How Leon Bridges Made One of the Coolest Albums of 2024

There is hardly a record released in 2024 that has a better appeal than Leon Bridges' breathtaking Leon. Warm, organic, inviting, intimate, it's a record that just hugs you. It's like sitting in an outdoor hammock, blissful, on a perfect day in 1977.

From the great opener “When A Man Cries” to the breezy “Laredo” to “Panther City” Leon is a masterpiece of mood, like the man himself. Bridges wears his sunglasses throughout the zoom and answers most questions with “Man.” He embodies the '70s era, which he says influenced the album's wonderfully mellow sound.

He spoke with Sage Bava and I about the vulnerability of naming the album Leon, the role of mediator in songwriting, the process of creating this album, writing with John Mayer, and much more.

Steve Baltin: I spoke to Brandi Carlile when she produced Brandy Clark's album, which is incredible. And Brandi said as a producer that for her the biggest compliment was that Brandy Clark self-titled the album because it meant she felt like the album was closest to her and so thoughtful. Obviously this album is titled Leon. Do you feel the same?

Leon Bridges: I'm always in a state of re-imagination. I always try to reinvent myself with every album. And this album was just about expressing my uniqueness as an artist. I wanted to give people more of an insight into the person I am and that inspired me Leon.

Sage Bava: It is a great pleasure to speak with you, Leon. I'm such a fan and this is absolutely stunning. I love how it feels to get to know another side of you that we've never heard before. Now that you're in the process of implementing this music live for your tour, I'm curious to hear what that experience was like.

Bridges: Yes, I've been lucky enough to work with some really top notch musicians. I think the music will always have a different interpretation live, but the whole goal is to try to keep the live versions of these songs as close to the record as possible. And that's why I think it's great that a large part of the setlist will consist of songs from Leon album, but also some of the older stuff.

Bava: Can you talk about the creative process and how it differed from previous albums and what it was like selecting and putting these songs together?

Bridges: Yes. I started working on this album five years ago. At the time I was working on my album at the same time Gold digger sound and only day and night as far as aesthetics are concerned. Gold digger was rather bold, just as I made a statement that I wanted to flex my R&B muscles on this one. The songs just didn't fit the context, so I put everything on hold and tried to ignore these songs, but they just kept coming back and haunting me, and I just had to listen to my intuition and think about it all again. But it was the most liberating experience because I think that process is usually just about chasing that hit and man, just having the freedom to just create something and not really trying to fit a certain aesthetic and a certain one Chasing sound, I think, and that was different (laughs).

Baltin: The older you get, the more comfortable you become with seeking that intimacy. Do you feel like you’re in that place now?

Bridges: Absolutely. Every time I tried to make the music in a way that I was like, “Okay, yeah, this is going to be really successful and kind of a pop thing.” I always felt like these songs just fell on deaf ears with my audience bumped. I think that inspired me Leon. It was just the thought, “I need the kind of music where I can just pick up a guitar, walk into a room and play it.” I want to really chase that simplicity again and get back to the reason why my fans fell in love with me at all. The songs have a narrative atmosphere. It's like when I was producing it, I really focused on just being really organic with some of those country and folk elements.

Baltin: There is something so beautiful about the simplicity of writing. Were there any albums that inspired you in their simplicity?

Bridges: I'm a huge Van Morrison fan and Astral weeksthat's a great thing. I think it's great that he gave people a glimpse into his hometown. Sonically it's so warm and inviting and I always love his cadence and phrasing on a lot of this stuff. I think a lot of these things live in the subconscious and just pour out when you write. But he's a cat I'm referring to. I think the cool thing is that this album is a reflection of my pantheon of these great records from the '70s.

Bava: I love the focus of real instruments. I really appreciate this coming back. People really crave the connection to wood and nature. For me, the creative process is very ritualistic, especially with real instruments. I was curious what rituals, if any, did you adapt for this creation?

Bridges: I think what was really great was going to Mexico City to really bring this album home. It was just great to be away from all distractions. I guess my schedule is always so sporadic. It was nice to have a little routine, get up, walk a bit, just go to the studio and work on the songs. And it's great to bring real instrumentation and that musicality to the music. I feel like you don't really see a lot of black musicians, like frontmen with guitars. I hope that by doing my own thing I can inspire someone, the youth, to pick up an instrument and learn how to play it.

Baltin: Were there any songs on this album for you that really laid the groundwork for it to be uplifting?

Bridges: Yes. Man, that's crazy because I've never had anything like that to do with my music. Every song on this album just brings me to tears. But there was a song called “Simplify” that became the North Star for how we shape this album and what the meaning of the album is. It's about fame and all that other stuff. I think all artists want a return to a simpler life, and that's what this song is about. That's what I wanted to pursue on this album, as well as the simplicity of the production and the songs.

Bava: If I like to ask this, it's an impossible question, but how would you sum up what it feels like to be a mediator in this moment?

Bridges: Oh my God. I'm not an expert (laughter). Man, I don't know, it's very humbling that sometimes I'm so far removed from the burden of my music and my impact, but I think it's humbling that God still uses me since I'm so frail and a finite person am, and uses my own abilities. Music is supposed to have a healing effect on other people.

Bava: Such a nice answer, thank you very much for that. That is very clear. You can hear it in your music. I really appreciate the amount of soul and depth you bring.

Bridges: Thank you.

Baltin: I know you recorded this album live a few times in intimate settings. When you do something live, the audience makes it their own. Were you pleasantly surprised by the way audiences responded to certain songs?

Bridges: Absolutely. This is a body of work, and honestly I was really surprised that people gravitated to “Laredo,” and even playing excerpts from this piece called “Panther City” and seeing how people responded to it was a real blessing . But yeah, this is one of those albums that you just have to press play on. But I can't wait to see which songs on the album will be people's favorites.

Baltin: You mentioned Van Morrison. Who would be the artist you would most like to sit with, play a show, think about and just have fun with?

Bridges: It would be cool to have a conversation or make music with James Blake. I feel like he's a pioneer himself and this guy really embodies R&B, but it's completely his own thing.

Bava: I'd like to ask about the first song (“When a Man Cries”), it's just so beautiful, I need to know more. Can you give us a little insight into writing or what it means to you?

Bridges: When we were trying to figure out the order, there were rumors like, “Oh, 'Simplify' should be first.” But I was like, “No, 'When A Man Cries,' I love that as an opener.” It is the song I originally started writing with John Mayer. It's funny because I was on Instagram live and doing a session with some friends and John Mayer was like, “Yo, send me the address, I'll get in touch.” I was like, “No way.” But he actually did done, and that's how this song came about. But yes, “When A Man Cries” is about mental health. I feel like in the black community we don't really have the space to express our feelings for fear of being labeled weak. I just love the tear-jerking line “When A Man Cries,” which is a metaphor for just letting go and showing that there is definitely courage in vulnerability. It's just modern blues.