Leah Capelle | "Giants"

Leah Capelle | "Giants"
A rare talent

In Capelle’s own words: “I want people who listen to my music to feel like they know me. I lay everything out on the table – I don’t ever write music that doesn’t relate to either what I’m going through or what my loved ones experience – so I deeply want to develop closeness with my fans.” Vents Magazine says: "Capelle has a well-honed sense for getting to the heart of what a particular performance demands with no nonsense style aiming to realize the composition’s potential. It’s a potent approach..."

Leah Capelle is an alternative/pop/rock artist from Chicago. She has a freshness and spontaneity, instead, capable of capturing the spirit of any song with skill and grace. Leah Capelle is a rare talent.

The highly anticipated follow-up EP ‘giants’ is officially dropped September 21, 2018 globally - yes, we’re once again late to the party. In this project, Capelle delves deeply into her personal struggles with self-identity, relationships, depression, anxiety, and pressures from without and within, again with Jeff Bova at the helm.

The opener, "Out of Love", is one of the older songs from Capelle's catalogue - but its message rings truer than ever. In a statement, Capelle explains, "I originally wrote this song as a collection of little hurts that had accumulated, burned their way through my brain, and coalesced into this story-song of a rough break up. Little did I know that four years later, the words I had written in 2014 would be an almost exact depiction of something that happened to me this year - down to even the tiniest details. When it dawned on me, I immediately went back into the studio and reproduced the track." "Out of Love" is a gritty, dark, emotional pop song that bounces between alternative rock and pop effortlessly, and will drop you right into the room with Leah as she reflects on her self-fulfilling prophecy.

About “Docs”, Leah writes: "‘Docs’ is a song about searching for happiness in material and surface things. It's a true story of bizarre activities I was doing to make myself feel better, like buying clothes, rearranging my furniture, and going out pretending to be somebody I'm not… In reality, all my false attempts at being ‘okay’ made the matter worse. When I was younger, I had many male figures, whether significant others or mentors, tell me that ‘men don’t like short hair.’ So I kept my hair long because I was insecure. And finally, summer of 2016 I said ‘f*ck it’ and chopped it all off- that was a huge catalyst for me, and has actually brought me a lot of happiness in the weightlessness I feel now." EARMILK writes, “it proves how endearing, attractive, and upbeat vulnerability can be when done right,” and Atwood Magazine concludes, “Cheerfully ironic and ruthlessly driving, ‘Docs’ is a reminder of what really matters most – and it isn’t those new shoes.”

These tracks truly represent the inner workings of a subtle and intricate mind. The songwriting, lyrics and production resonate to your core.

The third track, "Walking with Giants" is the younger sibling to her single "Joshua" released in 2017. Capelle wrote this as a love song to the great Sequoia wilderness and the powerfully gentle beauty it holds. About the song, she writes, "I was on a life-changing camping trip with a dear friend of mine, and as we got ourselves lost in the woods, I couldn't help but feel so infinitesimally small. These trees have stood their ground for centuries. They constantly evolve, the continue to adapt. They need wildfire to grow; what is a destructive force to most is a nurturing process for them - a notion I try to hold on to as I continue on a path in my own life that feels very much like a rebirth." "Walking with Giants", the inspiration for the title of the 'giants' EP, is an alternative rock chant that weaves together Capelle's love for the outdoors and her uniquely emotive songwriting.

The track "Better Off" is a moving acoustic ballad performed live in the studio featuring Leah’s good friend and drummer Hayley Brownell. Leah explains: “‘Better Off’ is, at its core, a piece about letting go. When you know something is unhealthy, and is not bringing you joy no matter how much you wish it would, there is strength in being able to say that that thing - be it a situation, a place, or a person - cannot hold you back. This is a song about strength even when strength is the last option." "'Better Off' is a song that the world doesn’t want to let go unnoticed," writes Warlock Asylum.

"Settle Down" is a sweetly sad depiction of Capelle's growing pains. In the song, Capelle writes to herself, almost in a soliloquy, as she works through feelings of loneliness and external pressure to be something she is not. In the bridge, she begs the questions, "How do I find myself when everyone is telling me who to be? / How do I ask for help when no one is listening?" The juxtaposition of 'everyone' and 'no one' is striking, and the sentiment is something that many can relate to. "Writing 'Settle Down' was an act of catharsis for me," Leah writes. "I've always been a fairly upbeat, smiling person who can process feelings and experiences fairly quickly. But honestly, the last couple of years have been tougher than most. If anything, 'Settle' is a letter to myself - a reminder that things WILL get better in time." "Settle Down" is an off-the-cusp pop/rock song that transitions from an almost-late-80s vibe into a gigantic rock section, and is a powerful culmination of the 'giants' EP.

What The Media Has To Say

Giants is a giant EP, full of aesthetic grace and captivating harmonic textures, while Leah Capelle's voice provides the yummy icing on the musical cake. –Popdust

There are things you come to expect from singer-songwriters yet, the soundscapes contained within Leah Capelle’s 2018 EP certainly aren’t amongst them. Each of the five tracks received a perfect polish until they resounded with a sublimely raucous concordant kick. – A&R Factory

A star has been born. A legacy has been birthed. A unique person has been given to earth and Leah Capelle is just that artist that seems to get what it means to give her all! – Skope

Under the stylishly slick production lays Leah Capelle’s unflinchingly empowered soaring vocals, sludgy yet light instrumental progressions and some of the rawest lyrics you could ever care to hear. The LA-based artist’s unique style blends Alt Pop, with elements of Folk and Rock to compose a sound which bridges the gap between your contemporary Pop icons and Rock deities  -- A&R Factory

To say that Leah Capelle writes merely pop music is to do her an injustice. Yes, her music shares the same values, infectious, straightforward, relatable, but there is an honesty and maturity that goes beyond what most of the genre has to offer and that is exactly why she is going to be around for a long time to come. – Dancing About Architecture

Leah Capelle proves that she is a force to be reckoned with! The songwriting skills, the vocal performance and the all over impression I get from this artist is that this one is gonna stick. I said it before and I will say it again.. and again.. and again.. Leah Capelle is right where she is meant to be.  – Act One Magazine

Leah Capelle sculpts an entire universe, one that feels so vibrant and real. – Beach Sloth

She glides through the high and low notes with so much ease that it seems to be rolling over a curved path -  Mi2N

Leah Capelle makes soul touching music. Her sound holds true emotion. – My Funk

If you don’t feel motivated to live life free after listening to this song, you may need to get a doctor to check and see if you have a pulse. – The Ratings Game

So what happens when you blend art and sexy and pretty and naked? Something soulful. The real giants in all of us. That truest, greatest, realest, sacred-est part we forget. – Red Carpet Living

 

PERSONNEL

  • Vocals and Rhythm Guitar - Leah Capelle
  • Lead Guitar and Co-Arrangement - Will Wu
  • Rhythm Guitar - Michael O'Grady
  • Bass Guitar - Rodrigo Moreno
  • Drums and Background Vocals on "Docs", "Out of Love", Walking with Giants" - Hayley Brownell
  • Acoustic Guitar and Background Vocals on "Better Off" - Hayley Brownell
  • Additional Guitars - Tim Pierce
  • Keyboards and Programming - Jeff Bova

LINER NOTES:

  • Words and Music by Leah Capelle
  • Produced by Jeff Bova
  • Arrangement - Leah Capelle
  • Mixed by Jason Moss
  • Engineering - Ryan Potesta, Jeff Bova
  • Pro Tools Editing - Nigel Lundemo, Steve Valenzuela
  • Drum Tech - Zak St. John
  • Mastered for Mfit at Howie Weinberg Mastering by Howie Weinberg
  • Recorded at The Steakhouse Studios and Bovaland, Los Angeles

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