Neo-soul artist Leon Bridges doesn't dress dapper for the sake of trendiness; he fell in love with 1950s fashion before his (relatively short) career in music skyrocketed.
And thank goodness the 27-year-old Texan was into vintage clothing: Bridge's high-waisted Wranglers caught the eye of guitarist (and denim aficionado) Austin Jenkins who chatted with Bridges at a bar in Texas. The two bonded over music and, shortly after their chance encounter, Jenkins suggested they collaborate on a recording.
A song like Bridge's “Better Man” stops you in your tracks: Your ears cling to the doo-wop chorus, frantically trying to decipher how—in the 60+ years of its existence—you've never heard it before. When you learn the song was released in 2015, you immediately become a fan. Or at least that's what happened to us.
“A lot of people these days, especially the younger generation, wouldn’t know who Marvin Gaye is,” Bridges told FasterLouder. “I’m not saying I’m the substitute, I’m just trying to honor those guys. What I do can point people in the direction of the real Marvin Gayes and Bobby Womacks.”
President Obama included Bridge's “Smooth Sailin” on his “Songs for the Daytime” 2016 summer playlist, among the likes of Aretha Franklin, Beach Boys, Prince, and contemporaries Aloe Blacc and Gary Clark Jr.
Bridges will be performing at Humphrey's in San Diego on September 21, 2016. Quotation above via ebony.com.
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