Two years after placing third on “American Idol,” it’s back to business as usual for Leah Marlene. A new EP drops Friday—a six-song collection titled “We’re All Buying Into A Dream”—ahead of an East Coast tour with another Illinois-born musician, Todd Carey.
A few things changed since starring on the hit reality TV show: the size of her fan base, for one, which helped Marlene take the leap to becoming a full-time musician. That's given her a chance to really hone her sound—which defies categorization, but mostly leans on Americana, folk and indie-rock. But when “Idol” opportunities began to dry up, Marlene had to re-find her way and get back on the path she was on before the show.
“Now I’m back at a place where I’m in the driver’s seat,” said Marlene from her home studio in Nashville (drinking from her Fort Jesse Café mug). “Not that I wasn’t before, but there was a lot coming to me. Now I’m in a place where I’m having to make all of that happen again. I get to call the shots on everything, which is great and terrifying.”
“We’re All Buying Into A Dream” was primarily composed in the year following “American Idol,” and is loosely oriented around two themes.
A good chunk of Marlene’s recent catalog is love songs—something she’s railed against in the past.
“I fell in love for the first time and I’m in my first relationship ever,” she said. “I’m a very anxious girlie, so there was a lot to figure out. I wrote about my way through our relationship. I kind of hate it because there’s so much more to write about. Everybody writes love songs, and I don’t want to be like everybody else. At the same time, this is a big part of my life right now.”
The EP—which includes three previously released singles, “Flashes,” “Dying Wish,” and “Lottery”—also ruminates on living in the moment and cherishing life’s little joys—something Marlene had to re-learn at the end of her “Idol” experience.
“Before the show, I had just gone through mental hell for two years,” she said. The bubbly college dropout who showed up to “American Idol” auditions in Nashville had just gotten her feet back under her.
“It took everything for me to come back to myself,” she said. “And then you’re shot up to the moon, what on Earth do you do with this trajectory and this pressure?”
“American Idol” painted Marlene as a quirky eccentric who grows into a sophisticated artist. She felt happy with how she was portrayed, in large part because she signed up knowing she would not have control over her image.
“I really do feel like I was able to be true to myself,” she said. “I was able to share my original music; I was able to do arrangements that felt very much like what my music would sound like if I’d put it out. The people that found me on that show have stuck with me because I’m still that same artist.”
That authenticity possibly cost Marlene the title. She was criticized for one finale pick (a lesser-known Bruce Springsteen song, “Cover Me”) and often opted for original songs and covers top-40 “Idol” fans were less likely to know.
But Marlene says winning was never really the goal.
“My biggest goal was to be able to do the hometown visit,” she said. “Now, most people I meet will have no idea I was on that show. I don’t have to be pigeon-holed into being an ‘American Idol’ contestant for the rest of my life. Even though that was such an incredible experience and I’m so grateful for it, it’s just like a blip in my bio.”
Thus, the invitation to relish the small stuff in “We’re All Buying Into A Dream.”
“It’s really easy to get caught up in these opportunities,” Marlene said. “But none of this matters if I’m not happy and if the people I love aren’t feeling loved by me. If I’m not investing in the little things day to day—none of the big things matter.”
“We’re All Buying Into A Dream” drops at 11 p.m. Thursday night on streaming platforms. CDs will be available next month. To purchase merch and find Leah Marlene on social media and Patreon, visit leahmarlene.com. Marlene’s next live show in Bloomington-Normal is scheduled during the June 13-16 Tailgate N’ Tallboys Festival.
