Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Connolly
Hi Leah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been singing since childhood– whether in church, school choir, or at the Lexington Children’s Theatre. In my teens I was heavily involved in my church’s youth group band. I went to college at the University of Cincinnati after high school. During that time, I was focused on college and no longer involved in church, so music took a backseat for a year or two. However, it was not long before I felt a music shaped hole in my heart! I started taking vocal lessons at that time. When I was 25, I moved from Cincinnati back to Lexington. Shortly after I moved back, a good childhood friend of mine, Abby Hamilton, asked me to join her in a 90’s country tribute project she was working on called Bolo Mules. The first time I performed with Bolo Mules, it had been years since my last gig. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but something really clicked in me when I got on that stage. All of my instincts took over, and I knew that performing live was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I knew I wanted to join a band. Soon after that I became involved with a rock band in Lexington called NP Presley who was looking for a backing vocalist. With NP Presley I began gigging regularly in Lexington and all around Kentucky and the surrounding states. In 2022, we spent 5 weeks touring in Belgium and The Netherlands. In 2023, I was asked to join the band Mule Haggard. Mule Haggard’s members, Drew May, Derek Carty, and Josh Glancy, have all been involved with the Lexington music scene for many years. They asked me to join as a backing vocalist, but soon began asking me to take the lead! Now I co-lead the band with Drew, and have gotten to write and record with them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes and no. I am a very determined person, and once I decided that performing was what I wanted to do, there was very little that could get in my way. However, there certainly have been a few things that almost took me out of the game. Imposter syndrome is one of them. Bolo Mules (the 90s country tribute project that I still perform with occasionally) is basically a super group of well known, well established Kentucky musicians. When I started with them, I was SO intimidated. I left the first practice crying. Abby Hamilton was able to calm me down and remind me that I did have what it takes to be involved in this group. Even after that, it took a year or two for the inferiority I was feeling to subside. Everyone involved in Bolo Mules has been so kind and supportive to me every step of the way. I get emotional even now thinking about how hard they believed in me. I really don’t think I would be where I am today without them. Another obstacle I faced was an experience of sexual misconduct I had with a former band member back in 2020. This experience left me with post traumatic stress and led to a few very dark years of my life. Although it left me broken, it also left me hellbent on not allowing ANYONE to take music away from me. Music, cognitive behavioral therapy, medications, and meditation have all contributed to my healing. I now feel stronger than ever, and more dedicated to a life of musical performance.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Although I love to sing all types of music, I find myself most drawn to genres like blues, country, and rock and roll. I have a lot of attitude and soul in my voice and in my stage presence. I feel very deeply, especially while singing, and I think moving the audience to feel what I feel is a gift of mine. My current band, Mule Haggard, is my pride and joy. We are a mixture of blues, southern rock, and psychedelia. We also have a truly extraordinary band dynamic, in my opinion. Our personalities and creative vision are so cohesive, and we are close friends who truly enjoy spending time together. I think that’s what sets us apart. In a culture that is so focused on individualism, finding people that you can collaborate with in a positive way with is rare. Creativity flows so easily when you genuinely love and respect your band members. They have inspired me to create in ways I didn’t even know I could.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
To put it simply, art and people. The arts are my religion. They are what I lean on when the world doesn’t make sense. I want to live and breathe art and music every day of my life. People are becoming more and more important to me every day as well. For many years of my life I considered myself a loner. I am introverted and I struggle a lot with social anxiety. I feel more confident on stage with a full house than I do when I am in the real world interacting with individuals. However, over the past few years my eyes have been opened to the importance of community. People are not meant to be alone. We are meant to find connection and love. One of the things that helped me realize that is the amazing community of musicians in Lexington, KY. It is in that community that I have learned how to love myself and others. The friends I have made there give me purpose in life. I can’t imagine what I’d do without them!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/mulehaggard
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/haggardmule
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zFYrmv3xkvEd7Z1Wc0YFc
