Maximal Music Sync is thrilled to welcome NYC-based singer/songwriter Leo Sawikin to our roster!
Leo is an old soul, one who would have thrived in the prime of the Tin Pan Alley days—tirelessly composing beautiful ballads in rooms with open windows for the music publishers whose offices lined West 28th Street in New York City. Although the city still swells with the sounds of ghosts past, the music landscape has drastically changed. Now more than ever, Leo finds himself longing for the days that were.
For the past decade, Leo has steadily evolved his sound, spending hours both in the studio and in writing rooms, culminating in Row Me Away—his upcoming fourth album, and the first to be released under his own name. (His first three were recorded under the name The Chordaes.) The new record was produced by Grammy-winning producer Marc Swersky.
Prior to the pandemic, Leo recorded a string of anthems that seem to foreshadow life as we experienced it over the last year. Questioning whether the dystopian future we’ve all been fearing has arrived, the songs chronicle the vastly changing world, a society teetering on the edge, and the transformative power of hindsight. “It's about letting go of the past to carve out a new future,” says Leo.
Like many artists, Leo uses his music and songwriting as his primary way to connect with the world. Since very young, Leo was described as having Non-Verbal Learning Disability. But because it has not yet been included in the DSM and presents in various ways, it is often overlooked and misunderstood. In Leo’s case, it affects his ability to receive and interpret non-verbal forms of communication. “I have always had trouble paying attention to people’s non-verbal signals. I understand them as well as anyone, but my thoughts are very scattered so I often miss them.” By the age of 5, he was getting into trouble at school. This was eventually tamed by medications, but they had a numbing effect on his mood and ability to connect with peers. At age 9, Leo picked up a guitar and by 12 he was immersed in workshops and music camps,where he found that songcraft came naturally. It’s proven to be his greatest strength and has become the catalyst for living his life off medication.
“Music has always been my secret weapon to combat this. It brings me to a place outside of all of my problems, and the dream I have is that when other people listen to it they will be brought to that same place. In that space we all share, none of our differences matter and understanding one another is as effortless as the sound of the music traveling through the air. My goal in life is to bring as many people to that place as possible.”
With the release of Row Me Away Leo hopes to bring comfort and consolation to listeners as we all witness the unfolding of a new world.