Ones2Watch Home

Photo By: Clyde Munroe

The savviness of production nowadays is without a doubt impressive. But there's an untouchable power that a completely stripped down, acoustic song with real, raw instrumentation possesses. All that matters is the voice, melody and lyrics. Max Leone's new demo track "in case (there's a change of heart)" is a testament to this quality.

Max Leone's decision to directly upload "in case (there's a change of heart)" to YouTube and Soundcloud shows his desire to put out music for his fans to intimately enjoy. He seems to really know who he is and what he wants to say. But it wasn't all that long ago that Leone, born and raised in Portland, first started composing his own material and playing in jazz bands, while also teaching himself music production and posting remixes to Soundcloud. His love for music led Leone to attend Berklee College of Music for just one year before relocating to Los Angeles and signing to Darkroom Records.

The strongest quality of "in case (there's a change of heart)" is its unapologetic honesty. The lyrics are extremely vulnerable, essentially granting us access into Leone's inner thoughts and mind. In support of this lyrical truthfulness, Leone's vocals sound perfectly real, not overproduced in the slightest.

"in case (there's a change of heart)" arrives on the heels of Leone's recently released single "5," which also demonstrates his style of being minimalist yet mesmerizing. Max Leone, his music and entire artist brand, is likable and outright impressive. If Max Leone continues to be authentic and vulnerable like this, he is guaranteed to continue garnering more and more success. I'm extremely excited to watch him grow.