In a career that’s just taking shape, Leonie Jakobi has already achieved so much, from writing with Paul McCartney to having her talents put in the spotlight by famous names such as Simon Le Bon and Steven Van Zandt. Today brings a new landmark moment for the Germany-born, Liverpool-grown artist – now living life on the road – as she unveils her debut album ‘What Are The People Gonna Say?’. Listen HERE.
Leonie says, “‘What Are the People Gonna Say?’ is my joy record. It’s bold, loud, and full of heart – made between Liverpool and Nashville with no click, lots of analogue gear, and a killer band. These songs are about living on the road, protecting your energy, knowing when to leave, and asking for what you want. Sonically, it’s all heartland rock and soft ’70s swagger – think Springsteen meets Suzi Quatro with a bit of Brandi Carlile fire. It’s my first album, not my last – so let’s get this started.”
That freewheeling spirit bursts into life with the record’s opening song, title track and new single. In a luminous surge of rock ‘n’ roll and ‘70s glam influences, Leonie establishes a joyous atmosphere that runs right through the album – complete, of course, with a lyrical nod to Suzi Quatro.
As the album unfolds, Leonie’s songs sparkle with self-empowerment, defiance, optimism for the future, and a few reflections on her past taking in recent singles such as the fiery rock strut of ‘Don’t Mind Me (While I Give You Up)’, the exquisite vocal harmonies of the Arielle duet ‘Come And Roll With Me’, and the surf-rock nostalgia of ‘The Life My Parents Had’.
Its new songs more than match that standard. The tender ballad ‘What Happened To Us’ feels as immediately captivating as a long lost late ‘80s airplay hit, before Leonie cranks up the riffage and lets her full-blooded vocal flow on the aptly-titled ‘Car Crash With Fireworks’. She steps into honky-tonk exuberance with some classic slide guitar on ‘Easy To Love Me’, while the hi-octane ‘Nothing To Lose’ makes for a dynamic closer and sums up the album’s core message: belief in yourself, take some chances, follow your dreams, and see where the road takes you.
‘What Are The People Gonna Say?’ can be streamed HERE, while Leonie’s official store offers the album on vinyl and CD formats.
Raised in Dreieich, near Frankfurt, Germany, Leonie Jakobi was first inspired to play music after watching and occasionally performing in her father’s covers band. Drawing on further influences such as Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge, Taylor Swift, Larkin Poe, Dorothy, Tom Petty and Bob Seger, her talents led her to Liverpool’s renowned Institute For Performing Arts. She still spends much of her time in the city. The first stage of her career was sealed with the 2023 EP ‘Nothing More To Say’ before she turned her focus to this debut album, which was primarily recorded in Nashville with producer Arielle alongside sessions in Liverpool with Alec Brits.
Having launched the album with a special show at Dreieichenhain Castle, Leonie will be back on tour in the UK for the following co-headline shows with Tom Wright. Remaining tickets are available HERE.
NOVEMBER
27th – London, The Green Note
29th – Liverpool, Jacaranda Club
30th – Wrexham, Old Bar No. 7
