Meet Leatea | Local Musician & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leatea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leatea, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Music is one of those things that has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began learning to play the violin at age 4, which I still play now; in middle school, I learned guitar and clarinet, and in high school, I began writing music. In 2020, my friends pushed me to publish my music, and in 2021, I performed as Leatea for the first time. Music is a creative outlet for me; I feel that I can reach people (and therefore parts of myself) in ways that I might otherwise be unable to do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe I am unique as a local San Diegan artist because I am running my entire show; I am my own manager, roadie, marketing director, producer, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Some shows feel like I have to be a stand-up comedian, too.

Doing this kind of work for myself gave me the confidence to keep doing it; the experience made it easier and made it seem so much more possible. It was hard to find gigs, and easy to stretch myself thin, but luckily I have found a regular spot that I enjoy and treats me well.

My biggest revelation from this career has been to seek help when needed. I can’t describe how much less stressed I am when I know that a friend is performing with me or part of the audience. In this career, I have made many good friends and a few great ones, and I’m so grateful to everyone I’ve met for how I’ve been welcomed to the San Diego artist community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A week in San Diego is so difficult!

We would have to spend most of our time in the downtown/central San Diego area. I’d choose Izola for breakfast; I’d probably play a few songs while we waited for the best croissants in San Diego. Later, we’d hike Cowles Mountain and get sandwiches from Cheers Deli right down the road. For dinner, I’d choose either Pomegranate or Flavors of East Africa; both restaurants sit right next to each other on El Cajon Blvd and are my 1st and 2nd favorite restaurants in San Diego. That night, we might go to see a local musician; Gary Flick, Maybear, or Kahlil Nash with Heaping Teaspoon would be my choices.

I would also show off Little Saigon, specifically Hoài Huế Restaurant. This restaurant serves food from central Vietnam, where my family is from.

We would have to spend time in North County, where I grew up. The Yellow Deli would be great for breakfast, followed by a walk on the beach in Solana Beach. If I’m in that area, I would have to stop at Philz Coffee – their mint mojito is 100% worth it!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to Najee, my boyfriend, without whom I never would have published my music, nor been inspired to write my favorite songs. I’d also love to dedicate this to my parents, who have supported me wholeheartedly and gave me my first violin lesson.

Instagram: Instagram.com/leateamusic

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@leateamusic4005

Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6xVA8piXh3LrV10kY0YnQT?si=0EHb7EMvRZ-GUJl8Kbt38Q Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/leatea/1501318418

Image Credits
Brenda Vu Aisha Marie Hammond