Leslie Tom
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Leslie Tom

Denver, Colorado, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2004 | INDIE

Denver, Colorado, United States | INDIE
Established on Jan, 2004
Solo Country Traditional

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This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Some 'bluegrassroots' effort may get talented singer on the charts"

"Her music has a realness to it. She obviously has drawn on real-life experiences in the performances of her music. You can hear it in her voice. At a time when gimmicks are such a part of the music world, her only gimmick is to keep it real. I like that and I like her. “ - Bluegrass Johnson - Farm World Magazine


"A Fresh New Face In Music"

"Every track (High Maintenance) is heartfelt be it ballad or be it a rousing toe tapper, she sings it like she means it, and does it well. - Brad Springs - The Stars of Texas Magazine


"Leslie Tom"

Leslie Tom…She's a heck of a lot all rolled up into one small package. Humble yet Sassy, Soft yet like a rock, and most of all a very talented singer and songwriter. I have worked with Leslie for over 10 years, both in the studio and on live shows, and she never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Leslie for letting me have that privilege to work with you and watch you grow into your love of music. You are Awesome!! - Bill Green, Owner - BGM Network


"Nikki Lane, Leslie Tom, Amy Stroup, Ani-DiFranco: Let the Women Sing Out"

Leslie Tom uses the hashtag "UnapologeticallyCountry" and that sums her to a tee. Her recent EP Leslie Tom (Coastal Records) is a throwback to when female country music was really big voices singing about love, heartaches, and family. There are several honky-tonk selections that immediately put one in mind of Patsy Cline, including a cover of one of Cline's signature songs, "Leavin' On My Mind." Tom does it as if it were a country/café torch song. Hers is indeed a big voice and she's not afraid to air it. What I really liked was that Tom steers clear of processed sheen. She even gets a little bit corny on "Hank You VeryMuch," a tribute in which she skillfully interweaves Hank Williams song titles. And if you want to wallow in a roadhouse weepie, check out "Breakin' My Own Heart," a twangy 1950's throwback featuring country legends Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano and Lloyd Green on pedal steel. Later, there's a love song duet with Kevin Moon; a patriotic tribute to her grandfather, a World War II vet; and; and a tongue-in-cheek reflection on motherhood, "Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do." You don't get much more unapologetically country than a line like: "You're a Goldilocks with your daddy's eyes/You're a ketchup smile with greasy French fries." ★★★★ - Off-Center Views


"‘Leslie Tom,’ Leslie Tom (Coastal Bend Music,☆☆☆☆)"

‘Leslie Tom,’ Leslie Tom (Coastal Bend Music,☆☆☆☆)
This Feb. 17 CD (likely available in other formats) from singer/co-writer Leslie Tom contains seven songs, so it’s an EP lengthwise. Her accompanists include acoustic guitarists Chris Leuzinger and Kerry Conner, electric guitarists Eugene Moles and Steve Hinson, steel guitarists Lloyd Green and producer John Macy, keyboardists “Pig” Robbins and Matt Weesner and many others.

“Hank You Very Much,” which quotes liberally from Hank Williams’ songs, is my favorite tune, but I also dig these: the fiddle/steel-drenched dad-remembering “Every Other Friday,” “My Only Addiction” (with Kevin Moon), the patriotic “Didn’t Think Twice” and the piano-steel powered “Leavin’ On Your Mind.”

Fans of classic, good-old-country music will enjoy this recording a lot. - Sun Herald


"Right on the Money Alan Jackson knows a whole lot about livin’ and even more about how to please live audiences the world over by keepin’ it country from start to finish."

Jackson’s magical musical touch also translates quite nicely to the female segment of his audience. Witness the impact he’s had on Leslie Tom, a Denver-based country singer-songwriter whose recent self-titled EP was recorded at Cinderella Sound in Nashville and produced by John Macy (who has crafted records for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Richie Furay, and Los Lobos).

“Alan Jackson is an artist who stayed true to traditional country sounds while the music around him was changing to ‘pop’ country,” she points out. “For an artist to stay true to his roots when the industry is demanding something different takes guts — and, for that, I appreciate Mr. Jackson.”

Tom admits many of Jackson’s songs have left “tattoos on [her] heart,” but she cites “Remember When” as being one that’s been particularly impactful on her personally.

“When I heard that song for the first time, I thought, ‘I’m so far from that place in my life. I can’t imagine feeling that way about kids or a spouse,’” she says. “At the end of the song, he sings, ‘Remember when the sound of little feet was the music we danced to week to week.’ After almost 20 years, those words have stuck in my head. Having a small child now, I understand what he’s singing about, for there is no better music than the sound of my daughter’s feet slapping the hardwood floor. I cry every time I hear that song.” - Palm Springs Life


"Leslie Tom"

It doesn’t get much more country than Leslie Tom’s self-titled release. Songs like “Breakin’ My Own Heart,” “Hank You Very Much” and the Patsy Cline cover “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” certainly set the tone, but that’s not what makes this album overflow with the honkytonk twangs of yesteryear — it’s Tom’s backing band. The Denver singer/songwriter worked with Denver producer and Grammy winner John Macy (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Richie Furay, Los Lobos) and when Macy got the idea to get a few legendary session players to guest on the album he ended up going a bit overboard in a really good way. The record features a veritable who’s-who of legendary players, including Lloyd Green on pedal steel, Country Music Hall-of-Famer Hargus “Pig” Robbins on keys and long-time Garth Brooks guitarist Chris Leuzinger. Robbins plays keys on the Cline cover, and already knew the song quite well since he played on Cline’s original recording back in 1963 — the last single she made before her death. The EP also features a duet with rising country star Kevin Moon on the song “My Only Addiction.” - Marquee Magazine


"Leslie Tom"

Sometimes you just need some low-down, beer drinkin’, cheatin’, and fightin’ music and that’s what Leslie Tom provides. It’s a female behind that ambiguous name; she’s been singing since she was seven and now takes the stage to channel Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn and her WW2 vet daddy. She wrote six these seven solid tracks here, they call it an EP but I vote it’s a good enough to qualify as a full album.

Opening track “Breakin’ My Own Heart” recalls the best of the Nashville Sound honky tonk blues; it’s a sad story of loss and abandonment but the chords and vocal smoke it sound like a party. “Didn’t Think Twice” tells the story of her father, a man of direct action who never agonized but stood up and did whatever dirty job needed doing. Then there’s a sad ballad “Every Other Friday” and a loyalty song: “Hardest Thing I’ll ever do” and even the sexy lament “Hank You Goodbye”. She joins with up and coming Kevin Moon for “My Only Addiction is You,” it’s all you could want in a sad barroom ballad.

All of these tracks are solid and listenable; I’ve spun this disk more than once on my commute and it’s still on my playlist. Ms. Tom punches out with a Patsy Cline torch number “If You’ve Got Leaving on Your Mind.” It’s as gripping today as it was in 1963, and it was one of the last tracks Cline recorded before her unfortunate death. I certainly hope Ms. Tom lasts much longer, this is a gem of a record for those of you interested in the mid-century country sound. And if you’ve not been exposed to that fervent mix of beer, smoke and lust here’s a great stepping off point for your musical education.

www.leslietommusic.com - Ink19


"Singled Out: Leslie Tom's My Only Addiction"

One of our fav country stars Leslie Tom just released her new self-titled EP and to celebrate we asked her to tell us the story behind the song "My Only Addiction". Here is the story:

"My Only Addiction" is my favorite song on the new record. The inspiration for the song came primarily from my experience walking my best friend through a relationship that was like a drug addiction for her. Over the past few years, she was in and out of a relationship with the same guy, each time trying to convince herself that seeing him would not cause an emotional downfall, and each time they got together, she left feeling just exactly that. Some would argue a drug addiction is the worst kind of addiction to have, yet I would argue that being in a relationship with someone that is emotionally unavailable but with chemistry and conversation that is overpowering is more harmful. At least with drugs, there is rehab, with love, you can get stuck in a cycle of negativity.

After a particularly hard evening on the phone with my friend, I told her that I was going to write a song about her love addiction and started to do just that. A friend of mine named Tony Gunter told me he had a few lines he put together for an addiction-type song so we got to work. After a few days, we brought Linda Koehl in to help finish the song out and what we ended up with is a combination of a life's worth of bad relationship experiences wrapped into one song.

To make the song the best, Kevin Moon (who has the voice of classic country music) graciously agreed to sing the duet with me. It's pure magic!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here! - AntiMusic


Discography

Proverbs 3:5  - Leslie Tom/Billy O'Rourke
Slow Down Cowgirl - Leslie Tom/Billy O'Rourke
I'm Together Again - Leslie Tom/Billy O'Rourke
That Someone Else - Leslie Tom/Billy O'Rourke
Big Girl Panties - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl
Hank You Very Much - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl
Every Other Friday - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl
Breakin' My Own Heart - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl
My Only Addiction - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl/Tony Gunter
Didn't Think Twice - Leslie Tom/Billy O'Rourke
Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do - Leslie Tom/Kerry Conner
Born Too Late - Leslie Tom/Linda Koehl
Are You Ready For Some Hanky Panky - Leslie Tom/Dean Miller
Still Love You (Audrey's Song) - Leslie Tom/Sean Gasaway/Andy Wren
Hey Baby - Leslie Tom/Kerry Conner
Thank God For God - Leslie Tom/Becky Hobbs
Man In Blue - Leslie Tom/Sean Gasaway
A Stronger Me - Leslie Tom, Aaron Barker, Linda Koehl

Photos

Bio

From the first few notes of a Leslie Tom song, you’re instantly taken back to a time when singers like Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn were winning the hearts of country music lovers everywhere.  But keep listening, and you’ll hear a voice and a sound that is remarkably current, even timeless.  This Denver-based songstress is defying the odds by steering away from the “Nashville style” country trends. Instead, combining relatable lyrics with her bubbly, sassy personality and an unmistakable voice (along with the occasional fiddle and pedal steel guitar), Leslie Tom stands poised to hit the mainstream with her own traditional-modern spin on country music.

Leslie’s self-titled EP is a highly personal project for her. Produced by John Macy and recorded at Cinderella Sound in Nashville, the record features a veritable “who’s-who” of legendary session players, including Lloyd Green on pedal steel, Country Music Hall-of-Famer Hargus “Pig” Robbins on keys, and long-time Garth Brooks guitarist Chris Leuzinger, among others. The EP also features a dusty-road duet with rising country star Kevin Moon on the song “My Only Addiction.”

From the twangy slide guitar and fiddle interplay on the Dear John kiss-off “Hank You Very Much,” to the honky-tonk-shuffle relationship reality check “Breakin’ My Own Heart,” to the familial bonds explored in both “Every Other Friday” (a nostalgic nod at Leslie’s relationship with her dad) and “Hardest Thing I’ll Ever Do” (a tip of the hat to Leslie’s daughter and navigating the difficulties and joys of parenthood), the self-titled release is, at its heart, about relationships, as viewed through a vintage country lens.

You can’t get much more traditional country than the artist Leslie chose to cover on this release:  Her cover of Patsy Cline’s last single, “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” is a torch song rife with jazzy-bluesy piano that kicks up the tempo just a little bit without losing any of the emotional tug that made the original a powerful country classic. In a case of full-circle rightness, Pig Robbins, who played on Cline’s version, also played keys on this version.

Leslie’s pure country sound comes as little surprise. Born and bred in the heart of Texas, she cut her teeth listening to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Bob Wills on the radio of her father’s Ford truck. Her own musical journey began at age 7, picking up the violin and clarinet before settling on piano, and eventually developing her vocal skills and songwriting chops. Since those early beginnings, music has been an inescapable force in her life, and even her early attempts to settle into a corporate job after college couldn’t stick for long. For Leslie, a return to her country roots was inevitable, and once she made the decision, she never looked back.

In the years since, Leslie has sung on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, opening for artists like Josh Turner and sharing the stage with the likes of Lee Roy Parnell, Jeff Bates and others. She’s appeared on television music competitions, released two critically acclaimed studio projects and performed for enthusiastic audiences across the world. Her musical journey has taken her from the honky-tonks of south Texas to a stint in Nashville, then back to Texas before settling in Colorado in 2014.

Since her move to Denver, Leslie is seeing a fresh surge in her music career as her genuine style and heartfelt lyrics connect with a whole new audience. Released in advance of her third studio effort, Leslie’s latest single, the patriotic “Didn’t Think Twice,” is a moving tribute to her own grandfather, paying homage to the “Greatest Generation” of WWII veterans who sacrificed so much for our nation’s freedom, and who are now rapidly passing away. Featuring guest vocals by Navy SEAL Pete Scobell, the single was released on Veteran’s Day, with proceeds going to the Travis Manion Foundation, a non-profit organization empowering veterans and the families of fallen soldiers. An alternate version of the single also appears on the EP.

The best artists of any genre are the ones who are able to draw inspiration from the sound and style of the past, own it, and carry it forward to the next generation. No one in the business today does this better than Leslie Tom. In a day when so many artists are trying in vain to mold their sound to the current trends, she simply lives within the pure country sound and owns it in the process. Within the first few notes of the song, you discover what so many of her fans already know: Leslie Tom is the real deal.

Band Members