Leah Sinclair Shows Us The ‘Ones To Watch’
Leah Sinclair grew up surrounded by music – though she came from a family of scientists, she always gravitated toward it. Her childhood was soundtracked by her parents’ record collection and the orchestral scores of her years as a ballet dancer. Her grandmother, a classically trained musician, was an early and lasting presence, instilling in Sinclair a deep feeling for strings that runs through every track of her debut EP Lock & Key, which is out now.
Based in New York City, Sinclair began translating a lifelong pull toward performance into something tangible: vocal lessons, open mics, and eventually her own original music. Having written songs and lyrics for years without the tools to produce them, she picked up the omnichord and started composing in her bedroom, then partnered with her friend and fellow artist Tarune to produce. The result is an EP that moves fluidly between moods, orchestral strings layered with drum and bass, synths that shimmer and drift. Inspirations for Lock & Key range from Lana Del Rey to PinkPantheress to Final Fantasy.
Lyrically, Lock & Key is a collection of things Sinclair was afraid to say out loud, about desire, confusion, the strange grief of a situationship, the weight of connection. Each song is drawn from direct personal memory: “Aries Venus” and “Something Better” emerge from the slow unraveling of a friendship turned complicated romance, while “Light” and “Lock and Key” reach further back. Together, they form a small, honest world — locked away until now.