The Women's Corner
Featuring an Interview With Leah Andreone
by Chelsea Spear, publisher of Cinnamon Stick Magazine

At about this time last year, rising thrush Leah Andreone was just another aspirant, waiting tables at a Los Angeles diner while awaiting her chance at fame. All that changed with a fateful meal.

"When I moved from San Diego to LA, I got a job as a waitress during the day, and at night I went and pursued my career... One morning, I heard this table of executives talking about the music business, and I went and asked the owner of the restaurant, 'Look, they're talking about talent,' and she's looking at me, kinda like, 'okay.' So I went home and I got a copy of the tape, and as they were leaving I gave it to him. And he listened to it... He was sitting in his car, and he had his head back and his eyes closed, and he drove away. (And I said to myself) 'Leah, don't worry, there's more record executives, you'll meet with more record companies...'

"So the next morning, I'm late to work. And I'm speeding. And I cut this woman off accidentially, to get into the lane to get to the restaurant. And as I cut her off, she's going 'fuck you! fuck you!'... I'm saying 'I'm sorry' and waving. I go in, I make it into the kitchen, I'm doing my time card, and someone says, 'Leah! There's someone at table two who really needs to talk to you.' And I'm like, 'Oh shit, I'm gonna get my ass kicked.'... I walked out there, and I put my hand on her shoulder and said, 'Miss, I'm so sorry', and she shook my hand and said, 'I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm here from RCA Records, Skip Miller will be here to see you in about half an hour. Can you take the day off?'"

One year later, Andreone's star is ascending on the laurels of her solid debut album, Veiled, and the hooky single "It's Alright It's OK." In a recent interview, she seemed poised and ready to take the next step. Here's what she had to say.

What are your earliest memories of music?

We have a living room with a grand piano and guitars... every instrument you could possibly have. And there's a fireplace that's raised, and I can remember standing on the fireplace, closing all the doors, and just playing there, pretending it was my stage. No one was allowed in -- it was like my own personal concert that I gave, every day after school. I was, like, five or six, and I was actually performing out, so it kinda was a rehearsal hall for me.

How did that inspire you to go into music?

I got to better my craft; I was trained classically on the piano. I got used to pretending, in my own little world, that there was an audience out there, which works through stage fright, which works through... that kind of confidence you need on a stage. Slowly but surely, the doors would open, and I let parents in, and brothers and sisters, and the audiences grew.

You come from a very musical family. How did that affect your writing and your music?

My brother and my sisters are all classically trained on the piano. My sisters had a band when I was younger, and I got to do the last set of their gig. So that got me out, up on a stage, singing with a band, which prepared me to get my own band together, which I did in San Diego at about seventeen. I guess also having sisters that you look up to, that are doing something as crazy as getting up on a stage all the time and singing their music, I'm lucky I had that, I idolized them, which makes you want to follow in their footsteps.

How long did it take to get signed?

It took me my whole life. I prepared for a career my whole life -- I went to a performing arts school, from there I majored in music in college, I moved to LA and put myself in any possible venue or situation possible in order to meet the "right people" that can help you. You need the right support financially, and a label helps.

I ended up moving to LA in about '92, and...it took me three years to get the right recording contract. I had other offers that I did not take. This one came along, and it was perfect.

What inspires your songs? Humans. I hate looking at a photo that doesn't have a human in it. I guess some of my songs are autobiographical... and some of them are me, voyueristically watching you, or you talking to that girl, or two people fighing or whatever. I intentionally put myself into situations where I'm gonna view some other kind of situation...

There's this bar in LA that is so gross. Just bad. And I went there during the making of the record...and just wrote. I got some crazy stuff out of there.

How do your band shows differ from your solo acoustic sets? There's more punch to it. It allows me to really go off and use the stage. It's a little strange to have just one person standing next to you, cuz you kind of have to go off and tame yourself. It's hard to tame yourself.

At press time, Leah is touring Europe with Pete Droge, but will soon embark on a nationwide tour.