Neu Get To Know… Leith Ross
The Winnipeg singer-songwriter with an affective line in candid storytelling.
Hello and welcome to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… in which we aim to bring you a little bit closer to the buzziest new artists catching our eye as of late and work out what makes them tick.
Fresh from the release of their debut ‘To Learn’, 24-year-old Winnipeg native Leith Ross has been drawing justified comparison to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers for their wise and tender storytelling. Having built a significant TikTok buzz, now it’s translating firmly to the offline community too; earlier this year, they played an entirely sold out debut UK tour, and they’ll return this winter for a run of much bigger dates.
To mark the release of ‘To Learn’, we dropped Leith a line with our quick-fire questions - read on whilst you give the album a spin, why dontcha?
Describe your music to us in the form of a Tinder bio.
Existentialist dread mixed with gay feelings.
Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?
My friends. People who navigate the world and the music business with incredible care and kindness. Tofusmell, Boy Golden, Fontine, Kai Warrior, Ash Tuesday, and many others.
If you could revisit one decade/ era/ scene in music, where would you go?
Oh goodness, maybe like the late 2000s? I’d go to the late 2000s again and go dancing.
Which track of yours should a first-time listener start with, and why?
I would say maybe 'We’ll Never Have Sex'? Get some hard truths and insanely intimate details about me out of the way and then they’ll have a bit more Leith context for the rest of the songs.
In school, what would you have been voted Most Likely To...?
Wear all bright yellow outfits. I had a crazy thing going on with my outfits back then.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Carly Rae Jepsen.
If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?
Um, maybe some sort of optimism about something? I know a lot of my songs are sad but there’s always hidden kernels of optimism and I hope they aren’t missed.
We’re coming round for dinner, what are you cooking?
Smoked salmon pasta. :P
'To Learn' is out now via Republic Records.
Featuring SOFT PLAY, Corinne Bailey Rae, 86TVs, English Teacher and more!