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After we had recorded the core band in the cabin, we added horns from Mark Earley (sax) and
Tom Palance (trumpet). They live near Boston, Massachusetts, and both played on my last
album, “You Get What You Give”. We also were lucky to get my dear friend Annika Chambers-
DesLauriers to contribute backing vocals to a couple songs. She’s a powerhouse!

LL: Is the music business harder or different for you post the global pandemic?

DK: At this point, it seems like most of
the venues have bounced back. But
the audiences aren’t quite there yet. I
think so many people got used to
staying home, and watching Netflix or
scrolling through social media, that
now it takes them more energy to
leave their homes. Also, the economy
is decent, but inflation has really
affected people’s budgets. I’m hopeful
that the power of live music will
survive anything that crops up to
block its path. But it requires people
taking that extra step of leaving their
homes and being willing and able to
spend a little money.

LL: Any 2024 New Year’s
resolutions?

DK: I’m not really one for New Year’s
resolutions. In general, I try to make
healthy choices, whether that’s getting
outside and getting enough fresh air, or eating mostly vegetarian, or going to the gym a couple
times a week. The life of a musician makes it difficult to keep to a schedule, so I try not to be too
hard on myself. The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to have close friendships,
and to spend time connecting with the people I care about.

LL: What can your fans look forward to coming up for you?

DK: These past few years, I’ve toured throughout the Eastern U.S., “planting seeds”. Now that I
have significantly more time available, I’m looking to tour more throughout the entire U.S., of
course. But I’d also like to return to Europe, where I did a short tour in March 2022 (Germany,
Switzerland, and France.) I’ve never been to the U.K., so that would be a blast. I’d love to find
someone to help me with European booking. Honestly, I’m just looking forward to making music
in new places, meeting new people, and having some adventures. It’s really satisfying meeting
folks who enjoy my music. And the band and I love getting people up and dancing.

Also, I have at least a few albums worth of new songs ready to go. I’m looking for a label to work
with this time, so that I can get more help with the promotion and marketing, and I can focus on
touring more. In particular, I’d like to record an album with really stripped-down production,
almost acoustic, but with some strings too. I have a bunch of songs that feel more like Country
Soul songs, and they would sound best that way. Intimate.
~ © Lawrence Lebo 2024

Lawrence Lebo is an award winning, critically acclaimed Blues recording artist living in
Northeast Ohio, USA. She can be found on the web at www.lawrencelebo.com