New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Denver-based country singer-songwriter
Leslie Tom is scheduled to release her new, self-titled EP on February 17, 2017. Produced by John Macy (The
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Richie Furay, Los Lobos) and recorded at Cinderella Sound in Nashville, the record features a veritable "who's-who" of legendary session players, including
Lloyd Green on pedal steel, Country
Music Hall-of-Famer Hargus "Pig" Robbins on keys, and long-time
Garth Brooks guitarist Chris Leuzinger, among others. The EP also features a dusty-road duet with rising country star
Kevin Moon on the song "My Only Addiction."
"What I love about the EP is that it's the first record I've done where I've co-written all but one song on it," says Leslie. "I have stayed very close to my traditional country roots."
From the twangy slide guitar and fiddle interplay on the Dear John kiss-off "Hank You Very Much," to the honky-tonk-shuffle relationship reality check "Breakin' My Own Heart," to the familial bonds explored in both "Every Other Friday" (a nostalgic nod at Tom's relationship with her dad) and "Hardest Thing I'll Ever Do" (a tip of the hat to Tom's daughter and navigating the difficulties and joys of parenthood), the self-titled release is, at its heart, about relationships, as viewed through a traditional country lens.
You can't get much more traditional country than the artist Tom chose to cover on this release: her cover of Patsy Cline's last single, "Leavin' On Your Mind," is a torch song rife with jazzy-bluesy piano that kicks up the tempo just a little bit without losing any of the emotional tug that made the original a powerful country classic. In a case of full-circle rightness, Pig Robbins, who played on Cline's version, also played keys on this version.
Says Tom about the EP: "I want people to realize that country music in the true sense of the definition is still very much alive and well. I'm more proud of this EP than I've felt about any piece of work I've shared. I have nothing left to prove. These songs are the stories of my life written without worry if I'll fit in to what is being played on mainstream radio and celebrated by today's 'country' fans. This is me… all me."
Leslie Tom will come out on the heels of her latest single, "Didn't Think Twice" (an alternate version of which will be available on the forthcoming EP). "Didn't Think Twice" was released on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2016. The song is a moving tribute to her grandfather,
Milton Smallwood Alexander, and his service during World War II in Normandy, as well as a document of the sacrifices those serving tours of duty in our armed forces still make today on behalf of their country; it features guest vocals by ex-Navy SEAL Pete Scobell. All proceeds from the sale of the single go to the
Travis Manion Foundation (www.travismanion.org), a non-profit organization empowering veterans and the families of fallen soldiers.
From the first few notes of a
Leslie Tom song, you're instantly taken back to a time when singers like Patsy Cline and
Loretta Lynn were winning the hearts of country music lovers everywhere. But keep listening, and you'll hear a voice and a sound that are remarkably current, even timeless. Combining relatable lyrics with her bubbly, sassy personality and an unmistakable voice, along with fiddle and pedal steel guitar, Tom puts her own traditional-modern spin on country music.
Born and bred in the heart of Texas, she cut her teeth listening to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Bob Wills on the radio of her father's Ford truck. Her own musical journey began at age 7, picking up the violin and clarinet before settling on piano, and eventually developing her vocal skills and songwriting chops. In the years since, Tom has sung on stage in front of tens of thousands of people, appeared on television music competitions, released two critically acclaimed studio projects and performed for enthusiastic audiences around the world. Her musical journey has taken her from the honky-tonks of south
Texas to a stint in Nashville, then back to Texas, before settling in Colorado in 2014.
www.leslietommusic.com
#UnapologticallyCountry
