All the way from “Oz”, St Leonards are the newest players on the Hollywood Sunset Strip. Named after their hometown, the independently run trio from Australia is charming, sincere, and stocking up on frequent flier miles. They are currently on a West Coast US tour starting and ending in Los Angeles.The beginnings of St Leonards started off as a solo project of front man, Shane Fritsch. Secretly funky bassist, Chris Koelma, and never ceasing to rock drummer, Jeff Doukakis, soon joined the St Leonards troupe. They recorded their eponymous debut album earlier this year with Grammy-winning producer, John Wooler and have already collaborated with famous percussionist Lenny Castro and singer-songwriter Siedah Garrett. The result: fresh sounding and pleasant with the right amount of groove.
Fortunately the street cred hasn’t gotten to their heads. The band has been working tirelessly for the tour in order to gather fans at every stop. “[Touring] is a different headspace,” said Fritsch when I spoke to the band. There is little room for writing when traveling to play for potential fans (and chicks) after shows. They recently added guitarist, Dan Romeo for the tour, who left his final year at a university in Australia to play the US. Dedication.
St Leonards will conclude their tour at Silver Lake indie rock venue, Spaceland on November 21. Visit the St Leonards online hub (http://stleonardsmusic.com/).
-Kateri Lirio