Introducing Brian León
words by Jamie Hampton
Photo by Victoria Azalia Salcido
It was golden hour by the Silver Lake Reservoir as I sat with Brian León. As he poured us two glasses of red wine, the warm light draped León, matching his energy for the afternoon. We got to chatting and I started to get the slightest glimpse into the special world that he has created as an artist within himself.
Stepping into this one-of-a-kind and dreamy world of León, listeners won’t be able to help but become enamored with not only León’s romantic aesthetic but also the relatable nature of his music.
Ever since he was 13 years old, León has been using music as a way of working through all of the feelings and experiences that come along with just being alive.
“I think if you’re an artist, everything will make it’s way into your work,” León explained. “That’s just how my life impacts my music is that based off of what I’ve lived and who I’ve met and who I’ve been with and who I’ve hurt and who has hurt me, that will always lead to me putting something into my work.”
Growing up León was raised to lead with love and never put anyone down to get ahead, which he has kept at the core of who he is as not only an individual but as an artist as well.
“I don’t love telling people what to do or be like, ‘Listen to me this is my identity this is why I’m special,’ I just think unfortunately it’s not even a choice,” León expressed. “But when things occur in my life where it’s like my identity is challenged in a negative way being gay, it sucks, and then it by default makes my engine riled up again and it makes me want to keep putting in work.”
León is hopeful that his experiences and how he writes about them will impact people and if anything, “At least it shows perspective of how a 20-something-year-old, queer Latino in LA lived.”
After years in the making, León put out his first piece of work, Morning Sun, which was released earlier this year in the hopes of expressing his life experiences and identity in one place. Produced by Evan Chambers, Morning Sun perfectly encapsulates the dreamy landscape León and his experiences exist within.
While it was a long road to the release of Morning Sun, León is grateful to have it out in the world.
“For me it just felt like an accomplishment because now it’s a piece of work people are able to identify me as and enjoy hopefully,” León said. “I’m happy where it’s going and I’m happy to give it a life on the stage hopefully this year.”
Along with the right sound, León pays close attention to the aesthetic of his work, which is largely inspired by his love for film.
“Personally what influences me a lot are films, so I’m lucky in the sense that I’m influenced directly by visual things,” León explained.
However, León also credits his interest in blending femininity and masculinity in his own way as inspiration in finding his specific aesthetic.
León added, "Because I was told for so long that I wasn’t allowed, I like in my own way to put flares of my own blend of femininity and masculinity together. I like mixing the feminine and masculine and not erasing either’s dominance because I don’t think it’s about that, but I love just the blend of it all.”
The live music video for Mi corozón es un poeta off of Morning Sun captures exactly what León described through the use of film, florals and his own flare in his performance of the track.
“I think things like why I quit my job was because I heard work that I was doing and I was like, ‘Oh this is what I need to be doing,’” León said. “So seeing examples like that, like this video that we did, and this is why I’m doing what I’m doing because I’ve not seen anything like it and I also think it’s a pretty solid, accurate display of who I am.”
León was inspired to take the leap of faith and leave his corporate job of four years to fully focus on his career in music after hearing his new record that he is currently working on.
“Hearing the work that I’m doing after work I’ve already done and it seems like it’s definitely getting better and if I ignore that, I think I would die unhappy and I don’t want to die unhappy,” León said. “Now I have on the horizon something that’s really, really going to be special for me.”
León has been in the studio working closely with Chambers on what will be his debut album, where he will continue to showcase his growth as an artist and welcome even more listeners into a world unique to Brian León.
“Imagine if Jonas Mekas, Patti Smith and Jim Morrison were all in the same room together just talking, what would be the background music to that?” León said. “It would be my music.”