Austin Hartley-Leonard
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Austin Hartley-Leonard

| INDIE

| INDIE
Band Americana Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"LA Show Pick"

Given the onslaught of over produced country pop, it’s refreshing to hear Austin Hartley-Leonard’s soulful country-folk sounds: smooth without being glossy, charged with emotion without coming across as contrived. Country can be a dangerous word to throw around, but this music is sure to appeal to hipsters and high school girls as well as cowboys. - La Weekly Scene


"Record Review"

Austin Hartley-Leonard’s gruff yet controlled singing voice is certainly commercial, resembling maybe a country folk Nick Drake... He seems to be a more affecting balladeer than a honky-tonker, but in cutty moments like “Sunday Morning,” the man plays it cool and insensitive as he hums “I love you baby, but who’s your friend.” Over smoothed-out Buddy Holly Frames and Red - Far West Magazine


Discography

"Drifting" EP (2006)
"Franklin Ave" (2008)

Photos

Bio

Austin Hartley-Leonard began as a solo singer/songwriter in Austin, TX. His first demo earned him an invitation to the SXSW Music Festival. Soon after, he started looking for other musicians to round out the band, and the group St. James Inc was born. The band went on to see success in the Austin music scene and was invited to perform at the Austin City Limits Festival..

After releasing the “8 Hours” EP in 2006, St. James Inc performed at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago and then relocated to Los Angeles, where they continued to see great success. You can hear their tunes in the film “Moving McAllister” and the hit show “Men In Trees” on ABC.

After meeting producer Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, Tim Myers, AM) in Los Angeles, the two began work on Austin’s debut solo record “Franklin Ave” in December 2007. With Mother West labelmates The Bowmans adding a sprinkling of harmonies, Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, Tift Merritt) on pedal steel and guitar, Carrie Rodriguez on fiddle, Matt Ramsey on guitar and vocals, and members of Brian Wright’s Waco Tragedies as the backing band. Recording was finished at Mother West NYC in March 2008. Austin played 5 shows at SXSW 2009 including a slot on The Hotel Cafe Showcase night.

Austin has recently written songs that have been used in a Troy Bilt lawnmower ad and an upcoming episode of The Ghost Whisperer, as well as the song " Heart Attack" from Franklin Ave being used in the new Steve Buscemi film Handsome Harry.

You can catch Austin every month at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, and other venues around southern California. He just returned from a 6 week US tour with stops in Texas, New York, Nashville, Chicago, and Seattle. He is currently in the studio working on some new music to be released next year, as well as an upcoming 2 week tour of the southern and southwestern US in December.