Dual Identity, One Vision: The Emotional Depth of Leonie Persch in 2025

Leonie Persch is in a rare category of artists who can live between worlds, geographically, musically, and emotionally, and turn that fluidity into something powerful. The German songwriter and artist built her foundation in Berlin’s sharp-edged creative scene, signing her first publishing deal right out of school and writing across Europe for major labels like Universal, Warner, STMPD, and Spinnin’. Her pen touched Disney syncs, charting EDM collaborations, and songwriting camps across the continent. But in 2025, Leonie stepped into a new chapter, one shaped by reinvention, independence, and a level of personal honesty she had never allowed herself to reach before.

Now based in Los Angeles under an extraordinary-ability visa, Leonie has become one of the most compelling dual-identity artists to watch. Under her EDM alias EVIE, she’s collaborated with Afrojack, performed across global festival stages, and contributed to a track played at Ultra Europe, a massive moment for any rising artist. Under her legal name, she releases the kind of alt-pop that breathes vulnerability: cinematic, melancholic, intimate, and deeply human. Her 2025 catalog reflects that evolution, Blindfolded, Code Blue, and EVIE’s “Hold On” mark transitions, relocations, and emotional upheaval.

Outside of the studio, Leonie’s year was equally transformative. She earned three Hollywood Independent Music Award nominations, landed MUSO AI's top 5% of most-streamed songwriters of 2025, surpassed 70 million Spotify streams, and achieved her biggest EDM cut to date with Afrojack. She also launched INDIE TABLE, a bi-weekly networking series in LA and NYC, creating a safe, collaborative ecosystem for artists, songwriters, and producers, a reflection of her belief that community fuels creativity.

Heading into 2026, Leonie is focused on one mission: to write as much music as possible. With her dual artistry thriving, a growing creative community at her side, and a renewed sense of emotional clarity, she’s stepping into a new era with both vulnerability and fire.

You recently moved from Europe to Los Angeles under an extraordinary-ability visa. How did this massive relocation shape the themes of identity, transition, and self-reinvention across Blindfolded, Code Blue, and Dirty Habits?

The move from Europe to Los Angeles completely reshaped my sense of identity. Blindfolded and Code Blue were written during the moment of leaving behind everything familiar. My community, my routines, even the version of myself that existed in Berlin. Those songs capture the process of transition, the uncertainty, and the internal rewiring that happens when you suddenly start over on a different continent.

My upcoming single Dirty Habits is a personal turning point for me. Earlier in the year, I went through a very heavy time in my private life, and this song became an outlet to process that period. Without going deep into the details, it was a moment where everything felt overwhelming, and I had to find a way back to myself.

The song captures that shift, the moment you decide to stop numbing or distracting yourself and start facing the world again with a clearer mind. It’s about acknowledging your struggles without letting them define you, finding lightness again in small moments, and remembering that healing isn’t linear but absolutely possible.

For listeners, I hope it feels like a reminder that even when things get dark or chaotic, you can still reclaim your sense of self. You can choose better habits, better thoughts, and step back into your life with more clarity and more gratitude for what’s right in front of you.

You release music under multiple aliases, Leonie Persch for alt-pop, and EVIE for EDM. How do you navigate these two artistic identities, and what emotional or creative needs does each one fulfill?

Both identities serve different parts of me, and I love that I don’t have to compress everything into one sonic world. As Leonie Persch, I focus on alt-pop. It’s intimate and very lyric-driven, and it gives me the space to unpack personal thoughts, vulnerability, and the emotional transitions I go through.

As EVIE, I get to lean into energy, adrenaline, and pure sonic expression. EDM lets me channel movement and the collaborative spirit I’ve always loved from working with DJs and producers. 

Your collab with Afrojack was played at Ultra Europe, a massive milestone for an independent artist. How did that moment reshape your confidence, your expectation for yourself, or your perception of where your career is heading?

Hearing a song I wrote and sang being played at Ultra Europe was one of those surreal moments that make everything feel possible. As an independent artist, you often have to build your own momentum, so seeing a global crowd react to something you created is incredibly affirming. To be honest, I always had a lot of trust in myself and my skills as a writer and vocalist - so this scenario definitely happened many times in my head before it happened in real life (haha) - and when it came true, it was just the best feeling ever and showed me I can continue trusting in myself. When the DJs with whom I collaborate play our songs at those huge festivals, and people love the music, and it brightens their day, that makes me really happy because that is one of the things I would love to contribute to society for the rest of my life.

You’ve built INDIE TABLE, a networking series across LA and NYC. What inspired you to start your own creative community, and how has building that space influenced you as an independent artist?

Moving to LA and starting over made me realize how essential community is, especially for independent artists who don’t have a huge support system. I wanted to create a space where people could meet collaborators, exchange ideas, find new clients, and feel less alone in an industry that can be incredibly isolating.

INDIE TABLE grew faster than I expected, and hosting it bi-weekly has been one of the most grounding parts of my year. It keeps me connected, inspired, and constantly surrounded by people who are as passionate about creating as I am. When I get feedback from the attendees, and they’re telling me they've worked with multiple people who also attended the Indie table networking dinner - meaning, they found new long-term clients and earned more money AND found new friends and creative partners - that is ultimately what I was going for starting the event series and what I wished I had when I was starting. My initial thought as someone who moved to Los Angeles by herself, not really knowing anyone yet, was - if you don’t have a seat at the table yet, build it yourself.

Looking into 2026 with the goal to “write as much music as possible,” what emotional terrain or new sonic directions are you excited to explore next?

I’m excited to push both of my projects further – even more honesty and depth in my alt-pop releases, and more experimental and high-energy moments with EVIE. I feel like 2026 is going to be a year of trusting my instincts even more, taking risks, and exploring sounds that feel bolder and more intentional. Writing as much as possible is my way of staying open and letting the year shape the music instead of the other way around.