"Andreone's music is her life"
Deeply felt lyrics are at the heart of singer's work

By Paul Freeman

For singer-songwriter Leah Andreone, creating music has been a means of unleashing repressed emotions. That's why the revealing songs from her debut album Veiled have struck such a responsive chord with listeners. Though the Lilith Fair, which stops at Shoreline on Tuesday, features such well-known female artists as Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman, it could be Andreone's thought-provoking material that makes the most lasting impression on some concertgoers.

Clearly her songs come from soul-searching. "As corny as it sounds, music was a savior for me when I was a little girl," she says. "It got me through a lot."

While growing up in San Diego she played many musical instruments her parents kept in the living room. "There was a fireplace that was off the ground and that was my stage. I would go in there after school. There were days I wouldn't go to school, because I was such a freak. So I would stay home and stay in that room.

"I wasn't the most verbal, expressive child outside of my home. Musically, I became intensely experienced and just started writing songs."

Her reluctance to verbalize can be traced to the abuse she suffered at the hands of a family friend during childhood. "It occurred over a fairly lengthy period of time. The mantra that I listened to for over a year was, 'Don't talk. If you talk, I'll kill your mother.' Really bad, awful stuff. So talking kind of became my enemy for a while."

Her parents were eventually able to help her pull out of the torment and gave her journals. The poignant passages Andreone poured into those books provided the seeds for future songs.

As she explored musical avenues, Andreone admired the vocals of Aretha Franklin, the compositions of John Lennon and Elvis Costello, the sounds of Nine Inch Nails.

She also looked up to her older sisters, who had a band. At the age of 10, she was performing with them. At 16, she had her own band. Her parents encouraged her to seriously pursue a musical career. That meant moving to Los Angeles and hunting for a record deal. "It was just a matter of me getting the guts up to leave my family."

Once she hit L.A., Andreone did everything possible to get her demos heard. She played showcases.

Though she hates math, she briefly worked in a record company's accounting department. Then she got a job waiting tables at a strategically positioned diner on Sunset Boulevard. There she heard some label people talking about looking for new talent. She gave them a tape and soon she was recording her debut album for RCA.

"It's kind of twisted," she laughs. "After years and years of performing, it happened in a restaurant after I overheard a conversation."

In the album Veiled, you can hear an array of heartfelt creations. "It's Alright It's OK" has received much airplay in the states and hasbecome a hit across Europe. "Mother Tongue" is the new single. Divorce and unwanted pregnancyare among the subjects she covers in other songs. "You Make Me Remember" touches on the personal torment she endured. "Problem Child" examines abuse from a more distanced perspective. "I got a fax from a child-abuse center, saying they were using that song as their anthem, because so many of the kids related to it and they were glad to find someone who could put words to how they feel.

"I'd held back in songs I'd written before. I learned on this record that I have to give my all. That allows other people to give me their all back. If I'm honest with them, they'll be honest with me."

Don't get the idea that all of Andreone's songs are downbeat. "I have a song called 'Imagining You,' which is very, very happy. It's about the first time you love. ... It's amazing how one person can open up your whole world and your whole imagination."

Andreone is excited about being on the Lilith Fair bill. "To be included amongst that kind of talent is a huge honor for me.

"I've heard many people worrying that so many women emerging musically is just a trend and that there's going to be a backlash. Trends go away. Women aren't going anywhere. We're here."

In all likelihood, Andreone will be at increasingly large venues. "Even now, I feel much more at ease on a stage than sitting in a room, talking to six people. I'd much rather be on stage singing for 50,000. I can now carry on a conversation with you and tell you what I feel. But it's still easier for me to sing it to you."

Music remains the 24-year-old Andreone's cherished refuge. "It's my escape. It's where I'm happiest."