LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ Warner Bros. Records) - Tennessee born singer and songwriter Josiah Leming will release his eagerly anticipated debut album for Reprise Records in early 2009.
The 19-year-old newcomer, who made a splash with his powerfully expressive voice and passionate performance style, recorded the songs, all of which he wrote himself, during several weeks over the summer with producer/musician David Kosten (Bat For Lashes, Faultline).
To give listeners a sneak peek at the album, Leming is releasing Angels Undercover: Selections from Josiah Leming's album debut. A five-song sampler of tracks from the album. The tracks - 'Arctic Outcry Wind,' 'Angels Undercover,' 'Theysay,' 'This Cigar,' and 'To Run' - will be sold digitally via iTunes and all participating digital retailers, as well as on CD via www.myspace.com/josiahleming and at his upcoming shows.
On November 12th, 2008, Josiah Leming hits the road for several low-key shows to give fans a preview of the debut. Many of those fans will recognize Leming from his appearance on Season 7 of American Idol.
His electrifying performances and moving story struck a chord with viewers who turned up in droves on Leming's MySpace page to send messages of support and listen to the original songs he had posted. Since then, the page has racked up nearly 3.5 million views, while Leming's songs have been listened to nearly three million times collectively.
Leming left his home in Morristown, TN, at age 17 to make it as a musician, hoping to find a way to help support the family he was leaving behind - eight siblings (six of whom are adopted), an out-of-work stepfather, and a mother with terminal cancer. Leming traveled around the Southeast playing open-mic nights in any club or coffeehouse that would have him, sleeping in his car and taking odd jobs to pay for food and gas, all the while dreaming about the album he would make one day. His appearance on American Idol landed him a manager who brought him to Warner Bros. Records who signed him in June 2008. For Leming, the dream of making an album has finally arrived.
'People need to know about Josiah Leming.' - Ellen DeGeneres
'A genuine talent... His voice is unique, his story compelling' - Buzz Sugar
'Leming is magnetic in person... disarming and electrifying. (His) music drips with a deep hurt but remains defiantly hopeful.' - LA Times
'Leming does not play piano so much as he assaults it. The music that explodes from the rickety piano is booming and urgent, a little unsettling, incredibly raw. Honest. And then there's his voice, which is startling as much for its clarity as for the reckless way Leming wields it.' - MTV.com
Josiah Leming November 2008 tour dates:
(Dates and information subject to change.)
November 12 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
November 13 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
November 14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
November 16 - Red Devil Lounge - San Francisco, CA
November 18 - Downtown Brew - San Luis Obispo, CA
November 19 - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
November 20 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
November 22 - Dos Amigos - Odessa, TX
November 23 - Midnite Rodeo - Abilene, TX
November 24 - The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
November 26 - Young Avenue Deli - Memphis, TN
