Gavin Leatherwood pushes the boundaries of his creativity in his debut single “Just For Tonight”, building anticipation for the release of his first album.
Leatherwood, who starred in the Netflix Original series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, is setting his roots in the music scene as he evolves into a new craft. His debut album will be composed of 12 tracks. Its release date is yet to be announced.
“I’d say music may be even more dramatic than acting,” Leatherwood captions a video posted to Instagram in late January.
“Just For Tonight” delivers a folk-rock medley that is suitable for playing full blast whilst driving through backroads in the middle of the night, or lying on the floor staring at the ceiling and everything in between. As the song progresses, the instrumentals get increasingly more complex, making it that much more interesting to listen to. The upbeat tempo varies throughout the song, transforming what could’ve been a tragic tale of forbidden love into one of hope with the lyrics:
The wind is howling baby/
The full moon is bright/
Let’s put our thinking minds aside/
And let’s give in babe/
Just for tonight/
And in the bridge:
Don't wanna hurt you, darling/
Now I know, I know, I know, I know, I know/
That you're not mine/
And if we close our eyes, baby/
Make evеrything alright/
For his rookie album, Leatherwood worked closely with John Paul Roney, or Boom Forest, Thomas Dutton, and Gavin McDonald. With an experienced team to help him craft his unique sound, Leatherwood was able to debut a mature single that clearly shows who he is as a musician. This is almost rare for new artists to accomplish.
The songwriting should not be overlooked- the simple lyrics illustrate a story which is key in any folk song. JFT goes full circle opening with:
I waited up for you/
I'll keep on the light/
And concluding with:
I waited up for you/
Just turn out the lights/
The care-free lyricism and intentional illustration throughout the song is almost a personification of who Leatherwood is as a person. The 26-year-old seems to spend most of his free time camping in gorgeous national parks and hiking up scenic routes. He chronicles his life online through an unfiltered lens, often posting pictures of friends he admires and showing his raw devotion to the people he cares about. That same emotion is amplified through his music.
For Leatherwood, this was not a transition from actor to musician. As a creative, this was an evolution of his freedom of expression. He was always pictured with a guitar in his hand and singing different songs, so releasing his own seemed inevitable.
“You ever figure out what you REALLY love to do?” He captioned a photo of himself grinning in the studio.
Leatherwood teased three more songs from his album: “Be My Lover”, “Spaceships and Riots” and “Wichita” in an acoustic IGTV prior to the release of JFT. There he delved deeper into his folk sound and delivered some anticipated ballads.
Leatherwood’s debut single “Just For Tonight” is out now, listen here.