Jordan Leech

Winnipeg is just as famous for its music as it is for its cold.

But if you walk down its flyer papered streets, and poke your head inside its beer soaked venues, you’ll quickly realize that the ‘Peg likes to rock—hard.

Yes, the city’s noise traditionally tends to come from a stack of amplifiers, but Jordan Leech, a young musician from Brandon MB, is working to show that even the most hardened music scene can have a deliciously soft side.

“Not everyone wants to go see a rock band,” Leech says. “I’m trying to bring a new sound, and create something for an audience that wants something new.”

A lofty goal for a 19-year-old, but Leech is already working hard honing his musical chops and gearing up to put his own personal stamp on pop music. Teaming up with Juno-award winning Winnipeg producer Brandon Friesen (The Harlots, Lives of Many), the ex-musical theatre buff has already created his first full-length self-titled album—and the result sounds anything but novice.

Leech’s impressive pipes are well beyond his years, and are prettily put into place by soaring piano riffs and unexpected electronics. The result is a gorgeously atmospheric record that manages to be sonically interesting while maintaining a catchy pop sensibility. It’s sweetheart indie pop at its most endearing.

His band is equally impressive. Zack Antel from the highly acclaimed electro-rock quartet Tele lends his keyboard prowess to the project, doubling as musical director for the project. Seasoned ‘Peg players such as Ariel Posen (Trouveres), Ryan Voth and David Landreth also strut their stuff on the 10-song record.

With a voice as strong and a band as masterful as Leech’s, even the most discriminating scenester will have the pants charmed right off them. There’s no doubt that this fledgling artist is poised to take flight—even if he doesn’t happen to play a Gibson.