With its high-octane rhythm, fiery guitar and undeniable hook, Joanie Leeds' "Bad Girl" is the exclamation point on an album that makes her strongest statement yet. In one 3-and-a-half-minute blast, Leeds displays her lyrical wit, her gift for memorable songcraft, and her ability to write compelling music in a diverse range of styles. Sure, it's tongue-in-cheek, satirizing the mock rebellion of manufactured teen-pop divas, but Leeds' bold and boisterous "Bad Girl" is an emblem of the confidence and promise that permeates her 2nd album, SOUL FROM MY FOOTSTEPS, and the signal of an exceptional rising talent.
Adding "Bad Girl"-style power pop, along with blues and funk to her repertoire, SOUL FROM MY FOOTSTEPS builds on the gentle folk-rock of Joanie's previous album without sacrificing any of its sensitivity and warmth. After years of invaluable experience on the New York City circuit, Joanie has emerged with a fully fleshed-out sound and a winning sense of artistic direction and creative independence that separates her from her peers.
In the years since the release of her first full record of original songs, 2000's MY JOB APPLICATION KNOWS MORE ABOUT ME THAN YOU DO, the Miami-born Leeds has become a fixture in New York City's musical community. Honing her sound and her craft, Joanie made a second home on the stages of legendary local clubs like the Bitter End, The Living Room and CBGB's Gallery, and was invited to participate in prestigious seminars and acoustic roundtable performances organized by BMI.
By 2003, it was clear that the quality and quantity of Joanie's new material demanded a return to the studio. With producer/engineer Richard Oliver Furch (Fountains of Wayne, Angie Stone, Edwin McCain), producer/drummer Chris Benelli, guitarist Craig Benelli and bassist Tony Tino, Leeds created a compelling and engaging record that signals both how far she's come and how far she promises to go.
From the defiant "Bad Girl" and "Release Me" to the joyous love songs "Silent" and "You Are," Leeds' charisma and wit shine through crisp pop/rock and stunning balladry. Her guitar and piano provide adroit counterpoint to her powerful voice, as layers of vocal harmony showcase her evocative range. Leeds accomplishes a rare feat, delivering equally powerful music across a range of styles and dynamics. She's every bit as effective on the sparse, tender "Karma" as she is on the belt-it-to-the-rafters "Streets on Fire" and the Nashville-inflected "The Light."
The record builds on a musical career that began when Leeds was just 15. Performing and acting throughout her teens, Joanie discovered her songwriting muse while a drama major at Syracuse University. A fixture in the city's burgeoning coffeehouse circuit, Leeds recorded her first full record of original songs, MY JOB APPLICATION KNOWS MORE ABOUT ME THAN YOU DO, in Syracuse in 2000.
MY JOB APPLICATION was a creative realization, drawing on jazz, soul, rock and folk influences to deal with issues both personal and political. Her unique powerful voice, adept piano and guitar playing, innate songwriting sense and touching lyrics about love and relationships of all kinds resonated in the same scene that helped bring performers like Ani DiFranco, Jonatha Brooke, and Dar Williams to the fore. Her song "You Don't Know What Makes Me Smile" began getting local radio airplay and a number of MY JOB APPLICATION tracks were featured on MTV's "Undressed."
Building on her loyal Syracuse following, Leeds returned home to Miami and became a regular in Coconut Grove's The Hungry Sailor, the famous Tobacco Road, the trendy Wallflower Gallery and Miami songwriters' favorite: Luna Star Café.
It wasn't long before the big city called her and her craft. Leeds moved to New York City and took the stage at the Bitter End, a New York institution that years before had launched the careers of many of her Greenwich Village folk heroes: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Etta James.
Joanie and her band remains a fixture at the Bitter End, in addition to her more intimate acoustic appearances at clubs and coffee houses all over the city. With her latest, SOUL FROM MY FOOTSTEPS, Joanie continues to unearth new directions and new ways to connect with the fans who have been drawn in by her sensitivity, honesty, genuine musicianship and irresistible songwriting.
