“We’re Building A Real Relationship!” Leon Thomas Interviewed

After a long and winding path across multiple aspects of show business, Leon Thomas is emerging as a global R&B superstar. A child star on the Nickelodeon network as well as appearing on Broadway as Simba in The Lion King, Thomas moved into the world of production, working with everyone from Rick Ross to Ariana Grande and picking up a Grammy in the process.

All of this has fed into a sound that feels as nostalgic as it is innovative. 2023’s ‘Treasure In The Hills’ was demonstrative of Thomas’s burgeoning talent, but he has really come into his own on his most recent album, ‘MUTT’, as he announces himself to an international audience.

After two sold out London shows, CLASH spoke to Leon about his unusual career journey, the influence of production on his music, and the different connotations of dogs as motifs in music.

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Growing up in a musical family, can you tell me a little bit about your parents and the influence they had on your early career? 

Growing up with music running through the halls definitely helped. It created a happy space, a fun space, and it never felt like a chore. My stepfather was a producer and he had a recording studio at our house. He made it a rebellious action for me to go in there and mess around with the equipment on purpose. 

Those little games that we played and essentially having instruments all over the house where nothing was off limits meant it was always about having fun with it. To this day I see music as an experience of expression, fun, and joy.

And from there you went on to star in Nickelodeon shows as well as on Broadway. Did a career in music almost feel destined to you?

Yeah, man. All throughout my career, even as a child actor I was part of films, TV shows, and Broadway plays that really highlighted my musical talent. I knew that was something that was really special about me as a person. It’s been a long journey, you know? Being signed to different labels and working with different teams, trying to really build this out over the years. But I’m really happy that this is my season to really make it all happen. It’s been a life long process to become an overnight success.

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What have you learned from those experiences that have fed into your career and is there anything you’ve had to unlearn?

Absolutely. I think the biggest thing I had to unlearn was perfect. I think, you know, when you’re on Nickelodeon, you’re being media trained. There’s so many aspects of trying to button up in order to gain popularity and personal success, but I think what I really showcase the most of my music is vulnerability. That was something that kind of came later on. That allowed me to really be real about not just the good parts about myself but also my flaws. 

From that point you got into production and worked with a host of big names from SZA to Drake. What skills have you taken from there into your solo career?

Production was such a fun gig for me. It gave me the opportunity to be in the studio and be able to cook up on all the different instruments, learn the plugins and how to mix. It just became a new exploration, something new to really craft and become good at. Over the years, becoming really talented in that space really helped me in autonomy when it came to the first EP that I dropped, ‘Genesis’. That was pretty much self produced for the most part. 

Since then I’ve worked with other producers but to be real, if it hadn’t been for me being a producer at that time, I don’t think I would have been able to put music out independently. It’s a skill I have for a lifetime and being a fan of artists like Prince or Stevie Wonder who can produce as well as they perform, I knew I had to perfect that to really unlock my potential. 

Production is a different discipline as well. Do you prefer working on your solo stuff or do you miss the aspect of collaboration that comes with production?

It’s a good feeling collaborating with someone I’m a fan of and leaving a room with a song after we started with nothing. It’s an addicting feeling. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to work with absolute icons and legends and for all the lessons they taught me over the years. I pretty much graduated from an Ivy League school within the music industry and I’m still putting those lessons into practice today.

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You alluded to your first project, ‘Genesis’, earlier. What’s the key difference in your artistry from that point of your career to the present day?

I mean, I’m still finding myself. Like I said, I was still learning how to be vulnerable and I think at that time I was really doing my best to kind of appease and make everybody feel good. The people pleaser part of myself was very live. Now I’m a little bit more selfish musically. I think that it’s something that has created some really interesting music, because I’m coming from a place of what I like, not just what I think the world would love.

Coming onto your most recent project, ‘MUTT’. What made you pick that word as the title of the album?

It’s really multi-use. I got a dog in a relationship that I had some years ago, and after we broke up, my ex pretty much left me with this dog. It’s my first dog – he’s a little unruly, you know, a German Shepherd/Husky mix. One day I just saw myself in him for the first time which was an odd feeling.

It’s interesting that throughout musical history, the dog image has been a part of popular music from Elvis to Snoop Dogg himself. It’s just a powerful metaphor for guys trying to figure it out. I think I’m writing a lot about love and not necessarily being ready to settle down on this album. It just made perfect sense to me. In a marketing way too, I’ve never had a lead single that was the title track, so it was nice to have an anthem for the album prior to releasing it to let people know we had something special.

It’s interesting you say that because in terms of the history of music the dog motif is normally associated with masculinity and aligns more with the ‘D A W G’ spelling, but your interpretation is a bit more vulnerable…

Yeah, absolutely. Dogs have different sides to them. I mean, people own pit bulls and it’s funny because there’s like, all these really amazing videos of pit bulls online cuddling with their owners, but they can be vicious dogs when they want to be. But there’s sides to everybody, and I feel like that range needs to be explained within this metaphor. I’m glad I had the opportunity to really show the world what my pain could do. I think it’s definitely a balance on both sides, for sure.

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The title song has blown up recently as well. What do you think it is about that track that resonates with so many people?

I think it’s a good hook. It’s pretty easy to sing. Sometimes I make my music a little more complicated than it needs to be. This song is based in simplicity and I think that plays a big part of it. Also, we’ve been missing the funk! So I’m glad I can bring that Bootsy Collins bassline back into the mainstream. I also want to continue to bring in as many live elements as I can into my music as I progress as an artist.

Across the project you work with the likes of Wale, Masego, and Conductor Williams. What do these artists bring to the album and what do you take away from these experiences?

I’m a big fan of everybody who jumped on the album and I’ve become really good friends with every one of the features. Especially the producer, Conductor – that’s like my big bro. To be real about it, I’m just excited that people are resonating with the music and have the same taste buds that I have. These guys are amazingly talented, and I’m just glad that we can be more than just collaborators. We’re building a real relationship.

You’ve just completed two sold out London shows. How did you find your experience here and are there any UK artists you’ve been looking out for?

To be real, I really want to work with Cleo Sol. She’s so talented and so mindful, and the concepts of her songs and what she talks about are healing music. I’m very excited to work with her one day.

When I came out to London me and my team knew we had some good analytics here but we were all pleasantly surprised by how much love we’ve been getting, from the streets to inside the venue. Seeing everyone reacting to the music really struck a chord and to be so far away from home, I just really appreciate the love y’all showed me. 

I’m not an overly confident person, so there’s always those moments of self-doubt. I remember, before we even put the album out, I was nervous as hell. But, man, I mean, I was riding around to the album in my car, praying to God that people understood me. It’s a good feeling to know that I wasn’t wrong. The fact is, I’m not always going to be right, but I’m glad I was right this time.

It feels like you’ve turned that lack of self-confidence and vulnerability into one of your biggest strengths…

Yeah, man. This has been a huge confidence boost for me. There’s still so much I have to learn but being on the road has helped me just understand the different cultures that are listening to my music and how I can continue to implement things that keep my music global. That’s the big thing. I really want to continue to expand my audience.

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Just on that, what are your short-term goals and where do you see yourself in the next five or ten years?

I really want to be an international success. I genuinely want to build a bridge from a world of acting that I left back to music. I think there’s a way for me to connect the two – maybe a short film connecting to a new project. Outside of that being around so many icons, I’ve seen that material items are the thing that really puts them in a position to be autonomous economically. I’m currently just working on different ideas and learning new skills that I can implement from a business angle and on a brand partnership level, to be able to kind of implement that mindset. For now, I’m just focused on making sure every show sounds good, and that I’m continuing to write songs that resonate with myself and the rest of the world.

Finally, you mentioned building that bridge between music and acting. Is acting something you miss or is music your main priority right now?

When I watch films and I see a role that I could have been in, the competitive side of me – the dog comes out. I’m definitely gonna work hard to make sure when I do get back to acting, I’m bringing something new to the table. For a long time, I survived in the acting space based off of charisma, but I definitely want to take the time to get back into class and come back with the tools that can make me a real player in that market as well.

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‘MUTT’ is out now.

Words: Joe Simpson
Photography: Connie Burke

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