East London’s most captivating new voice Leah Cleaver makes her striking entrance with ‘Last Time’, a debut single that simmers with the sticky heat of ill-advised desire. Released via PACE just as summer’s humidity descends upon the UK, the track unfolds like a 3 AM cab ride through neon-lit streets—all racing pulse and lingering intoxication. Cleaver’s smoky alto weaves through a genre-defying soundscape where tender piano chords give way to funk bass grooves before exploding into a cathartic storm of distorted guitars and rippling synths, mirroring the push-pull dynamic of a relationship fueled by chemistry rather than compatibility.
“This song lives in a dimly lit room,” Cleaver confesses, painting the track as equal parts sensual and chaotic—the musical equivalent of smudged lipstick and tangled sheets. That raw authenticity stems from her unconventional journey: after mysteriously losing her voice during London’s club circuit years, she reinvented her sound by leaning into her lower register, emerging with a vocal style that channels Nina Simone’s soulful gravity through a contemporary alt-pop lens. Her influences—spanning Channel Tres’ electronic swagger to Little Simz’s lyrical precision and Talking Heads’ art-rock eccentricity—coalesce into something thrillingly unpredictable.
Beyond the music, Cleaver carves space for marginalized voices as co-founder of U Gd, Girl?, a collective hosting workshops on everything from body positivity to queer liberation. This activist spirit bleeds into her aesthetic, where ’80s ballroom glamour collides with ’90s hip-hop bravado and East London street style—a visual language as bold as her sonic ambitions. With ‘Last Time’ serving as her opening statement, Cleaver positions herself as that rare artist who transforms personal catharsis into communal catharsis, inviting listeners to find solace in the beautiful mess of human connection. The single isn’t just an introduction—it’s a promise of the genre-defying brilliance yet to come from this shapeshifting storyteller.
Rome is a freelance writer and photographer. He brings a fresh perspective to the indie music scene and highlights emerging artists and underground movements. His writing style is drawn from personal experiences and a deep love for the art form.