A long-established "go-to" songwriter, JD is quickly tearing into the American country music landscape. Combining ultra-sleek showmanship, genre-crossing arrangements, and hauntingly familiar hooks, Leonard is country/rock in both it's purest dose and it's untapped potential. His songs are a passenger on the road to the human experience. Tennessee born and Carolina raised, JD's "work-hard" roots have driven him to become a fixture of NYC and Music City camps, alike. It's this geographic, chopped and diced blend of culture that creates JD's distinctive sound. Fever dream guitars and raw vocals. Lush melodies and memory inducing lyrics. It's a sound that you already know...like you've never heard before.
“Just Drive” is a quickly memorable song that JD has clearly taken his time with when crafting it. The whole thing builds up slowly and surely, the style is immediately both familiar and unusual. This classical backdrop, arranged in an unpredictable manner, moving from the smooth, longer notes, to the quick and dramatic. The song has a classic, comforting country or folk aura to it while the lyrics, the melody, even the male vocal at the forefront of the sound fall in line with the vibe of a classic song. Good writing, from a place of genuine emotion and depth, fused with an uncommon musicality, makes this an interesting and quickly memorable, single. Though the topic is clearly personal and unique in story-line to the songwriters, it’s presented here in a somewhat vague, widely accessible manner. “Just Drive” is a welcomed, organic ballad that’s been gorgeously performed and capture.
Stream JD's new song "Just Drive".
Hey JD! Congrats on the release of your new project “Just Drive the Album”! What does this album represent for you?
Thank you so much! This album represents 10 years of life. Easy living and hard living. Blood and sweat, love and heartache, loss and chasing dreams. It’s a collection of experiences that we all go through. It’s my heart and soul.
Where is the best setting to listen to the single “Just Drive”, and what do you hope people take away from it?
Ha! The best setting to listen to Just Drive is LIVE of course!! But if you can’t make it to a show, the second best way I’d say would be as loud as the car stereo can go with the windows down.
What’s your favorite lyric that you feel has the most impact in “Just Drive”? Why?
“Maybe it’s the moonshine. Maybe it’s the sunrise. Maybe it’s just you and me.” My favorite lyrics are clever and with double meaning and I think those lines say a lot more than what’s just on the surface.
If you had to pick just one song in your collection to adequately describe your sound, which song would you choose and why?
Hmmm...that’s a tough one. Gone are the days when being eclectic was thought to be artistic in a mainstream platform. My influences are all over the place so I think the best representation of who I am as an artist can only be experienced live with my band. We leave it all out on the stage every night and all our influences shine through live.
Do you have any upcoming events or shows you’d like to talk about? What’s next for you through the end of 2019?
I do! We have several shows in the NY and surrounding areas through the end of the year including a headlining show at the legendary, “My Father’s Place” in Roslyn, NY. Check out all the latest news, tour dates and updates on my website and social media. We can’t wait to see y’all there!
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