ones, and I do one of those every time I record or perform.
Q: What first got you into music?
FIRESTONE: I got into music because I was a fan of it. Ever since I was a kid, I loved the way it felt to sing along to songs in the car and feel like the artist really understood what I was going through, and I wanted to be able to give that same feeling to others.
Q: What would you say is the best advice you’ve been given since you decided to pursue this career path?
FIRESTONE: The best advice that I’ve been given is “be your own biggest advocate”. I tend to self-depreciate and talk down about my music and myself as a means to lower others’ expectations of me. I once did this in a meeting with a major label and they got on me about how if I don’t believe I’m good enough to do this- other people won’t either. So ever since I never talk my music down, I only say what I love about my songs and my performances.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to your supporters?
FIRESTONE: Thank you for helping me live my biggest dream. This was everything I ever wanted
Interviewed by Zoey King
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