Leah Smith is a neo-soul singer and former member of Grammy-winning
What happens when you blend soul, pop, gospel, and folk together? How do you contain
the youthfulness of today's generation and the legitimacy of yesterday's legacy in one
place? How do you describe the ability to combine feel good music with thought
provoking, culture-challenging lyrics? When does the authenticity of Philly's streets meet
the tranquil sounds of a careless waterfront haven? It all occurs when you take one listen
to Leah Smith. Her sound is one that transcends genres, race, and time, reaching music
lovers of all ages. Leah Smith brings back the charismatic charm that good music once
possessed.
20-year-old singer/songwriter/musician Leah Smith has a message to get across and does
so via various musical stylings. From acoustic melodies, to heavy hitting beats, orchestral
compositions to the stripped down, unplugged sound of a sole piano and vocalist, Leah
delivers it all. Her voice effortlessly transitions in and out of high octaves, and her music
moves from ballads to hip-hop inspired, upbeat tempos with ease.
Leah Smith has always been musically inclined. Hailing from the streets of North
lifetime let alone within the first twenty years of their lives. Smith gave her first vocal
solo at the age of 4 and at the age of 9, began singing with the
Program for Gifted Young Musicians. She began recording with the
group Sandtown before she was even in a double digit age category, began writing songs
at age 11, and attended
High School. Leah has already toured the
has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning artists such as Aretha Franklin, Alicia
Keys, and
and worked with them for a year and a half. While touring with the group she began
performing the title track to her new EP entitled "Beautifully Made" which she wrote
while still in high school. Audiences from all over the nation and the world were
immediately drawn to the song. In the words of Israel Houghton, "Leah is already a
legend at the age of 18 years old."
The eclectic songstress has a long and varied list of favorite singers, songwriters, and
producers ranging from Tommy Sims, Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, and Shane and
Shane to artists like Joni Mitchell, Amel Larrieux, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Alicia
Keys, Donnie, Brooke Fraser, Chris Rice, The Police, Lisa McClendon, Kirk
DC Talk, India Arie, Musiq Soulchild, and the list goes on. Leah finds her inspiration not
only from these artistic greats but also from a compelling desire she has within to
counteract the negative messages that today's popular music portrays. In her own words
Leah says, "I want a life-giving message of truth to be presented to people. I see deficit
and degradation and want to respond! Having a lot of money, or having fame,
possessions, the right friends, a great lover, a high level of achievement or success has
never made one single person in all of history truly satisfied. No one has ever had
continuous and prolonged joy and satisfaction in any of these things. It's not reality. Yet
we turn on our radios, our TVs, and the Internet, and this nonsense is what is pumped
forever into our hearts. Artists bragging about their stuff, artists flaunting their bodies,
and more-than-subtly encouraging the audience to buy into parading their sexuality to
experience true joy and freedom. It's all lies and emptiness. Artists taking pride in what
they assume to be their success but what is in God's eyes foolishness. This is what
inspires me to do my music and to spread the message of truth to all people."
But don't mistake her commitment to changing the status quo as a disconnect from
reality. Leah Smith has the ability to bring together people from all walks of life and sees
her music as a uniting tool. Her lyrics express God's love for all people. She feels a
strong connection to young women and desires to address issues of self-image in her
songs. Additionally, Leah has a passion for spreading the message of her music to global
audiences. Leah is currently working on the Beautifully Made EP, which will be released
September 8. The greatest message that Smith hopes to convey through her music to all
audiences is that "real, living hope is accessible to all."
Leah Smith has been compared to artists such as Mariah Carey, India Arie, Beyonce, and
Alicia Keys, but Leah has a sound all her own. So what do you get when you blend soul,
pop, gospel, and folk music together? In the words of Leah Smith you get "SoGoPopFo
Fusion." What exactly is that you may ask? Well you have to listen to Leah's music to
find out, because right now it's a genre of music that is all her own.
Leah Smith was featured on our True Love Waits program which aired on December 20, 2009.