These days really true talent is certainly spread pretty thin on the ground. Especially in this multi media, celebrity obsessed driven age, where we watch yesterdays strangers turned into flavour of the month type pop stars as quick as the flick of a mobile phone text message. Yet, unfazed by any hype or trends, Leanne Harte is a totally different story. A welcome flame of light at the end of a very soulless tunnel, this young Irish rock artist remains adamant to develop her art in the old fashioned way.
It all began when Leanne was only a child, dwarfed by her nylon string Spanish guitar, always entertaining family and friends, strumming away and singing to her hearts content as though the stringed instrument was a part of her. Even then, an early sign of a talent emerging was evident and in no time, Leanne had penned and demoed her first batch of original songs and performed live on national radio.
By her mid teens this young budding musician had formed her first band, acquired a rock manager, signed an independent record deal, clinched her first electric guitar endorsement, performed live on television, and teamed up with a producer and engineer who had worked with the biggest names in Irish Rock and released her critically acclaimed debut EP.
As a live performer Leanne Harte is ecstatic, electrifying and a pleasure to watch on stage as she passionately leaves her audiences with an experience few will ever forget.
Not about to disappoint her ever growing fan base and still in her teens, the young troubadour headed off for the mountains of picturesque Wales to a remote farmhouse, the location of an old analogue studio built in the seventies. Once there, Leanne was furnished with a collection of electric guitars, some vintage valve amps, a twelve string, a lap steel slide, an acoustic guitar,
Spanish guitar, a mandolin, some funky guitar pedals and a box of harmonicas.
For good measure, throw in the best rock guitar producer in the world, add the most respected bass & drum rock rhythm section in the UK. Leave them there for a whole week with little more distraction, apart from a few cows, some sheep, a badly in need of repair pool table, a very limited collection of DVD’s and the odd low flying RAF fighter jet.
The result is phenomenal. Her eponymous titled debut album “Leanne Harte” offers the listener a beautifully crafted selection of original songs showcasing Leanne’s talent as a singer, songwriter, story teller, and a competent musician who plays with a heartfelt passion. This first offering is full of catchy melodies, smart lyrics, punchy rhythms, complimented by Leanne’s tasty lead guitar solos, and although the album is as diverse as Leanne’s many influences, the young artists very own sound and style constantly shines throughout.
Leanne is a punk, she’s a folkie, a rocker, she’s a blues lady, a country gal, she’s retro, she’s contemporary, she’s alternative.
Could this be just the beginning of a long musical career? Are we watching the early stages of true virtuosity? Is this a real living legend in the making? When confronted, the somewhat shy unassuming, reluctant young rock star just smiles…and lets her music do the talking.