Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales

Leddra Chapman joins the ranks of hugely gifted female singer/songwriters that are currently hitting the music scene. It seems to me that females are currently outnumbering males and groups as far as talent. Because of this it needs something special for a girl to stand out from the crowd. Well, Leddra with crystal clear voice, highly accomplished guitar and piano playing and a batch of the most thoughtful, beautiful and catchy songs, certainly makes the grade with her recording debut.

What’s more Telling Tales is a really classily produced album, Leddra having called upon the help of Peter-John Vettese. He started his career playing with the legendary prog-rock band Jethro Tull and later became an arranger and producer for a huge number of big stars ranging from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys, Bee Gees and Clannad.

Leddra is being classed as folk but this is not mainstream folk, her music has got a big chunk of good old-fashioned English pop running through it. There are shades of singers like Beverley Craven, Vanessa Carlton, and more recently the excellent Amy Macdonald, but this is a unique folk/pop that defies comparison.

From the opening track Story, which sounds like something Paul McCartney would be proud of, to the concluding ballad Wrap It Up, which has the intensity of a Joni Mitchell creation, this is a stunning collection of songs. There are only 10 tracks in total but they are all quality and written with maturity that defy her eighteen years. For one so young she writes with great sensitivity but also with a lightness and humour that adds variety. As the album title suggests this is telling tales but it is also a work depicting real life emotions.

In these days of Xfactor and crazy celebrity status there are still artists who are trying to take more traditional routes to stardom. Leddra has been honing her craft since she started to learn to play the guitar at the age of 12. Later she produced demos of her songs in a small home studio her Dad built at the back of the family’s garage. When old enough and with enough repertoire of songs she played small clubs and concerts wherever she could. Her resourcefulness has continued with more recently a job combining her singing and modelling as European brand manager for clothing company Quicksilver.

So here we have an artist who hits the target with her first offering. Excellent musician, classy model but above all else that very special attribute that not even a Joe or Olly has and that’s an extreme song writing talent.