Leah Blevins sings like she’s from the country because she is. Born in Eastern Kentucky, she spent her childhood traveling with her parents’ gospel band. “There was never a doubt in my mind I was going to play music,” she explains, “I had my parents blessing, and I was determined to do it.”
So it was a dream fulfilled when, as she announced near the end of this conversation, she and her team at Major Bob Publishing landed Leah a record deal with Dan Auerbach at Nashville’s iconic Easy Eye Sound.
In this intimate, revealing conversation, Leah and I dig into some of the fraught territory of the artist’s path: the inherent uncertainty (five years ago Leah was waking up at 3AM to prep the deli at the Turnip Truck), the challenge of striking a balance between hard work and the kind of emotional openness required for creative inspiration.
We veered off into the enneagram and the I Ching as potentially useful avenues by which to understand ourselves.
I shared a little about my evolving understanding of what it means to be successful: from thinking you had to play on Saturday Night Live or die trying, to now trying to make each day as close to an ideal day as possible, as I imagine it.
Leah brought her friend — banjo player Laura Ray — in to accompany her on her latest song Hundred Different Sides, and for a moment our Ranch Vovo Studio was filled with the ancient tones of Kentucky mourning.
Finally we discuss the challenge of being artists and maintaining positive relationships. Leah is married to singer Paul MacDonald, who just played the Grand Ole Opry for the 4th time.
“I just love watching his success,” she smiles.
There’s so much in this conversation for anyone interested in the long arc of success in Nashville, and what it looks like after you get a little of it. With her inborn singer’s soul and her outward grace, I think she’s poised for a pretty extraordinary new chapter.
Thanks for watching, listening, sharing. Stay passionate! ~ Korby
This episode of the MCP was produced by Jared Hammond.
00:00 Kentucky teaser
01:14 Hi Leah
02:24 The backstory - travelling with her parents' gospel band
04:39 Supportive parents
05:21 When did Leah started writing songs? how?
06:52 Her choice to not be so hard on herself
07:45 The impact of Leah's signing with Major Bob publishing in 2024
10:53 Leaah's feelings about co-writing
12:42 The rewards of surrounding yourself with people who are better, older
15:49 Korby reflects on the kind of childhood he wants his child to have
16:43 The tension between innocence and experience in "First Time Feeing"
19:36 Leah chooses how much of herself to give away
22:02 Intimacy inherent on artistic expression
23:36 Leah's current chapter of gratitude
25:35 Enneagram and the I Ching
28:54 Why Leah feels like she tends to overextend herself in love
29:50 Korby reflects on personal damage as the source of his own artistic expression
34:08 How Leah's music figures into her overall sense of purpose
36:10 Leah performs "Hundred Different Sides"
39:33 Is there a lyric in one of your songs that you almost didn't share?
41:04 Was there ever a time when you thought maybe you weren't going to do music? 43:02 The challenges of being in a relationship with another musician
45:19 Korby's conceptual shift surrounding success
47:52 Leah loves watching her husband's success
49:47 Korby comes clean about his tendency toward selfishness
50:55 Leah's advice on maintaining a happy relationships
51:13 Leah shares some really big news - signing to Dan Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound
52:51 Korby: "Music is delicately reigned-in chaos"
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