The American Idol whirlwind is over for the season 20 contestants after Sunday’s (May 22) finale, now the real work begins. And 2nd runner-up Leah Marlene is ready for all of it.
Currently, Leah doesn’t have an elaborate plan for her post-Idol music career set in stone, she told Hollywood Life in a recent interview, that she’s already “been starting to pick up the pieces.”
“What I’m doing this week is just really planning out the next steps. I’m already writing. I’m just ready to work my booty off…ready to work freaking hard,” Leah said. Despite just coming off of an intense Idol experience, Leah is surprised at how “rejuvenated” she feels.
“I’m already writing and going to be writing a lot of songs.”
“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.”
American Idol’s Leah Marlene: “I Feel Like the Biggest Winner”
Right now, she’s back with her family in Normal, Illinois. But she plans to move soon. “I’m definitely moving as soon as I get the chance to. I did spend a few years in Nashville when I went to school there, and I’m honestly at a crossroads. I’m not sure if I’m going to move out to LA or Nashville.”
Leah plans to spend some time in Nashville, but might move to Los Angeles
Leah plans to spend a little bit of time at home before heading to Nashville to stay with friends for a few weeks. “I don’t want to sit around at home and just wait for things to come to me. I’m ready to go do the work. I think I’m going to go to Nashville for a bit until I figure out where I’m actually going to sign a lease and what’s going to make the most sense for me in the long term as far as location.” Leah expects to be splitting her time between Los Angeles and Nashville “regardless of where I end up.”
Leah hopes to tour with pal Fritz Hager
Leah is looking forward to collaborating with her fellow American Idol alums, especially close friend Fritz Hager, who left the competition at the Top 5. The two were duet partners in Hollywood and tried to release the full version of their song “Locked Out of Heaven.” Unfortunately, the Idol legal team shot it down. “We had it ready to go and whatever, but we have so many ideas for stuff to do together. Ideally, we really want to put a tour together with us too and that’ll be much more songs written on the road and stuff. You’ll definitely be hearing from the duo of Leah and Fritz…there will be Leah and Fritz content. Lots of it.”
American Idol Fritz Hager’s Heartfelt Texas Homecoming (Video)
About the life-long friendships Leah made on American Idol she said: “The fellow contestants are all my best friends for life, and we’re going to be making music together for the rest of our lives and supporting each other and throwing each other opportunities and playing shows. We’re going to be best friends forever because we went through a very intense experience, and there’s nothing that can replace that bond.”
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. “I’m not a crier, but during the past two weeks of the show I was just crying every day because there was just so much.” Leah added, “It’s my life, and I think the fact that I was able to actually get deeply in touch with the heart of the song when playing it on national television for so many people, I’m really really glad that that happened. That was a really special, beautiful moment.”
Leah doesn’t waste an airport delay
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