“Not as quickly as I would like,” he admits, “But yeah, definitely.
“It’s where we’ve all come from, from our experiences. In the future I’d like to, thanks to this musical course and being introduced to musical concepts, I’ve found it really interesting, and I’ve met a few artists who want to get away from just writing about our experiences.”
He and his band have just released a brand new album, entitled Cause ‘n Effect, and on this occasion the name of the record and most of the lyrical ideas presented therein are directly influenced by events from his past.
“Cause ‘n Effect, it’s just about change,” he explains, “and looking at oneself, with regards to change, for me anyway. We have people looking at change, and politics, and all this sort of stuff, but for me it’s a step within… It’s just about taking responsibility for our actions, and knowing that whatever it is we do or say, has some kind of effect.
“We’re all limited by our own experiences,” he goes on, expanding on the lyrical themes explored on the album, “and what we’ve been exposed to. There’s so much stuff out there, there’s enough to learn from until the day we die.”
He’s enlisted the help of several luminaries of the local music scene to help him complete the album, on top of his regular band. One very well known artist in particular hasn’t only performed a guest spot on the record, but is also assisting him with his career.
“Archie Roach is probably the key guest here,” he reveals. “He’s decided for some reason or another to take me under his wing and lend me some support, so [I’m] very grateful for that. And because of that, I feel there’s a few doors opening.
“We’ve also got Pat Mau from Torres Strait, we’ve got Deline Briscoe, we’ve got a few of the fellas that I’ve worked with over the years. So it was great to get the opportunity to give back in that sense.”
The album reveals a myriad of different influences, from rock to pop to soul, through to hip-hop and reggae, and this reflects the very broad range of artists Leha indulged in his formative years, and still today. However, there’s one artist that made the biggest impact, musically and otherwise.
“I just listened to whatever anyone else said,” he says discussing his influences, “But it was not until I was given a bunch of Bob Marley albums, I think because I was at the age of about 14 or 15, and I kind of tried to be like that person, be like those people you listened to.
“Unfortunately, I remember being in not such a good way, which is why I take my music so seriously. I believe I smoked a lot of pot because Bob Marley did. And I had this bad attitude towards police and the system, because I used to listen to NWA. That’s why I’m so careful now about what I do and say, because music is such a powerful thing.”
Radical Son has a whole bunch of tour dates coming up, up and down the eastern seaboard, from mid November right into early December. Leha looks forward to this run of shows with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
“I am [excited about the tour],” he states, a touch hesitantly. “To be honest, I’m a family man and I’m studying, and going on tour is a new kind of thing that I’m going to have to get used to.”
Despite this touch of apprehension about going out on the road, Leha has a decade of experience behind him now, and has been praised for his onstage dynamism. He and his road-hardened band are still sure to give the audiences who come out to see them play an intense and entertaining time.
“A lot of people comment on my presence,” he says, “and the band that I’ve got, they’re seasoned as well. They give you some real good music, and we hope for a really great show, with a storyline.”
Overall, the rest of 2014, and then moving into next year, is looking potentially very exciting and productive for Leha.
“I’m not sure just yet, but more writing I’m sure,” he says. “Who knows what’s going to happen from this [album]? We’re doing the album launch in Melbourne, coming up. And we’re also doing the Australasian World Music Expo there next month, which you already know about. There’s been little stories that have come from there about people being taken overseas from there.
“So hopefully something like that might happen, and that’d be okay, but look, I already feel successful in what I’m doing, I’m pretty happy at the moment.”
BY ROD WHITFIELD
