- 2025-07-19
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MUSIC
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Anna Leonard Releases Debut Song “Jest”
Richmond-based singer-songwriter Anna Leonard released her debut song “Jest” on July 18, 2025.
The song will appear on her upcoming debut album “Paint It Blue”, which is set to be released on September 12, 2025.
She co-wrote the song with producer Cameron Smith.
The track captures the ache of a toxic relationship with biting clarity and layers vibrant textures and subtle tension beneath her vocals, marrying lyrical precision with indie-rock sensibility.
She delivers a portrait of longing through punchy verses that reveal a relationship in decline. She sings, “Clean breaks, they feel like kismet / But it always starts / Mistake me for a pierrot / A jest in your peripheral / Can you hear me now? / With all my bells and whistle?”
The song then ends on a note that is both triumphant and ironic, as she continues, “It used to be simple / Did it used to be simple? / This urgency, you held on tight / At one point I'm sure I felt light / But look now I'm so good.”
Anna Leonard said of the song, “It's called jest because I'm trying to make fun of myself a bit here. The ending is both triumphant and ironic! Healing from past relationships also means recognizing your own shortcomings! But hey I AM good now :) I really am :)”- The debut album comprises 8 tracks and blends elements of folk and rock. Produced by Cameron Smith.
She said of the album, “The record lives in the folk rock world of Samia, Blondeshell, Soccer Mommy, Maggie Rogers, etc. This project has been in the works for so long and it's like nothing I've done before. Or it's like everything I've done but bigger and better!” -
Anna Leonard is a Richmond-based poet, songwriter, and former opera singer working with a collective of artists to cultivate music dedicated to sincerity.
Her sound features indie-pop melodies and image-rich lyrics, with sonically explosive roots in rock 'n' roll.
Photo by Sara Stewart - source : Apple Music
