FINAL LOS ANGELES BLOG

Hey everyone, I’m back in the UK now! Good to be home, even though the weathers rubbish!!! I miss it already lol.

My last few days in LA were epic, I wrote with an amazing songwriter and producer, Klaus Derrendorf, pals with  Mr Gosling apparently (who co-wrote and produced ‘A Trick Or Two’) . We wrote a very fun tune, and its been stuck in my head since :) He had a very cool spot in Burbank, the studio was lovely and there were some very famous disks on the wall :)

That night, courtesy of the gorgeous Ed Sheeran, we had triple A passes to the Snow Patrol gig at the Palladium in Hollywood, and Ed was supporting them. It was amazing to watch him play thousands of miles from home and still see screaming girls surround him haha . We watched Snow Patrol from side of stage which was very special, I love their music.

On my very last day I went to meet songwriting legend Jeffrey Trott. He’s co-written most of Sheryl Crow’s hits, and had a lovely studio in Santa Monica. And the weather was HOT. I wish I’d had time to go to the beach :( .

That night I had my 2nd ever show in America at the Bootleg Theatre, it was good fun and a nice way to end the trip.

Overall- i’m totally in love with LA. It was a successful trip and was the most fun I’ve ever had :) I wrote 4 new songs, played 2 shows, hooked up with good friends and made some amazing new ones :) . I can’t WAIT to go back.

Lots of love,

Leddra xxxx

LOS ANGELES DAYS 5-7

Over the weekend I was writing with Nick Rosen and Yonatan Elkayam in his amazing studio-setup in Downtown LA, it was the closest looking place to London you can get here I think lol

We wrote such a cool tune, I’m so excited for you all to hear it! In the evening on Sunday, we went to the Cat and Fiddle where Nick and some of his fellow musicians played jazz for three hours!! It was such a beautiful set up outside on Sunset Boulevard.

Monday was pretty busy, I did two sessions in one day, one in Studio City with Rob Persuad and Mirella again to vocal our new tune, and then straight back to downtown to vocal the tune with Nick and Yonatan!

Aside from the busy schedule, I had the most amazing burger out here. You could build your own. Just look at how many different cheeses you can choose from. Crazy lol Everything out here comes with cheese. Everything lol

Over and out

L xxx

LOS ANGELES DAYS 3 & 4

Hey guys, hope you’re all good! I can’t believe I’ve only been here for almost 6 days… feels like forever, I’m having such an amazing time! On Thursday and Friday I was writing with the fab Rob Persuad and his beautiful wife, Mirella.  They are from the UK but have been living out here for seven years, they are so lovely to work with, we wrote a really beautiful tune that I’m going to be vocaling Monday morning! So I got to see Studio City, where universal studios are and apparently where all the disney/nickelodeon kids film haha!

Thursday evening was one of the most memorable nights of my life, I was invited by Nick Rosen (an incredible musician who I’m writing with at the moment, he has just got off on tour with FEIST) to a place called The Sayers Club… I went with my friend Nick (who was in my  previos blog) and we got given the address and headed down there. We must have wondered up and down the street for so long, wondering where it was, because the number they had given us was for this fast food chicken restaurant (it didn’t look good lol) So eventually we went in there and saw a little red door to the side of the restaurant with a hostess, clipboard in hand, in front of it. I said I was there to see Nick Rosen and she let us through… hahaha it was an AMAZING place- with about five hundred people crammed into it, and a live band set up on stage. It was one of if not THE tightest band I have ever heard live, the singers who got up were incredible, it just became an insane jamming session, I felt so lucky to beer there. Plus there was free Tequila. Always a bonus. ;)

After finishing the session with Rob and Mirella on Friday I met up with my uni friends, Olly & Rob- who freakily are in LA same time as me! We had a bit of a crazy night on sunset boulevard… needless to say I ended up on one of those Bucking Bulls… i lasted thirty seconds lol.

Hope you like the pics!

Much love!!!

L xxxxx

LOS ANGELES DAY 2

Hi! Yesterday was the first day of work in the US- I went to visit the lovely people at Gibson in Beverly Hills! And picked up my baby for the week- a gorgeous J200. They had some amazing Baldwin Pianos in the showroom too, and the silver diamante one I’m playing right there was apparently Liberace’s!! Anyways BIG thanks to Gibson guitars for lending me the beautiful J200 for the next week :)

Then I headed to my first writing session with Rich Jaques (hes the frontman of Right The Stars, they are great check them out- they are being played on the X-Box advert worldwide right now apparently!) We wrote such a sweet song that I can’t WAIT to share! It has a really quirky-Regina-Spektor feel to it, i love it!

Then I headed to Hotel Cafe for my first gig EVER in the US!! It was so much fun, the guys who worked there on the door and sound were so cool and friendly, it was a real pleasure to play there. Thanks so much to the lovely people who waited outside the venue to see me after the gig who were underage and couldn’t get in, it really made my stay so far!! I can’t wait to do another show here!

I bumped into Alex Reid at the gig, which is craaaazy!!! (He is an amazing songwriter - we wrote ‘Wrap Me Up’ together). Love him to bits! The dude in the other photo with the hat that looks like it could be his hair (lol!) is Nick Jones from www.rebelpedals.com , he is an absolute ledge and has been looking after me out here, he has become my adopted big brother from the US. Today I’m writing with the amazing talented Rob Persaud,  and later I’m heading into West Hollywood for drinks I think! Absolutely LOVING it out here :)

Hope everyone is good at home!

Love Leddra xxxxxxx

LOS ANGELES DAY 1

Hey guys! going to be blogging from here all week about my first trip to America!!! I arrived at LAX Los Angeles airport on Monday evening- I’m still trying to get my head around the time difference.. at the moment my friends and family are heading home from work, about to start their evening chilling/sleeping and I’ve just got up and heading out to start the day! haha!

Yesterday I had a day to just chill and sight-see, I went to the walk of fame and the Kodak theatre, and I had my first American Diner experience at Mels Diner… wow. lol.We drove down Rodeo drive (and i saw the hotel from Pretty Woman!!) and went shopping in Beverly Hills! Also got to see Santa Monica beach :) All in all- good day :) The guys I’m staying with are so cool, they took me into Snoop Doggs studio haha! crazyyy. Then ;ast night we all went to Big Wangs (sounds dodgy- actually a very highly acclaimed karaoke bar apparently haha it was really fun)

Today I’m popping into the Gibson guitar show room in Beverly Hills to borrow a gorgeous J200 for my trip, and I have my first writing session in Hollywood followed by a gig tonight at the Hotel Cafe. My first gig in the USA EVER! SO excited :)

Here are some pictures from yesterday!

Hey everyone!!

First, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fab time over Christmas, I certainly enjoyed a few weeks off! It was amazing to spend some quality time with my friends and family :) It is good to be back, though, and I’m ready to work super-hard in 2012.

2011 was a very special year for me in many ways; my band and I played some shows that I will never forget; we played to thousands of people (in both the UK and Europe); we had a Body Shop tour bus for my Academy tour (with my name on it!); I graduated after 3 years of studying on the side at the University of West London; I had the pleasure of watching a mate with a lot of talent and determination completely dominate the airwaves and charts. Lastly, in November I released a new EP (A Trick Or Two) and my last gigs of the year were all sold out. The EP launch gig in London for me was particularly special: I have played in London for a few years now, and never have I felt such a warm response. It was crazy!

I’m glad so many of you enjoyed the A Trick Or Two EP – I know it was something slightly different to what you are used to hearing from me. I am very proud of what we achieved with it, and I very much wanted to give you guys some new music before the 2nd album, as I know it has been a bit of a wait! It will be worth it though: the songs that I am writing for the 2nd album are so special to me, some of them you’ve heard, some youhaven’t yet ;)

I hope all of you downloaders enjoyed the freebie recently: Getting On It. This song pretty much sums up the end of 2011 for me, as there were a few moments last year I wasn’t myself, and like most peoplemade some silly judgments! During the lower points my friends completely lifted me, and although I was working so hard throughout that Autumn period, I wasplaying pretty hard too – having a lot of fun with my mates and so Getting On It is about them.

I learnt a lot last year about myself and this weird and wonderful industry. I cannot tell you how excited I am about thisyear. One of my new years resolutions is to blog more to you all! Kicking that off, below is a video diary highlighting Best Of 2011 for myself, the awesome team around me and my gorgeous band!

Thank you so much for all your support, I still find it incredibly overwhelming! 

L xxxxxx