Leanna Firestone on the Victory Lap Tour

From crying in the studio to singing "Mo Up Front "

"So now, after every single show, we have to sing "Mo Up Front" (by NLE Choppa). We've been singing it after literally every show."

Nashville singer-songwriter, Leanna Firestone, heads out on the Victory Lap Tour after releasing her debut album, The Answer.

We had a chance to sit down with Leanna and chat before she hit the stage at the Drake Underground in Toronto, Canada on June 9, 2026. Take a sneak peek into her writing process and tour rituals.

Interview by Ari

Ari (Frontlight Magazine): Hi Leanna! Thank you for taking some time before your show, how does it feel to be back playing another show in Toronto?

Leanna Firestone (Artist): I love Toronto. There’s something about here. This is going to be a very American thing for me to say, but I always forget how beautiful it is. Every time I come here, I think, ‘low-key gotta move out here’.

Also, touring in the summer is not for the weak. In America, it’s 90 fucking degrees right now. When we came up here, it was 75.

I was wearing a tank top outside and not even sweating. It’s awesome, so I'm very glad to be back.

And maybe this is truly the Canadian way, but all of the fans here are very, very sweet. None of them are entitled at all.

I feel like I get showered with gifts and praise here. I love Toronto. I'm glad to be back.

Ari.: I’m excited to capture some of the show! Before we dive deeper, why don’t you introduce yourself to some of our readers who are meeting you for the first time!

Leanna: My name is Leanna Firestone. I’m 24, about to be 25. I'm getting really old. Really, really old and it is wearing on my soul. I'll be 25 in literally five days.

I make music for divorcees. I make music for people who have an insane connection with their English teacher. I make music for people who used to be theatre kids but never got a lead role. I make music for people who are deeply sad and usually gay.

Ari.: That makes sense.

Leanna: Yeah, that's who I am. Jot that down about me, by the way!

Ari.: You mentioned that this album was inspired by stories from your friends over drinks. How have you found it building this album and storytelling from those outside perspectives rather than something you experienced firsthand?

Leanna: I will say, I found it to be a bit harder. You might pick this up just from speaking to me, but I love to talk. I'm very upfront with what I have to say. I like to talk, I like to gab, I like to yap. So normally when I'm writing songs about myself, all of that comes to the surface very easily. It's very quick for me. This is how I feel, jot that down, write it into the song, and then the song is done.

With this, I had to take a bit more care because these were other people's stories. I'm taking bits and pieces, but I was obviously not in these relationships myself. Like, ‘you said this one thing about this,’ and I’m pretending like I'm going through it. Narrativizing it.

It’s going through degrees of separation from the real thing, but I think that extra level of care is something I don't necessarily handle with my own stories because I live them. Because there were other people involved with this, I was a lot more cautious and careful about what I was going to say. I think that made the end product more mature and more fair than some of my writing about my own experiences.

Ari.: A lot of your writing is quite vulnerable, especially when you're speaking about your own stories. Have you found yourself writing a song that felt way too honest to release?

Leanna: Yes, I have a story about that. Some of the songs are still about me on the album, usually the ones where I’m like, ‘I'm very sad, la, la, la.’ I was going in one day to write with my opener, Abby, and another one of my openers, Bree. We were sitting down, and I had this half of a song I wrote that I thought was really good. I played them the half, and by the end, we were all crying. We were all crying. They started asking me questions about what I was talking about and what the situation was. As soon as they started asking me about it, I was like, ‘oh, I actually don't want to talk about that.’ I realized that I wasn’t ready to finish the song, much less have other people listen to it that don't know me. So, we had to pivot, it was too much. And when we pivoted, we ended up making Town Ain’t Big Enough, which was my second single.

Ari.: Well, that worked out.

Leanna: Yeah! It was born from this place of, ‘I actually need to have fun right now or I think I'm going to die.’ So we turned it around and made Town Ain’t Big Enough, which is one of my favourite songs on the album.

Ari.: Your songs can feel like soundtracks to different memories and experiences. Is there a song that feels that way to your time on the road so far?

Leanna: Ooh. I mean, dare I bring it back to Town Ain’t Big Enough? I do feel like, especially the songs on this album that I wrote with my friend, Abby, who's opening the tour, are such soundtracks for the road for me. She's probably coming around that corner at any second now… there she is!

Abby Cates (concert support): I'm going on stage. I’ve gotta go sing my little songs.

Ari.: Okay, have fun, girl!

Abby: I will!

Ari.: I wanted to bring the energy back up before your set, so I have some rapid fire questions.

Leanna: *sipping drink* Ready!

Ari.: What's a song you wish you wrote?

Leanna: Ooh, song I wish I wrote… Sting by Sydney Ross Mitchell. Such a good song. I wish I wrote that song.

Ari.: A song that’s been on repeat right now.

Leanna: A song that’s been on repeat right now… I have a post-show ritual. When I was going on my very first tour, on New Music Friday, while I was driving out, Mo Up Front by NLE Choppa came on. I am not typically an NLE listener, I will say. But he talks about how he used to be getting dope money, but now he's getting show money. And I was like, wow, that's kind of my experience as well.

So now, after every single show, we have to sing Mo Up Front. We've been singing it after literally

every show. Kind of the best. I need some Mo Up Front, come on!

Ari.: Kind of in that same lane, an artist people may be surprised you listen to.

Leanna: I really don't think I'd shock anyone. I'm scared. I'm actually really scared.

An artist that people might be surprised that I listened to is Origami Angel. They’re like a math-core, punk rock band.

Punk and singer-songwriter have a lot in common, so let's be clear, those are my sisters, low-key.

But I do feel like if people heard that, they’d be like, ‘no way Leanna listens to that.’

They're talking about playing the Game Boy and eating candy… those are my people.

Ari.: Well, you put me on now.

Leanna: Listen to Origami Angel! Come on, come on!

Ari.: Song you wrote the quickest.

Leanna: Ooh… off the new album is probably The Answer. Which is crazy. I hadn't even thought about that, but it kind of flowed out immediately.

Ari.: Most underrated emotion.

Leanna: Well, I was going to say ennui, but that's very ennui of me to mention. So maybe I'll go with...

peacefulness. Come on, it's the core of life, it's where we're all trying to get to. Serenity.

Ari.: Studio or stage?

Leanna: Stage, absolutely. I get way too nervous in the studio. It's crazy.

In the studio, I feel like I have to get it exactly right. And then on stage, I'm like, ‘la, la, la.’

Ari.: Most people would think it's like the opposite.

Leanna: I'm far more nervous if I'm one-on-one. When I'm with all of these people, I'm like, ‘whatever,

we're all here to have a good time.’

Ari.: The city with the best food on tour.

Leanna: I'm vegetarian, so that does skew things a bit. I would have to say... Austin, Texas, as of right now.

But also, nowhere is particularly great for vegetarians. You have to find your gems. But, I did have cauliflower

wings in Buffalo last night, and it was really, really good. Dare I say that as well?

I can't be asked that question tonight, I’m just going to keep listing things that are really good.

I'll stick with Austin and I'm gonna shut up!

Ari.: Well, we appreciate your recommendations, and I appreciate you sitting down with me!

Leanna: Of course! Thank you, thank you.

- Interview & Images by Ari - Frontlight Magazine - June 9, 2026 | Ari's Instagram: @arivisn | Ari's Portfolio: HERE

L E A N N A F I R E S T O N E

Leanna Firestone: Apple Music

About the artist

Leanna Firestone is a Nashville‑based singer‑songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist whose emotionally honest brand of indie‑pop blends confessional lyrics with melodic hooks rooted in pop and musical‑theatre traditions. Born in Cookeville, Tennessee. Leanna cut her teeth writing songs in eighth grade—fusing fan‑fiction storytelling with early vocal practice—and later honed her craft at recording‑industry school. Her debut album, The Answer, and current Victory Lap Tour showcase songs that are at once intimate and theatrically direct, pairing acoustic guitar warmth with modern pop production.

A DIY professional in spirit, Leanna built her following by posting daily on TikTok, connecting with niche communities (notably anime fans) and turning consistent practice into viral moments and real momentum. Whether on stage or in the studio, Leanna’s work ethic persistence, honesty, and a willingness to sit with discomfort that drives a career that feels both personal and steadily ascending.

Influences

Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzy McAlpine and Maisie Peters. Her writing favors literal, narrative-driven lines that resonate with listeners who love “girl‑with‑guitar” songwriting.