Leroy Sanchez On Developing As a Musician!
Leroy Sanchez is a singer-songwriter born in Spain who has now invaded the L.A. music scene and built up a massive following online!
We recently interviewed Leroy about his beginning in music and discovering his inner musician!
Leroy has been singing for as long as he can remember. In the beginning, he did it just because it was so much fun.
Leroy's father is a carpenter, and his mother is a housekeeper. Though neither of them were active musicians, they still encouraged his musical creativity.
"I think my musical influence comes mainly from my mother," he explained. "She used to play guitar in church, and one day I took her guitar and started messing with it. And that's how it all started!"
Leroy grew up in Spain, where he listened to lots and lots of Spanish music, but was also influenced by mainstream pop radio.
"A lot of those songs went number one on the American or UK charts," he said. "Then I fell in love with English music and culture. So, I guess my musical style comes from both of these."
Leroy continued to sing into his teens, and began playing the guitar to accompany his voice when he was 14 years old.
"I never had the chance to afford guitar classes, so I taught myself with an old book my mother had," he said. "It was my only choice, and I'm glad that's the way it was. I love playing guitar."
A few years later, he received a keyboard for Christmas. He taught himself how to play the keyboard by ear.
"My true sound is basically me and my guitar," Leroy said. "I always start songs like that. If it sounds good with just a guitar and one voice, then it's a good song to me."
When it comes to production of his music, Leroy is still finding his voice in the musical world.
"I'm looking for something big and epic-sounding, but still wanting to add instruments like guitar and piano," he said, "always using organic sounds/instruments but having a fresh touch with some cool synths. There are so many possibilities production-wise, but at the end of the day the song is what matters."
As Leroy seeks to perfect his own sound, he continues to listen to a lot of his favorite music for inspiration.
"I got a lot of influences not only from the number ones in Spain, but also from pop worldwide hits," he said. "I love James Morrison, Emeli Sandé, John Mayer, Beyoncé… I can't name them all!"
He would love to someday collaborate with either James Morrison or Emeli Sandé, but he said he wouldn't mind just listening to a collaboration between those two artists!
Since sharing his music with the world online, he has amassed more than a quarter of a million subscribers on YouTube.
"It's unbelievable! I never ever imagined something like this would happen to me, having people all over the world truly believing in me and supporting what I do," he said. "They are literally the main reason why I keep singing. They are my rock, and they're always there to build me up when I'm feeling down. I'm so lucky to have the best fans in the world."
Despite all this, Leroy still considers himself an aspiring musician, with a lot to learn. Still, he had some advice for others who dream of doing what he has.
"Never ever stop doing what you love," he said. "Always do what YOU love, and work relentlessly to reach your goals."
Currently, Leroy Sanchez is working on writing more original music.
"It's been a tough journey trying to find who I really am as an artist, but I think I'm pretty close to it," he said. "There'll be new original songs coming out beginning of next year, which I'm very excited for! You'll have to stay tuned!"
We can't wait to see what Leroy achieves in the future! If you're interested in his music, check out his social channels below, and join us at Sweety High to pursue your own musical journey!