Leah Sykes grew up in Jacksonville, FL with her 4 siblings. As a swimmer, Leah’s young adult life consisted of going from the locker room music of 50 cents and Jay-Z to her parent’s minivan music of James Taylor and John Mayer.
At the age of 12, she bought her brother’s guitar from him for $50 and began writing music.
She played her first show when she was 15, covering both Monsters by Eminem (all 3 rap verses) and Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. While Leah’s distinct influences might seem to contradict each other, there is a defining point that they all share: they tell a story.
At 18, she moved to Nashville to pursue those stories and to pursue those sounds. Having opened for artists such as Jon Bellion, Louis Tomlinson, and Lizzo, Leah understands not only the power of the performance but the power of owning your story and using it to empower others. When listening to Leah Sykes, you can hear her heart as she pours her insecurities, love, and failures into the lyrics in that ground betweenthe ‘Locker Room and Minivan’.