After capturing the attention of millions across the globe, Josiah Leming is preparing for the success that was apparent since he was young. The American-born performer was only eight years old when he taught himself how to play the piano and began composing music in his childhood home in Morristown, Tennessee. The second of nine children, Leming knew what it took to get what we wanted, and he knew that he wanted to make music his career. When Josiah turned 17, he took a leap of faith to follow his dream: the singer-songwriter withdrew from high school, packed up his car, – which became the roof over his head – and moved to Texas.
Taking odd jobs to pay for the essentials by day and performing at open mic nights around the Southeast by night, Leming felt content sharing his music with anyone who'd listen. When he auditioned for the hit U.S. show American Idol, the audience and judges were touched by his story as he sailed through to the second round. A predicted frontrunner early in the season, Leming was deemed a favorite by the show's controversial judge Simon Cowell. Fans reacted with backlash, flooding blogs and the show's website with comments, when he was shockingly eliminated before the live stages of the series, but one new fan in particular used her influence to give the singer another shot; Ellen DeGeneres invited Leming to be a guest on her daytime talk show Ellen.
After spending some time in the mainstream spotlight, his personal website generated more than 4 million hits and his debut EP "Paperplain" sold over 10,000 digital copies. His popularity caught the attention of many major labels in New York and L.A., but it was ultimately Perry Watts-Russell, best known for signing Damien Rice and Muse, who brought Leming together with Warner Brothers Records. After signing with the label, it wasn't long before Leming packed up and moved to London, where he recorded his first batch of major label tracks.
The first five tracks from his London sessions were released on 2008's "Angels Undercover" EP, which landed in the Top 20 on Billboard's Heat Seekers chart. The second batch of songs from his eight-month stay in London ended up on 2009's "Punk Ass Rain" EP, but Leming was still hungry for more. After a national tour with Better Than Ezra and The Calling, he took his career into his own hands by broadcasting a live show from L.A.'s Gibson showroom to more than 25,000 online viewers. The promotional stunt generated buzz surrounding the release of his debut LP "Come On Kid" and in September 2010 the album was released. Following the release and a tour with labelmate Tyler Hilton, Warner Brothers' roster was reorganized, leaving Leming without representation.
Hungrier than ever and on his own again, Josiah took his career into his own hands one more time and booked and promoted a Singapore and West coast U.S. tour while simultaneously working his second album "Another Life." The independent record was released in November 2011, featuring the breakout track "One Last Song," which reached more than one million YouTube views and a legion of new fans. In 2012, Leming partnered with Chrysler on a nationwide tour in conjunction with the release of the Dodge Dart, continued to develop a relationship with his now cult following, and released a batch of new singles and music videos, including the catchy tracks "Love Me Or Not" and "High." As Leming continues to prepare for the release of his third record, his childhood dreams are, once again, grabbing the attention of the industry's executives.
If history does indeed repeat itself, it looks like Leming may well be on his way back up to the top.
