After spending a couple of weeks relaxing at home in Normal, Illinois, Leah Marlene is on the move. The American Idol 2nd runner-up announced on Sunday (June 3) that she was headed to Nashville. “On my way to Nashville today!! Excited to be writing with some old and new friends this week,” Leah added jokingly, “Also this is what happens when my mom tries to take photos for me)”
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Leah co-writes with a fellow season 20 alum
However, it didn’t take long before the singer-songwriter had a tune ready to reveal to her fans. On Monday (June 7), just one day later, she played a snip of a new song. “new tune w/ @abigaylekompst & @colewesleyritter,” Leah wrote alongside a video of the three performing the song.
Abigayle Kompst graduated from Belmont a few days ago with a BA in songwriting. During Leah’s audition, she shared that she quit Belmont and later revealed that mental health issues forced her to take a time out. Leah performed her self-penned song, “Flowers” on the finale, which is a deeply personal account of her struggle with depression before she auditioned for the show.
Idol fans may remember Cole Wesley Ritter, who played a brief but pivotal role on season 20. The judges paired up contestants in Hollywood for the Duets Challenge. But the three singers who earned Platinum Tickets chose their own partners. HunterGirl, who nabbed her ticket in Nashville, picked Cole, a gritty Americana artist. After performing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” both advanced to the Showstopper round. After Showstoppers, HunterGirl moved moved on to the Top 24, while the show cut Cole.
Listen to a snip of Leah’s new song below
The three sing in 3-part harmony, The lyrics go: “So it seems to go/so far and so close/To all I ever wanted/If I had it would I know/Or pass it on the road/On my way to nowhere/I won’t stop until I get there.”
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“Ready to work my booty off!”
In a recent interview with Hollywood Life, Leah shared that she was already planning her post-Idol career. “I’m already writing. I’m just ready to work my booty off…ready to work freaking hard,” Leah said.
“I feel like so ready to just go out and do all the things and chase this down in the real world…the next things for me are really just going to be assembling a team around me that can help me take it to the next level, and then hopefully I will definitely be releasing new music as soon as I possibly can,” she told Hollywood Life. “I’m already writing and going to be writing a lot of songs.”
