Spiritually Made
Interview conducted by: Raven Ekundayo
Photos by: Edith Williams

On this day the interviews were going at a fast pace. Ear Candy was only about an hour away and the artists in this hotel room needed to knock out interviews with several media outlets. I sat down to talk with Leah knowing I wouldn’t be able to ask everything so I wanted to make the interview as enjoyable as possible. Leah Smith is sweet. She has an innocence to her that makes you hope she doesn’t ever become “too famous” because you would hate for the industry to take away the awesome light she has inside. I appreciated how sincere she was and I can’t wait to see where her career takes her.

Raven – When I was reading up on you I discovered that you attended a performing arts school. I myself attended The Baltimore School for the Arts so my first question is what was it like for you to go to a performing arts school? What was it like to be in a space with so many people that were different like you?

Leah – I’d never been in a school where not only did everyone else sing, but they danced, they could draw, they wrote and they acted so it was like being in triple threat country.

Raven – Right! (Laughs)

Leah – I use to be really intimidated. I’m not a competitive person (She pauses). I don’t know, that may not be fair to say. Whatever nature that is that makes someone go, the driven way of thinking….
Raven – What’s your sign?

Leah – I don’t know….

Raven - (Gasp into stutter and laughter) When’s…..when’s your birthday?

Leah – Christmas day.

Raven – Ok you’re a Capricorn. That’s interesting. Capricorns, especially January Capricorns are not known for being wall flowers.

Leah – Now this was only in the beginning. I was there for my sophomore year and my junior year. Slowly I started to come out of that a little more but I would say that period of my life was marked by fear and intimidation.

Raven – Hmmmm. So what age did you grow out of that?

Leah – I don’t know if I have (Laughs)

Raven – (Laughs) Yeah you’re faced looked like “Who said it’s gone?”

Leah – At least remnant of it. But I think eXperiencing life has helped me with getting past those feelings. I don’t think I’ve totally broken free of it but its better.

Raven – I notice when some people hit the stage they changed. Some folks who are introverts turn into someone else on stage. Do you find that this happens to you?

Leah – I can tend to still be reserved on stage but there’s something about the stage that I’m growing to really love. Some people say that the stage is their home and it’s not really so for me but it’s becoming a place that feels good to me. I’m growing you know? I use to be really nervous on stage but it’s becoming a safer place now. The audience grows less and less intimidating the more I perform.

Raven – I’ve never heard someone say that before. I like that. What a journey. I’ll make sure we send you tons of good energy tonight.

Leah – Thank you.

Raven – So this is the fashion issue of ETM….

Leah – OH NO! (Laughs) Let me go change.

Raven – (Laughs) you’re fine. I love people who stand out with their own sense of style. I wanted to ask if you actually have your own style or do you follow trends?

Leah – I know what I feel comfortable in. I put it like that. I know that I love color. I know that I love things that are baggy because I’m so skinny (Laughs). I’m like Bohemian and free spirited with it. You know?

Raven – Oh I totally get what you’re saying.

Leah – You have to be conscious of trends but I don’t like to dress head to toe trendy.

Raven – Your own style. You take what could be fashionable and you spin it.

Leah – Yeah! eXactly. A lot of people come up to me and say I have a weird style that works for me (We both laugh). It’s so funny.

Raven – Right. You’re sitting there like…ummmm.....is that a compliment (laughs)?

Leah – Yeah, but it’s all good.

Raven – What does music taste like to you?

Leah – I’ve seriously run across your magazine before.

Raven – (Laughs) that comment seems to always happen once I get to that question.

Leah – Really? Either that or someone is taking it (Laughs). It tastes like water.

Raven – Ah ok. What does music look like to you?

Leah – Oooooh (Laughs). You got me on that one (Ponders). These questions (Laughs). I guess I would again say water; I’m actually looking at it right now (Laughs).

Raven – Now I read that you’ve performed overseas. What was that eXperience like for you?

Leah – It was beautiful, wonderful. It’s like an eXperience. The taste of it, the feel of it, the look of it.

Raven – The taste is VERY different overseas as compared to here.

Leah – And the smell, there’s this smell in Western Africa. It’s the sweetest, spicy smell. Now there are parts of Philly that are like that too (Laughs). It just felt so good to see people of different nationalities coming together when I was over there. We were doing worship music and everyone was focusing on God and worshipping him so that was great. It felt so good to go to such a different place and to see the same passion for the same God.

Raven – Music is very powerful. We’ve come to the end of our interview love. So I wanted to know when you think of eXcaping the matriX what does that mean to you?

Leah – I can’t help but think of this world. This world is pretty much a matriX, eXcaping this world. I’m reminded of how Christ said “I’ve overcome the world” so it’s like I’ve overcome the world, all this sin, all this arrogance, all this fake stuff. It really makes me think about Christ because he already did that so I have that power too. He’s eXcaped the matriX and I can’t wait to see him. So I await that.

 

 

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