Makayla Leonard, raised in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, is a singer/songwriter, now represented by the hybrid label, BigRecords.World, who was introduced to them through singer/songwriter and community activist, Susie McGregor (Singer-Songwriter, VIMBC) and her “Dare To Shine” singing competition, where the CEO of the label, Mark Rosner, was an invited guest judge. The two of them hit it off and Makayla was quickly signed. It took the artist close to a year of development before she could finally release her first project but the time is just right considering her quarter of a century signet is now up.
Makayla draws her storytelling from her love of Musical Theatre. This genre of creativity sets in motion a sense of therapy for the young artist who just turned 25 on January 1st , hence the title of her new release.
My transition to songwriting was meant as a means of therapy to heal myself. I was too scared to tell those who mattered how I was truly feeling.
Makayla Leonard who started singing as a child was having a “quarter life crisis moment” and felt the struggles related to the responsibilities of life. Is she really ready to transition from being a teenager to an adult? The ALMOST 25 songwriter likes to “write songs that can fit into the pop category but with a twist”. She wants to connect with her fans as she understands she is not alone in her thoughts and struggles. She wants them to know that the struggle is real and there are positive solutions and outcomes to each challenge.
ALMOST 25 was my way of coping while also poking fun at myself in a cute and funny way. It stemmed from a feeling that I think a lot of people are familiar with “oh I’m turning a certain age and I am still stuck in the same place I was several years ago”. I was feeling like I was being told that my twenties were going to be the best time of my life by so many people and yet I wasn’t experiencing it. I hope that ALMOST 25 will show people that they aren’t alone in feeling like they’re stuck in life and that it’s okay to feel that way.
Writing songs has also helped Makayla feel more confident in her own creativity and now she hopes her words will do the same for her fans. She wants to give them a safe place in her music to create and explore and even hopes it will bloom a new love for music and the arts.
I hope my music inspires people and maybe even grows their love of the arts. If I can make someone feel seen by releasing music, I’ve done what I’ve set out to do. I also feel a lot more confident in myself and now realize that there are people out there who want to hear the messages I want to say in my music.
ALMOST 25 was released through Sony / The Orchard as of Friday, April 12th. Download ALMOST 25 by Makayla Leonard here
Makayla Leonard is also available on most platforms.
https://linktr.ee/thoroughlymodernmak
https://youtube.com/@Thoroughlymodernmak?
https://www.facebook.com/MakaylaLeonardOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/thoroughlymodernmak
https://www.tiktok.com/@thoroughlymodernmak
https://on.soundcloud.com/MEKJSVvWpZZhueQz8
Source: Jenny DuHaime, JETSet Music Media
Info: JETSet Music Media, [email protected]
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