Leigh-Anne has opened as much as NME about how she is coming into a “new period” as an unbiased artist. Take a look at the total interview beneath, or watch it within the video above.
The previous Little Combine turned solo star caught up with us backstage on the 2025 version of Studying this weekend, shortly after performing an ecclectic set over on the Chevron Stage. The slot marked the ultimate of her pageant slots lined-up for this 12 months, and noticed her finish the run with a bang – breaking out her newest singles, ‘Burning Up’ and ‘Been A Minute’, together with renditions of Little Combine’s fan-favourites ‘Contact’, ‘Candy Melody’ and ‘Energy’.
“I’m nonetheless buzzing,” she advised us of her set. “It was wonderful, and the gang have been unimaginable. It’s at all times going to be a kind of issues the place you don’t know what to anticipate, and also you don’t know if [the crowd] goes to refill… but it surely was simply fully full and there was a mosh pit taking place too. It was loopy.”
Take a look at the total interview with Leigh-Anne beneath, the place she additionally mentioned how she is trying to put her “Leigh-Anne stamp” on the pop scene by mixing influences from R&B and jungle, when followers can anticipate her new album, and if her new path may affect Little Combine’s sound once they return from their hiatus.
NME: Hello Leigh-Anne, congratulations on finishing your run of 2025 festivals! What was it prefer to be on the market performing as a solo artist in comparison with in a bunch?
Leigh-Anne: “It’s completely different being in a bunch normally in comparison with being solo, however performing is in my blood. I adore it, and I’m the happiest once I’m on stage. I really feel like my dancers are sort of performing as my Little Combine sisters this time round – I’ve nonetheless bought a pack on stage and I really feel supported.”
You’ve just lately launched two new singles ‘Burning Up’ and ‘Been A Minute’. Is that this the beginning of a brand new period?
“It’s 100 per cent the beginning of a brand new period. I needed to take a little bit of time to step again – and I’m newly unbiased now as properly – so I used to be going by way of that course of. I wanted to seek out my tribe. Folks say ‘Have a tribe round you that sees your imaginative and prescient, in any other case how will you actually get to the place you wanna go?’ I lastly get that, and I’m trusting myself and main all the pieces myself. I really feel nice.”
We’ve seen you develop as an artist out of your beginnings in Little Combine. How has your sound developed over that point?
“In the beginning of my solo profession, I felt like I knew what I needed, however there was an excessive amount of noise round it. There was an excessive amount of politics, like ‘It has to sound a bit extra like this’, and I couldn’t have the true inventive management to do what I needed. So I believe it’s developed by actually simply taking the reins myself and saying, ‘No, I’m doing it my manner’ and taking the bounce to go unbiased.
“Now I can lastly say that it’s all the pieces that I would like it to be. There’s a lot to return as properly.”
Is there something that you simply’ve taken out of your time beginning out within the lady group that you simply’re nonetheless implementing now, or is it two separate worlds for you?
“I undoubtedly really feel like I discovered all the pieces in Little Combine, so all the pieces I do now [stems] from that. Most likely, the truth that I at all times wish to placed on a present. In Little Combine, we turned it out each time. I’ve nonetheless bought that in me – at all times wanting to provide all the pieces I can to have the most effective present attainable. That’s the primary factor, the efficiency stage and striving to be even higher.”
You’ve mentioned that this isn’t the tip for the group, it’s only a hiatus. Do you assume your entire respective solo tasks and particular person sounds may form the way in which that we see Little Combine when it makes a comeback?
“I’ve been occupied with this, as a result of now we have all gone off and accomplished our personal issues, discovered our personal sounds, and we’re in fully completely different lanes — which is wonderful. I’ve been questioning although, after we finally come again, what’s going to that sound like? That’s going to be an thrilling factor… however on the identical time, Little Combine is Little Combine, and a part of that’s desirous to ship what individuals love. I’ve to attend and see.”
It might be like a brand new evolution of the group…
“To be sincere, it in all probability must be that. I believe we’re going to need to shock individuals.”
How’s work on the brand new solo album coming alongside?
“It’s almost accomplished! It’s so, so shut, and I’m already so blissful that I can really say that! It’s all the pieces that I needed it to be. It’s the combination of the sounds that I really like, paired with my Leigh-Anne pop stamp.
“That’s one thing that I’ve at all times needed; to seek out the stability of Leigh-Anne, the Pop Star, but in addition the musical genres that I really like. Whether or not or not it’s reggae or R&B — it’s about merging that and placing my stamp on it.”
You additionally spoke on stage about how recommendation that your dad and mom shared with you helped form you and your outlook. Has that prolonged to their style in music influencing your personal sound in any manner?
“Undoubtedly! All of the stuff that I listened to rising up, and having two older sisters as properly, formed it. One in every of them is into R&B, and the opposite one is into jungle, however then my mum listened to Alanis Morissette — prefer it was all very eclectic. I’ve taken all of that, [along with] what I really like now, and combined all of that up and it’s my album.”
Does it really feel like a brand new sense of freedom being unbiased?
“Oh 100 per cent. I virtually really feel like I in all probability ought to have began off my solo profession like this, however then I’d by no means have identified…
“I’ve been with a serious label my entire profession, so I wouldn’t have identified any completely different. It’s completely different although, and it’s additionally daunting. You don’t have that huge system pumping in cash into what you’re doing. I’m doing all the pieces myself. It is rather completely different, but it surely’s proper. It must be this fashion.”
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