Leah (musician)

Leah McHenry
Also known asLeah McHenry
Born (1984-11-04) November 4, 1984 (age 40)[1]
OriginVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
GenresCeltic metal, symphonic metal, symphonic black metal, world music, folk rock
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Voice, keyboard, piano
Years active2011–present
Member ofDragonlord
Formerly ofProject Aegis
Websiteleahmusic.net

Leah McHenry, mononymously known as Leah (pronounced /liːɑː/ LEE-a) (born November 4, 1984), is a Canadian heavy metal musician who records both as a solo artist and, since around 2015, as a member of Dragonlord. Sometimes called the "Enya of heavy metal", she performs a mixture of symphonic and Celtic metal with folk and world music. As a solo artist, she has released five full-length albums Of Earth & Angels in 2012, Kings & Queens in 2015, The Quest in 2018, Ancient Winter in 2019, and The Glory and the Fallen in 2024; two EPs, Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence in 2012 and Otherworld in 2013; and twenty singles, both as part of album releases and as stand-alone recordings. She is a frequent artistic collaborator with Eric Peterson of Testament and Dragonlord, Timo Somers from Delain and Vengeance, Sander Zoer from Delain, Barend Courbois from Blind Guardian and Vengeance, and Troy Donockley of Nightwish. McHenry and Peterson released a collaborative single, "Winter Sun", in 2015. She joined Dragonlord for its 2018 studio album Dominion. She also has participated in the charity group Project Aegis.

Biography

McHenry is from the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada, and has English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.[2][3][4] Around age 10 or 11, she started singing in her home.[3][5] According to McHenry, she mimicked the singing of others — Jim Morrison, Mariah Carey, Tori Amos, it did not matter — until she developed her own style.[5] She eventually taught herself piano and joined the band Ashur, which toured locally and released an EP.[3] She also taught herself a limited amount of guitar.[5]

She released her first solo album, Of Earth & Angels, in June 2012, and Leah performed her first live show in December.[3][6] She also released a three-track Christmas EP that December.[3] In 2013, she released the EP Otherworld.[7] Eric Peterson contributed to the single "Dreamland" from the EP.[2][7] In January 2015, she released her second studio album, Kings & Queens. Contributing to the album were Timo Somers of Delain and Vengeance, Sander Zoer of Delain, and Barend Courbois of Blind Guardian and Vengeance.[8][9][10] In December of the same year, she and Peterson collaborated on the single "Winter Sun", enlisting the help of the rest of the Dragonlord band line-up and some touring members of Testament to round-out the recording.[11] In 2017, she released "The Dragonborn Comes", a cover version of Jeremy Soule's "Dragonborn" from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn video game expansion.[6] Her third studio album, The Quest, was released on October 5, 2018.[12] The recording featured previous collaborators Somers, Courbois, and Zoer, along with Troy Donockley of Nightwish and Chen Balbus of Orphaned Land.[13] On November 15, 2019, she released Ancient Winter, a Christmas album and her fourth album overall. The album featured more instrumentation from McHenry herself and included contributions from Donockley, Anna Murphy of Cellar Darling and Eluveitie, Shar-Ran Yinon of Eluveitie and Epica, and Rupert Gillett.[14][15] She also participated in two charity singles by Project Aegis, a charity project organized by Matt Smith of Theocracy: The first, "Angel in the Ashes", was released in 2016, and featured contributions from McHenry, Smith, Rob Rock, Daísa Munhoz of Vandroya and Soulspell, and Vasilis Georgiou and Gus Drax of Sunburst and Black Fate.[16] The second, "And the Rest is a Mystery" was released in 2020, and featured McHenry, Smith, Daniel Heiman of Lost Horizon, Harmony, and Heed, Neal Morse of Spock's Beard and Transatlantic, and Ernie Topran and Val Allen Wood of Theocracy.[17] On February 16, 2024, Leah released her fifth studio album, The Glory and the Fallen, which featured contributions from Somers, Zoer, Mark Jansen of After Forever, Epica, and Mayan, and Dagda of Celtibeerian.[18][19][20]

In addition to singing, McHenry plays the piano, keyboards, and some guitar, and teaches herself Celtic harp.[3][21] McHenry is married and has five children whom she homeschools.[3][22] She fits her music career around her family commitments, which is partly why she has not yet gone on a concert tour.[3][23] In addition to her recording career, she also founded a music instruction and marketing company, Savvy Musician Academy, in 2015,[24][25] and is the CEO and product developer of fantasy and folklore inspired candles at Mythologie Candles.[4][26]

Musical style and influences

Sometimes referred to as "the metal Enya",[6][18] McHenry has, in addition to Enya, been compared to Loreena McKennitt, Hayley Westenra, Liv Kristine and Kristine's band Leaves' Eyes, Sharon Den Adel, Moya Brennan (a sister of Enya), Tori Amos, and Blackmore's Night.[2][10][23][18][27][28][29] Her genre is described as symphonic and Celtic metal mixed with folk and world music,[2][6][23][30][31][32][18] as well as folk metal,[2][31][30] world music, gothic metal,[2][31][30] gothic rock,[2] symphonic gothic metal,[33] power metal,[9][31] and symphonic power metal,[33] with progressive metal,[23] New Age,[9] and Middle Eastern influences.[9][10][33] On Ancient Winter, she shifted away from symphonic metal further into folk rock and world music, including medieval music.[14][32][34] During her childhood, she listened to gospel and choir music as well as blues and rock music, such as Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.[3] In her teens she discovered metal music, starting with Dream Theater and then bands such as Symphony X and Nightwish.[3] She considers her discovery of Celtic music and then European symphonic metal to be when she musically found where she belonged.[35] She credits her focus on Celtic music and music of the Middle East evoking the Roman and Persian eras to listening to Loreena McKennitt and Enya, as well as her Celtic ancestry, specifically Irish and Scottish.[10][36][35][37] Other influences on McHenry include Jesse Cook, Enya, early Lacuna Coil, early Within Temptation, "old school" After Forever, Devin Townsend, Nightwish, and Clannad.[10][23][29][37]

Lyrical themes and ideology

McHenry's lyrics and thematic imagery mostly involve fantasy, folklore, and mythology with a medieval European and Insular Celtic focus.[23] Many of her songs include water and ocean themes, and she sometimes sings in other languages such as Irish Gaelic and Latin.[3][36][32] McHenry is a Christian but does not consider her music a ministry or associate with the Christian music market and does not explicitly write Christian themes in her music.[38]

Discography

See also: Dragonlord (band) § Discography

Studio albums

  • Of Earth & Angels - 2012
  • Kings & Queens - 2015
  • The Quest - 2018
  • Ancient Winter - 2019
  • The Glory and the Fallen - 2024

Extended plays

  • Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - 2012
  • Otherworld - 2013

Singles

  • "Light" (Eye of Melian featuring Leah) - 2022[61]

References

  1. ^ McHenry, Leah (November 4, 2018). "Today I turn 34. We live in a society that tries to do everything in its power to escape age. I want to embrace it. I look forward to grey..." Instagram. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Newman, Craig (November 21, 2013). "Leah's new Otherworld EP featuring Eric Peterson of Testament". All Access Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stryker, Robin (February 2013). "LEAH Interview". Sonic Cathedral. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b McHenry, Leah. "Hi! I'm Leah, the creator of Mythologie Candles". Mythologie Candles. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Leah McHenry". Metal Divas. June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e Monger, James Christopher. "Leah". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Prof, Pacific. "Leah - Otherworld EP". Sonic Cathedral. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "LEAH New Album "Kings & Queens" Announced". MelodicRock.com. November 11, 2014. Archived from the original on April 21, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Susan (January 13, 2015). "Leah - Kings & Queens review - Metal Storm". Metal Storm. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e Newman, Craig (December 18, 2014). "Celtic Metal Queen Leah talks about Kings & Queens and her music influences". All Access Magazine. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  11. ^ a b DiVita, Joe (December 23, 2015). "Eric Peterson + Leah, 'Winter Sun' - Exclusive Song Premiere". Loudwire. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Waltz, Jonathan (September 28, 2018). "Leah - The Quest". Powermetal.de (in German). Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Mis, Joe (October 14, 2018). "Leah | The Quest". HardrockHaven.net. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Swank, Jonathan "Doc" (December 11, 2019). "LEAH - Ancient Winter". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  15. ^ McHenry, Leah. "Ancient Winter, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  16. ^ Peters, Markus. "Project Aegis - Angels in the Ashes". Crossfire-Metal.de (in German). Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  17. ^ Van Pelt, Doug (February 7, 2020). "Project Aegis Releases Single Featuring Neal Morse, Theocracy, Daniel Heiman, Leah". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d Rossi (February 12, 2024). "Leah – The Glory And The Fallen ϟ Metalinside". Metalinside (in German). Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Jeff (August 3, 2023). "Leah Announces New Album 'The Glory And The Fallen', With Kickstarter Campaign". Folk N Rock. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  20. ^ "LEAH: Announces New Album". Heaven's Metal Magazine. August 3, 2023. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  21. ^ W., Bear (June 18, 2020). "Interview with Leah - "It's definitely the atmosphere, mainly found in the particular synthesizers and folk instruments such as the harp, fiddle, and whistles or flutes."". Tuonela Magazine. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  22. ^ McHenry, Leah (August 5, 2016). "Hi, I'm Leah McHenry. Homeschool Mom of 5, Full-time Musician, and Liberty Lover". Steemit. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  23. ^ a b c d e f Mis, Joe (February 22, 2015). "Leah McHenry". HardrockHaven.net. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  24. ^ Sandvall, Anders (March 27, 2019). "Canadian singer, musician, songwriter LEAH". Metal-Rules.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  25. ^ Bacon, Matt; Dewar, Curtis (December 18, 2019). "Dumb and Dumbest Episode #263: Female-Fronted is Not A Genre". Ghost Cult Magazine. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  26. ^ "Fantasy Candle Brand Releases Holiday Collection Inspired By The Chronicles of Narnia". BXP Magazine. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  27. ^ Pacific Prof. "Leah - Otherworld EP". Sonic Cathedral. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  28. ^ Zukowski, Zenae (December 4, 2019). "A conversation with Leah on 'Ancient Winter'". Metal Insider. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  29. ^ a b Kusano, Rodney (November 1, 2019). "Exclusive Premiere of LEAH's New Video for "Light of the World"". Outburn. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  30. ^ a b c Roks, Sjak (March 2018). "Leah - The Quest". Lords of Metal. No. 188. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c d Pezy, William (January 2015). "Leah - Kings & Queens". Lords of Metal. No. 154. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  32. ^ a b c Jano (October 10, 2019). "Leah - 'Ancient Winter' (2019)". Folk-metal.nl. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  33. ^ a b c Swank, Jonathan "Doc" (October 8, 2018). "LEAH - The Quest". Heaven's Metal Magazine. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  34. ^ Jeff (November 11, 2019). "Album Review: Leah - Ancient Winter". Folk N Rock. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  35. ^ a b Electronic Brain (June 17, 2013). "Interview with Leah". Rocktopia. No. 57. Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  36. ^ a b MCR (December 31, 2014). "Interview with Leah McHenry from LEAH – Rock / Metal singer and Songwriter from Canada". Monkey Castle Franken (in German). Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021. (English version Archived June 24, 2024, at the Wayback Machine)
  37. ^ a b Schoolcraft, Lindsay. "LEAH - Of Earth & Angels". Sonic Cathedral. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  38. ^ Leah (October 31, 2016). "Many people ask me about..." Facebook. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  39. ^ "Veni Veni Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  40. ^ "Remember (radio edge mix), by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  41. ^ "Silent Night, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  42. ^ "Matters of the Heart, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  43. ^ "We Will Go Home (single), by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  44. ^ "Here's A Health to the Company, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  45. ^ "Dreamland (Single) Feat. Eric Peterson, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  46. ^ "Enter the Highlands - Single by Leah". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  47. ^ "This Present Darkness - Single by Leah". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  48. ^ "Unbreakable (Stratovarius cover), by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  49. ^ "While Your Lips Are Still Red (Nightwish Cover), by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  50. ^ "Red (Remembrance for the Brave) - TEN cover, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  51. ^ "Elixir of Life - Single by Leah". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  52. ^ "Edge of Your Sword, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  53. ^ "Lion Arises, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  54. ^ "Redemption, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  55. ^ "Light of the World - Single by Leah". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Apple Music.
  56. ^ "Sanctuary, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  57. ^ "Sleeping Giant, by LEAH". Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022 – via Bandcamp.
  58. ^ "Sleeping Giant (Folk Version), by LEAH". Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  59. ^ "Before This War Is Over, by LEAH". Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  60. ^ "Archangel, by LEAH". Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024 – via Bandcamp.
  61. ^ "Light (featuring LEAH), by Eye of Melian". Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Bandcamp.