Bittersweet

A karaoke bar. Guns n Roses. Destiny? It was, at least, for Bassist Jaime Horrigan. In 2001, Horrigan's future would be forever altered when he walked into a Columbia, Maryland karaoke bar and heard Julie Cymek singing "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns N Roses. He decided that they must make sweet music together…immediately! And they did. The duo teamed up with producer Kevin Hill to create the band, Bittersweet, and they went on to record their first full-length album, "This Is Bittersweet". After a few years and a few changes, Cymek and Horrigan finally found an undeniable energy with two very talented and well-known local musicians, drummer Don Boyette and guitarist Omar ElDieahy…and a new band — Sweet Leda — was born.
Powered by Cymek's sultry, commanding vocals and electrifying stage presence, Sweet Leda has earned a reputation as a "rising star," taking the diverse Annapolis music scene by storm and becoming one of the most exciting and accomplished live acts around. With its rich blend of new school funk, soul, and pop, Sweet Leda's heartfelt original material has drawn comparisons to Joss Stone, Janis, Maroon 5, Supreme Beings of Leisure, and Edie Brickell, while garnering its very own stylistic label: "sexy smooth rock and groove".
And with a new album currently being produced by Pro Producer Stephen Joseph Antonelli and mixed by Drew Mazurek (Linkin Park, Allman Bros.), the band is securing plans for some major road trips…an East Coast AND cross country tour. Meanwhile, the album's first single, "Can't Stand," has been released and is available for free download HERE or on iTunes. The tune can also be heard on the airwaves, on Annapolis' 103.1 WRNR, Ocean City, MD's 98.1 IRIE Radio, and Towson's 89.7 WTMD.
The year ahead promises to be a more exciting one than ever for Sweet Leda, so be sure to check the website for updates. In the meantime, rest assured that the band will be working hard — in the studio and on the live circuit — to do what they do best: make sweet music.
A Shot of Sweet Leda's Recent Venues
Ram's Head Live!
Ram's Head On Stage
8X10
The Whiskey
Night Cat
Stan & Joe's
Middleton Tavern
Seacrets Live on 98.1 Irie Radio
The Frogg Pond
The Paddock/The Party Block
A Swig of Sweet Leda's Recent Events
Hot August Blues
WRNR's Rockin River Cruise
ArtScape
SOWEBO
Annapalooza (1st annual with SOJA, Bill Kirchen and The Bridge)
DC BBQ Battle
Caroline Co Summerfest
Tin Can Music Fest
Tug Fest – Annapolis v Eastport (4 years running!)
Opened for . . .
Big Head Todd and The Monsters at Ram's Head Live
Indigenous at Ram's Head On Stage
Cederic Burnside and Lightnin Malcolm at The Night cat
Cowboy Mouth at Ram's Head Live
Shannon McNally at Ram's Head On Stage
Civil Twilight for WRNR's Rockin River Cruise
Played Hot August Blues with…
Lyle Lovett, Keb Mo, Black Joe Lewis, The Bridge, Jackie Scott, Higher Hands, Dean Rosenthal
Played Art Scape with…
Gov't Mule, Jah Works, Fools and Horses, and many more…
Headlined SOWEBO with…
Pasadena, Higher Hands, Grilled Lincolns, The Remnants, Caleb Stein, and many more…
Played Annapalooza with…
SOJA, Bill Kirchen, The Bridge, Blue Miracle, The Pie Tasters, The Cheaters, Jarflys, and many more…
Played the DC BBQ Battle with…
Chuck Brown, Higher Hands, Grilled Lincolns, Pressing Strings and many more…
Played The Tin Can Music Fest with…
Pasadena, Guthrie Matthews Method, Skribe, The Remnants, and more…
Played several large original showcases for DNL Entertainment with…
Pasadena, Ballyhoo, Bond and Bentley, The Grilled Lincolns, Skribe, Hot Box, Code Anchor, The Pocket, The Cheaters, 86 The Effort, Fat Daddy Has Been, Cool Kid Collective, Tsunami Rising, and many, many more…
Other Highlights…
- Sweet Leda's song, "My Angel" was featured in A&E's television series "Random 1?
- Sweet Leda's song, "It Wasn't Me" was featured in the independent film, "Dead Giveaway"
- Sweet Leda's song, "Karma" was featured in the following films: "Swooped", "Crystal Fog", and "Please God Someone Normal"