Like most of us, this pandemic has been life changing for Canadian country artist Leanne Pearson. She ended 2019 with a bang as she, her husband-to-be and her music were featured on an episode of HGTV’s Property Brothers, took home two Manitoba Country Music Awards – Music Video of The Year for “Hot Pursuit” and Album of The Year for Pull It Off – and entered 2020 unaware of what was to come. But among all those unknowns of the pandemic, there were several highs: there was an Elvis Wedding and last year she had the #1 music video on The Country Network, as well as videos featured on CMT and other major global networks. She also got pregnant with her first child, which would prove to be an emotional, blessed journey into 2022.
We recently caught up with Leanne to talk about her career, her pregnancy, her new single “Little Man” and its moving music video.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
LP: -I’m a Canadian singer-songwriter!
-A self-proclaimed crazy cat lady (despite only actually having one cat)
-I got married at an Elvis Chapel by Elvis in 2020 during the pandemic (with my cat as the cat of honour, hence the crazy cat lady thing)
-I love to laugh!
CN: First and foremost – congratulations on the birth of your son!
LP: Thank you!! Levi is an awesome baby, we are so thankful to have him in our lives! He is already in love with music. Anytime he cries or gets fussy we crank up some country music and he instantly calms down!
CN: You had quite a journey the last few weeks of your pregnancy
LP: Bringing this little man into the world has been a bumpy road! I battled covid at 37 weeks pregnant, which put me in and out of the hospital monitoring the baby and I. I had severe trouble breathing and drops in oxygen levels, amongst a ton of other symptoms! Shortly after my covid diagnosis, I was diagnosed with shingles! I kept rolling with the punches and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my little man!
CN: In addition to your family’s new addition, you also just released your new single “Little Man” about your bundle of joy. Can you share with us how this song came about? Was it easy to write?
LP: “Little Man” is all about questions and anticipation! Being a new parent and a new mom comes with so many unknowns! I wrote several lines of this song in the middle of the night. The next day I felt inspired, and the song just poured out of me! I sat at the piano and played a little melody and sang the opening lines to the song “you’re kicking me every day all the time, but I don’t mind, no I don’t mind”. It snowballed from there and I instantly fell in love with the song and knew I needed to share it!!
CN: Can you take us through your songwriting process?
LP: My songwriting process is different for each song. Sometimes I start with a lyric, sometimes it’s a melody and sometimes it’s just a topic! I often start writing a song alone and then take it to a co-writer. Which is always a neat process, because sometimes the song continues down the path I originally started, and other times the song turns into something completely different but totally amazing! It’s really cool to look back at a song when its finished knowing the process of how it got there.
CN: The song’s release was accompanied by a beautiful music video. What provided the inspiration behind it?
LP: I really wanted the lyrics of this song to be interpreted though dance! My last music video involved a song being interpreted through sign language! I grew up with a blind Nana and a deaf Nana. They were my best friends! One never got the chance to see me perform or watch my music videos, but she loved listening to me sing. The other could watch me on stage and see my music videos, but she never got the chance to hear my singing voice.
Anna, the dancer in the “Little Man” video, interpreted the lyrics with some very brilliant dancing. For example, she replicated a child in the womb and a baby in a mother’s arms. I am so incredibly happy with how this video turned out!!
CN: At what age did you discover Country music and when did you know that this was the path that you wanted to pursue as a career?
LP: I grew up listening to music with no boundaries or genres. I listened to radio stations that played every genre! So to me, music was music, there were no genres. I performed in talent contests at a young age and every judge always said “you have a little twang to your voice”. I loved writing songs with stories and a message! Naturally I gravitated towards country music! I love country music and still have a huge love for all genres!
CN: The Canadian Country scene has been solid for a long time, with artists such as k.d. lang, Terri Clark, Shania Twain having successful careers, and more recently Lindsay Ell, Tenille Townes, Brett Kissel, MacKenzie Porter and Colter Wall. Can you talk a little bit about the current Canadian Country scene?
LP: Canada is full of talent! I love being Canadian! I am so proud watching fellow Canadians grow and become successful in Country Music!
CN: Which artists have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
LP: Shania Twain and Bryan Adams are my biggest influences! But I grew up listening to The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, John Cougar Mellencamp and Tom Petty. I always watched live DVDs of performances and grew up replicating the energy I saw on TV! I believe that has played a large roll in my energic live shows!
CN: The discussion about female artists’ representation in country music in the States is well known, what is it like to be a female country artist in Canada?
LP: Female artists should be heard! There are so many beautiful voices and so many stories to be told! I love being a female, even though sometimes it’s a bit more difficult to get radio play or to push through the noise. There are hurdles, but it only makes us women stronger and more determined!
CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be?
LP: That’s a tough question! I have a long list of artists and bands I would love to collaborate with! Bryan Adams or The Eagles would be a dream! And of course Shania Twain!
CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?
LP: The Guess Who! It was an outdoor concert in the pouring rain!
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
LP: Quirky! Someone once used that word to describe me, and I think it’s fairly accurate! I’ve always been a bit different than everyone else, even friends growing up! I’m not afraid to be myself, laugh at myself and say what’s on my mind! I also love making corny bad Dad jokes! But now that I’m a Mom I guess I have to start calling them Mom jokes!!
CN: New baby, new single. What’s next on the horizon for you?
LP: More music, more fun social media content and more inspiration! There is so much I want to accomplish in my career and life, and somehow after all these years I still feel like I’m just getting started!
For more information on Leanne Pearson, visit her website www.leannepearson.ca and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Also, if you are a fellow cat lover, watch Leanne’s adorable video for “Caturday” here.