The North taking on the West: A Look Inside Leroy from the North

6/9/2022

Picture this, it’s 1975 and you’re getting in your buddy’s Scout to drive up to Lake Michigan for the summer. The car is all packed with cases of Budweiser, camping gear, and a sleek, cherry red speed boat that you will be ripping behind as you wakeboard your way through the season. But what tunes are you going to play to amp up the trip?  Bowie’s “Fame”? Nah, too disco. What about some Pink Floyd? Nope, no weed smokin’ here. What about Leroy from the North?

            Leroy from the North is an artist whose music is reminiscent of the southern rock, Laurel Canyon sound from the early/mid-1970s. But he’s from the year 2022. Someone who’s music plays like it would be coming out of the FM in 1975, Leroy brings forth a modern take of the Southern Rock genre from decades past. His songs are catchy, twangy, and oozes with summertime fun. He currently has two offerings out to listen to, 2019’s Health and Fitness EP and the recent Top 10 single from this year. He is a musician that has played with numerous bands and has opened up for big acts like the country-western band Midland. But while Leroy has a knack for Southern flavor, he doesn’t originally hail from Dixieland.

Interviewer: Where are you originally from?

Leroy: Michigan. Outside of Detroit at a place called Grosse Pointe. I moved here, to LA, about 15 years ago. I’ve been out here for a while. And I love it, I love LA.

Interviewer: Did you move out here to pursue music?

Leroy: I did, I was doing it for a long time in high school and stuff. When I first got here, I was playing with an artists called Katie Rose. I was with her for a while and then playing as a side band for a lot of other bands. Eventually, I started my own thing a few years ago. I thought it would be cool to do something while I was not touring and it kinda went from there.

Leroy grew up in a crowded household, having four older sisters. His cousin had an electric guitar, exposing him to the instrument at an early age.

Leroy: I remember all I wanted for Christmas was a guitar. But my mom said the only way I would get one was if I took lessons. So, I did. I remember they were at this warehouse, downtown in Detroit. And I had this really cool guitar teacher who was into the blues. I was sold after that.

Leroy always knew he wanted to be a musician ever since he was in high school as he played at local bars. Leroy was always into rock music, listening to bands like Kings of Leon and Humble Pie. But six years ago, he got into a band called The Wild Feathers while he was an intern for Interscope Records who was trying to promote this new/throwback sound to 70s Southern Rock. This got Leroy into older bands like The Byrds, creating an avenue towards that Southern flavor.

Leroy: When I was at Interscope, we were also working with Atlantic at the time. They were trying to do a similar thing with this Eagles sort of thing. But it was more of a Humble Pie type. And they had a really great singer who actually became part of the band Rival Sons. So, my mentor at Interscope was telling me about this thing at Atlantic but it didn’t work out for whatever reason. But it ended up working out at Interscope.

Leroy has a good amount of unreleased content. He revealed that he has three albums that have been recorded with three different producers and plans to release new content soon.

Leroy: I was on tour with this band called Dorothy and I was out with her for about two years. So, anytime I would come back I would put some songs together with Rob Schnapf, who produced for Elliot Smith, really great guy. So, I had this record done with him and then I had one done with Eric Corne. And the third is much different than the other two. So, it’s cool that each one will be very different from one another. But the one coming out is from the Corne batch.

Leroy notes that his experience in LA has been quite unique, that the area is filled with pockets that nurture this country-styled sound.

Leroy: There’s this thing called the Grand Ole’ Echo where every Sunday bands will play all day to audiences and it’s mostly country stuff. That’s been something cool. There’s also places like The Desert Five Spot which is this rooftop bar at The Tommy. That place is becoming a thing, playing country music and stuff. The hotel actually had a poop-up at Stagecoach this year. And Good Times at Davey Wayne’s is another cool spot. We just try to play as much as we can and if people like it, that’s cool. But if not, (laughs) we will just play somewhere else.

Leroy has had the opportunity to tour around the country to play different gigs. He notes that California has quite a large fanbase for country music.

Leroy: I had the opportunity a while back to tour with Midland. I remember we went to San Diego for one of the shows and that was cool. The crowd was great, and they really seemed to like our stuff. There’s a big country scene down there. We ended up meeting a lot of people that day and the crowd and the band were all cool. They helped us out a lot.

We also recently played in Northern California at a place called Schooners. It was really fun, near San Louis Obispo. And we are heading up to wine country on Saturday to play a show. But we’re talking to a few booking agents to play in areas like Texas. I love it over there and it would be great to return to that part.

Interviewer: Is there a particular place in the States that you enjoy playing at?

Leroy: Being from Michigan, anytime I play in Detroit it’s great since I’m able to see family. But you can tell that in Detroit, they love rock n’ roll music. When I was touring with Dorothy, we were opening up for Greta Van Fleet, who’s also from Detroit, and you could tell that they just loved all of it, the music. I was able to play at all these places I wanted to as a kid. It’s great.

When making music, Leroy will start by jamming at his home studio and record lyrics on his phone. After that, he likes to go to the studio to get an outside perspective with producers and other musicians having their own twists on the songs. And you can tell with Leroy’s music, as it comes across as more thought out and a bigger sound that could be spun on the radio.

Leroy: I usually have these two guys who play on my recordings. This guy Adam who’s been on mostly everything. And Jason who I played with; he was in Dorothy’s band. We’ve been doing a lot of stuff, just did a record together. Before, it was whoever was in town but now I have this lineup that has been consistent.

Leroy’s project started in 2017 but took a few years to pick up with touring conflicts and other factors. In a world that’s become more digital, Leroy prioritizes touring like other bands since it’s the best way to get your music out and make a few bucks.

Leroy: Touring is the best thing for us. That’s what we enjoy. But digital can be good too since it gets your music out. But you want to make sure you have the licensing.

Interview: What are your goals for this project?

Leroy: Doing bigger shows, going on a bigger tour. I think being able to do that and be able to get the bills pay, that would be great. Having fun and being able to support ourselves.

Interviewer: Do you have one particular band you really listened to as a kid? That got you into music?

Leroy: One of my first shows was Bob Seger. It’s kinda cliché since he’s from Detroit but he’s great, one of my favorites. I just love that big, 70s sound that he has and bands like The Eagles have. Allman Brothers were a big thing for me too. It just kinda evolves. But some of it has always been there. I remember my mom got me “Axis: Bold as Love” the Jimi Hendrix record. That blew my mind at the time. Even when Guns n’ Roses came out, my sisters thought they were so dangerous. But I like a lot of different things.

Leroy from the North is available on all streaming devices. Follow him on Instagram for touring/release updates @leroyfromthenorth.