Photo Credit: Emmanuelle Pickett
With 9 million streams on Spotify alone and her last 5 songs landing on Spotify's New Music Friday, rising pop star and independent recording artist [Leah](http://www.instragram.com/leah) is gaining international attention quickly and being widely recognized as [one to watch](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.onestowatch.com/blog/leah-kate-admits-shes-used-to-this-in__;!!Ivohdkk!zZbboAfmWyraGr_jYkkkOnzNW2JNScPcKpzl823GFLFRFyN6E83B6f53F1QIRr_KS05y$). The LA-based recording artist is best known for her remarkable 2019 debut EP, _Impulse, w_hich has upwards of 6 million total streams to date. Earlier this year, she released her EP titled _Used To This_, which included “bad idea” and “fuck up the friendship.”
We had the chance to catch up with [Leah](http://www.instragram.com/leah) to talk about the hustle, her music, and specifically her new single “Grave” — premiered today exclusively on Flaunt.
**Congrats on the success so far, 9 million streams independently! You’ve been doing this for a minute, how has the grind been for you?**
Yeah! I practically run a full-service label for myself out of my bedroom. I’m my manager, creative director, A&R, label head, artist, publicist, marketing strategist, all in one. My days, usually I get to my studio by 8am, record 10 new covers to upload to TikTok, send out bulks of emails trying to get my songs visibility, DM different publications to get my songs written about. Have a songwriting session mid-day, then go record vocals in between promo for myself and scheduling last minute video shoots for new songs, etc.
Being an independent rising pop artist is hard. \[laughs\] Although I’ve been singing and writing songs since I was 12, it really took getting fired from my job while living in NYC (because I spent all of my time in the studio and not really at work) to start to get the courage to release music professionally and full-time. My brother and I started writing songs in our home studio at a super young age. My first song was an electro-pop song called "after party.” I started emailing huge producers of major label artists I loved at the age of 14, trying to get them to produce out my voice memos I’d freestyle record on my computer.
**What’s the story of “fuck up the friendship”? It went viral.**
After posting a video to TikTok breaking down the truth behind my song lyrics to "Fuck up the Friendship,” the video went viral! When I saw it getting the attention of big celebrities like Jamie Lynn Spears I couldn’t believe it! So sick, I’m honored.
**Speaking of _USED TO THIS,_ how’d that come about?**
I wrote _Used to This_ from my bed during quarantine, it tells the story of a relationship. Each song is very truthful and reflects an exact event in my life, the EP goes in chronological order. I shot the video on my iPhone during quarantine.
**The “Grave” single and lyric video dropped today. What was the inspiration?**
“Grave” is about doing something bad and keeping it a secret, taking it to the grave. About unleashing your promiscuous side, like seeing an ex and wanting no one to know. That one decision that later you’re like ‘“let’s take this one to the grave.”
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