Leon Thomas: The Road To Electric Dusk
Samantha Colleran, August 2023
If Leon Thomas had to describe himself in three words or less, he would refer to himself as a vivid storyteller. Leon was only a toddler when he first began showing interest in musical instruments. Through his life, he has worked within the entertainment industry; he starred as Young Simba in The Lion King on Broadway at ten years old followed by roles in the Original Broadway Cast of Caroline, or Change (2004) and The Color Purple (2005), and has also acted in a number of films and television shows. Leon has worked with some of the biggest names in music including SZA, Drake (Certified Lover Boy), Ariana Grande (positions), Kehlani, Post Malone, Coco Jones, among others. Leon has also worked with Babyface to collaborate on a production duo, The Rascals, and he has also written for Babyface and Toni Braxton (Love, Marriage, and Divorce). With a long list of endeavors and talents, Leon is ready to introduce the world to his own sound with the release of his highly anticipated debut album, Electric Dusk, released on August 18 under Ty Dolla $ign’s label EZMNY Records.
For someone who has so many writing/production credits and released an EP all the way back in 2018, you may be wondering why there’s such a huge gap in Leon’s personal releases. The road to Electric Dusk was full of trials and tribulations; legal issues regarding contracts and other industry obstacles kept the album from coming out on Leon’s desired timeline. Electric Dusk has been sitting in Leon’s back pocket for quite a while, and now the time has come for the world to finally hear what he’s been ready to share for so long.
Electric Dusk is named after the famous LA drive-in theater and draws on Leon’s love for cinema (he cites Quentin Tarantino and romance movies Love & Basketball and Love Jones -which is the name of a track on the album- as some of his cinematic inspirations). The genius of Electric Dusk lies in the simplicity of the lyrics and 60s psychedelic inspired guitars blended with R&B which allow the record to sound modern yet so timeless.
The main thing Leon hopes people take away from the album is a better understanding of who he is. The album highlights different emotions he’s felt through the human experience, and he’s excited that listeners will be able to have the chance to connect to the tracks he’s poured his heart into. Writing for others comes easier to Leon, but it’s in his debut we hear where he’s pushed himself to dig deeper into uncomfortable feelings and create a world where listeners can understand and relate to these tough to describe emotions. Two standout tracks for Leon are the album opener, “Slow Down”, and “Fade To Black”. Both have elements that highlight different parts of instrumentation that Leon has come to love when creating music such as harder drums and a sound that feels more ‘live’.
As a music industry veteran, Leon is in a position where he can offer advice to up and coming artists, particularly in the R&B genre. Writing what you know is important, pulling inspiration from your own life more often than not will stick with audiences because it’s coming from a genuine place. Instead of writing something just because you think it will be trendy or popular, Leon shares the importance of having conversations with those you’re writing with and how those conversations can lead to more authentic storytelling within the songs you create.
Through all of his success, Leon has remained humble and grateful for all the support he’s received over the years. The internet can be scary at times, but there’s been a huge outpouring of love for Leon as more people have come to realize he’s played a part in creating some of their favorite songs. A true visionary and talent in the entertainment industry, Leon is finally being given his flowers and it’s lovely to see.
To keep up with all of Leon’s work, you can follow him on Instagram and TikTok. If you’re interested in seeing these songs performed live, you can catch Leon on tour with Ty Dolla $ign on the more motion less emotion tour this fall where Leon hopes to gain new fans that understand his musical message while continuing to entertain those who have stuck by him since the beginning.