Leiana

Leiana To Release Debut Single “All Over”



PHILADELPHIA, PA – Rock singer-songwriter Leiana unleashes her bold, seductive sound on “All Over” – the first single off of her debut EP.
With its dreamy guitar riffs and a haunting bassline, “All Over” brings Leiana’s darkest memories to the surface once again. This single is a gut-wrenching recollection of sexual molestion. As the melody builds, Leiana speaks out to the molester, the victimized child, and finally to the grown woman – the survivor.
“All Over” is a powerfully edgy song that goes beyond alternative music convention. For fans of the hard rock and punk (Deftones, Garbage) this song has the potential to be the anthem for struggling teenagers afraid to speak their mind. Legendary Chuck Treece (Bad Brains, Urge Overkill, The Goats, Billy Joel) collaborated with Leiana on the track.
With a beautiful transition from chorus to bridge this song also has the pop sensibility to appeal to the masses. The hook of the song lifts you out of the past and back into a world of healing and empowerment. The message is a positive one to anyone who may have had a similar childhood to Leiana’s: “It’s all over now.”
“All Over” is expected to hit independent radio stations this fall.
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Leiana To Release Debut 4 Song EP



PHILADELPHIA, PA – In an era of male-dominated rock and roll, female singer-songwriter Leiana twists the conventions of alternative rock. On her debut 4-song EP, Leiana’s brings forth of a sense of vulnerability that makes her music shine. She has truly created a new breed of rock music.
With Leiana, lyrics are the key. Her songs are raw with truth and her words are powerfully simple. Leiana delves into worlds of abuse, misunderstood love, and loss. The theme of the music is dark but the woman behind the music is speaking out of survival.
Each of the EP’s four tracks is fresh and strong and distinct in musical style. “Surfy Punky Jaunt” is a surf song gone wild sure to make a listener pogo around as drums flail and Leiana sings in bursts of energy; “Miss You” mixes verses of melancholy guitar distortion with a clean, pulsating chorus while “Follow Blind” is fast-paced and in-your-face with its rhythmic drive.
Leiana’s first single “All Over” is a powerfully edgy song that goes beyond alternative music convention. For fans of hard rock and punk (Deftones, Garbage) this song has the potential to be the anthem for struggling teenagers afraid to speak their mind. Legendary Chuck Treece (Bad Brains, Urge Overkill, The Goats, Billy Joel) collaborated with Leiana on the track.
Leiana’s debut EP is available now.
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By: Talon Karrde
Growing up in suburban Philadelphia, Leiana used music to escape the pain of her life. Throughout her troubled childhood and bouts with depression, music helped Leiana make it through, “It felt like music was all I had growing up. It understood me, and kept me alive one day more. Music is all I ever wanted to do.”

As she got older, her interest in music grew. Leiana learned how to play piano and drums in high school. In college, she turned to singing. After graduating from an Ivy League college, Leiana traveled to Los Angeles and began singing with a metal band. But an unfortunate injury put her dreams on hold.

It was back to Philadelphia for Leiana, where she met Chuck Treece, renowned for his work with Bad Brains, Urge Overkill, The Goats, and Billy Joel. They began working on lyrics together, using just an acoustic guitar and a drum machine. In addition, Owen Brown, best known for his work with Mary J. Blige and Lil Kim, offered Leiana assistance with her vocals.

The result was the five-track self-titled EP I found myself rocking. Leiana’s strong, gritty voice is perfectly suited for the rock genre. The music is hard-core rock – guitars and drums that jam! I can easily see these tracks being used as background music in action movies or TV action hero fight scenes.

The best song on the CD is a perfect example of the use of simplistic, yet hard-hitting lyrics. All Over is a song that contains a powerful message. It can quite possibly become the next teenage anthem, which as Leiana describes are Hiding inside the shadows…wasting. The song tells a tale of fear and pain suffered upon the innocent by those they trust. Most poignant were the spoken messages from anonymous victims at the end of the song. They’d strike a chord in the hardest of hearts.

"Through everything music is the one thing I felt I always had. No one could take away that song that plays in your head,” says Leiana. Amen to that! Leiana is one singer that I can definitely see going far in the music industry. Definitely a rising star!

Send your comments and or questions about this article to wildkarrde3@hotmail.com.
- YBFREE.com: An Alternative Entertainment E-Zine

Leiana
Page
5 stars
Leiana fucking rocks. All at once kickass, smart, and sexy, Page is an insightful blend of the best of ambient and serious punk. Listening to Page, one hears influence of the absolute greats in punk rock and new
wave, but Leiana is very much their own artist, every song totally original and intelligent. Chuck Treece, the mastermind behind Leiana's compelling sound, is a seasoned veteran of music industry and clearly one
of the business's fringe geniuses. See Leiana. Go to their website. Give them a shot. They won't waste your time.
Independent Release
www.leiana.com - Origivation Magazine

By Mark Kirby,
No, that's not the name of rock singer extraordinaire Leiana's newest CD, but it could be - with no apologies to 50 Cent, who could learn a few things about lyrics, power and pain from this lady. This will come as a shock to those who think that someone blond and beautiful has it made and that a brother from the ghetto who got all shot up has a corner on the harshness of low level life and survival, a/k/a "keepin' it real."
Ever see the move "Ordinary People?" Madness, pain and death spare no one; they do not respect city limits. No wonder hip hop sells the most in the artificial hinterlands of Mallville, USA. From that manicured hell comes Leiana. Her music, like the punky predecessors that were her solace and influence as a kid, speaks of this world and with more craft, passion and imagination than most.
What was your early musical life like? What did you listen to growing up?
"My early musical life was pretty white bread - the Carpenters, Captain and Tennille, Anne Murray - until my father joined the Columbia Music Club. I picked out Blondie Eat to the Beat, probably because I liked the way it looked. I had an older brother who was also a saving grace and made me put my allowance into an eight-track tape of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper, which cost a lot because it was a double album. He would always talk me in to buying things. But they turned out to be pretty cool, like Elvis Costello's My Aim is True etc."
When did you decide that music would be your main pursuit?
"I remember drawing pictures of me and my friend singing when I was a toddler. I would put on performances early on-and then as I got older it got to be more difficult as the depression set in."
What is music to you? Why go through all the hardship and frustration when your looks and brains could take you down the path of least resistance?
"Wow. That's an interesting question. Music is something that should have meaning. It should bring something to the table. By the path of least resistance I think you mean why didn't I just let someone mold me into a pop star? Much of my teenage life was spent living off of music. The words got you through. The hardship and frustration are worth it if you don't have to sing crap or be a puppet."
When did you first start to play? What were your first bands like?
"I started the guitar at 12, piano at 15, and drums a little later. But at one time or another I stopped all of them. I really wanted to sing but could not let myself do it. It wasn't until I was 19 that I could actually sing in front of another human. I had issues. My first gig was standing in with a cover band and doing Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane covers when I went to Penn. From there I moved to LA to go to Musicians Institute. My band there was heavier."
The fact that she works with vocal coach Katie Agresta (Cyndi Lauper, Anne Lennox, Bon Jovi) shows that Leiana is focused on the craft and technique of music. The songs on the CD are tight and focused nonfat little ditties. They are well played and well sung. I hate to burst bubbles, but the Beatles, to name one group, paid dues and learned their shit about singing technique and chords and all that. The innocence of punk is dead, purely a front for the mediocre. When you can't or won't be in the position to be molded and backed by the corporate music machine then the only things you have going for you are talent, inspiration, and hard work.
What are your influences?
"I listen to a lot of stuff, so I have a ton of influences. I like the underdogs, the ones that no one else may know. I am a huge Hazel O'Connor fan. I have a napkin that she signed for me framed on my desk. Penelope Houston (singer/founder of The Avengers) of course. Nina Hagen. The Pretenders. Poly Styrene (circa 1978 fifteen year old warbler of the brilliant X-Ray Specs) wrote some of the best lyrics ever. I like strong women.
"I also like late 70's punk, especially British. I like the Ruts a lot and I like the hardcore that was around when I grew up in Southern California - Black Flag, Social Distortion. These bands spoke to me. And as time went on and pop music got more and more horrible, I would dive deeper into a particular scene from days past."
The first cuts on the CD, "Surfy Punky Joint" and "Follow Blind," remind this old timer of music heard on the radio when house painting in San Francisco. The local rock station played the Pretenders, the original riot girls, Frightwig, and the Avengers. These women had punk rock energy, but also a tunefulness and bitchy sweetness that blended with the power of their spiky groove.
On Leiana's CD, this is provided by all-instrumentalist Chuck Treece's searing, lush guitar, phat drums and rock solid bass. That's what makes these songs slay - dynamics ala Chrissie Hynde, and the Avengers' edgy, buzz saw attack, over which ride her strident vocals: "Made a fool again/leave me alone/do me a favor/go get someone/ reasons i can't find/you keep wasting t - M2N

An Alternative Entertainment E-Zine
©2002
Formerly BANDWIDTH: A Popular Culture E-Zine


By: Talon Karrde

Growing up in suburban Philadelphia, Leiana used music to escape the pain of her life. Throughout her troubled childhood and bouts with depression, music helped Leiana make it through, “It felt like music was all I had growing up. It understood me, and kept me alive one day more. Music is all I ever wanted to do.”

As she got older, her interest in music grew. Leiana learned how to play piano and drums in high school. In college, she turned to singing. After graduating from an Ivy League college, Leiana traveled to Los Angeles and began singing with a metal band. But an unfortunate injury put her dreams on hold.

It was back to Philadelphia for Leiana, where she met Chuck Treece, renowned for his work with Bad Brains, Urge Overkill, The Goats, and Billy Joel. They began working on lyrics together, using just an acoustic guitar and a drum machine. In addition, Owen Brown, best known for his work with Mary J. Blige and Lil Kim, offered Leiana assistance with her vocals.

The result was the five-track self-titled EP I found myself rocking. Leiana’s strong, gritty voice is perfectly suited for the rock genre. The music is hard-core rock – guitars and drums that jam! I can easily see these tracks being used as background music in action movies or TV action hero fight scenes.

The best song on the CD is a perfect example of the use of simplistic, yet hard-hitting lyrics. All Over is a song that contains a powerful message. It can quite possibly become the next teenage anthem, which as Leiana describes are Hiding inside the shadows…wasting. The song tells a tale of fear and pain suffered upon the innocent by those they trust. Most poignant were the spoken messages from anonymous victims at the end of the song. They’d strike a chord in the hardest of hearts.

"Through everything music is the one thing I felt I always had. No one could take away that song that plays in your head,” says Leiana. Amen to that! Leiana is one singer that I can definitely see going far in the music industry. Definitely a rising star!

- YBFREE.com