Editor’s note: This is part of “Four of a Kind,” a recurring Arts & Culture feature. Each month, four new artists share their takes on the local art scene. In addition to individual online posts, you can find all four features as a single spread in this week’s print edition.
Leah Lawson is an Asheville-based singer-songwriter.
Xpress: Is there an upcoming music event happening in Asheville that you’re looking forward to seeing?
Andy Shauf is coming through Asheville [on Monday, April 1] and is playing the Masonic Temple. I saw him the last time he came through, and it was one of my favorite shows I’ve seen here. He’s even better live [compared with his recorded material], if you can believe it, and the energy in the crowd was great. People were losing their minds over this soft-spoken man, and I loved it.
A little sooner than that, Odie Leigh is playing The Grey Eagle on Saturday, Dec. 16, and I think that’ll be a great show. I haven’t seen her live yet, but what I’ve heard from her I love.
Outside of music, what other upcoming local arts happening intrigues you?
The Big Crafty is coming up [Saturday, Dec. 2-Sunday, Dec. 3 at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville], and it’s a great way to find handmade gifts and get introduced to local artists and makers.
The Moth’s StorySLAM event is always incredible, and they have one at The Grey Eagle on Thursday, Dec. 14. The Grey Eagle doesn’t miss!
And this might sound a little silly, but I always check out the gingerbread competition at [Omni] Grove Park [Inn] around the holidays with my family, and it’s really impressive to see what people can create with cookies as their medium. [National Gingerbread House Competition entries are on display through Tuesday, Jan. 2.]
What current project are you working on that you’re especially excited about?
I am working on recording an EP to release early next year. It’s still very much in the beginning stages, so I don’t have many details yet, but I’m really excited to record again and share the new songs I’ve been writing. I’ll be playing new songs at local shows in December and January, so please come say hi. I have also been working on a small poetry collection that I’d love to release as a zine or small book.
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