By Olaf Growald
On the southwestern corner of Long Island lies a stretch of coastline that’s a haven for urban surfers called Rockaway Beach. The waves and sandy dunes juxtapose the glass and concrete towers of New York City, displaying two distinct worlds in one. This is where, musically, Lorena Leigh grew up. And, with one listen of her debut album, “Water Theory,” it’s easy to hear the dichotomous locale’s influence.
“[My time in Rockaway Beach] was a pivotal time for me,” Lorena says. “I was in that weird place of not really knowing what I was doing, and then, it was suddenly, like, [music and surfing] is what I’m doing.
“I moved two blocks from the beach in the third floor of a bungalow with one of my friends. With that move from Manhattan, and now spending so much time in the water, it just cracked me open; I feel like it always does. That’s where the idea for ‘Water Theory’ came from.”
Lorena uses the term “cowgirl mermaid” to describe her music, which also lends its name to her independent record label that produced “Water Theory.” While it sounds outlandish, this description does make sense; a single song flows effervescently through multiple clever hooks and her voice, the slightest tinge of a twang.
One could say that it was a perfect string of tragic incidences and circumstances that brought Lorena to producing music. Though raised in Keller, Lorena went to the University of Alabama during her first year of college to pursue dancing.
“It didn’t take me long to realize, there’s no way you can be in Tuscaloosa for four years,” Lorena says.
She then attended the prestigious Alvin Ailey’s dance school off 55th Street in New York City. Until, suddenly, her foot wasn’t working.
“I finally went to the doctor,” Lorena says. “They told me I had two floater bones in the ball of my foot and the tendon that connects my big toe to my Achilles. One of them was cracked, and there’s only a 90% chance that they heal.”
More injuries and surgeries persisted, including a freak accident that caused a broken hand.
“It was after [breaking my hand] that something just cracked open in my brain, and I started writing hundreds of songs a day,” Lorena says.
While not consistently that prolific, Lorena was always a musician at heart. Similar to countless great songwriters like Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, and Marshall Crenshaw, Lorena was hearing and inventing melodies in her head long before she learned the science of music — keys, song structures, etc. Such an ability, which is not shared by many, is what separates great songwriters from good ones.
She grew up playing the piano — as many children as a demand from parents — but today, she wields a ukulele like she’s been strumming the four-string instrument since she had the dexterity and strength to play any stringed instrument. She only picked it up a few years ago when her sister’s now ex-boyfriend bought one for her as a gift.
Other talents include an eye for DIY video direction and charismatic performances on stage.
Recently returning to Fort Worth, Lorena plans on staying here for the time being, but her stir-crazy nature is bound to take her to much bigger, and likely coastal, places.
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