Tina Leon grants her audience access into her inner world of romance with the release of her debut full length album, “Push & Pull”. The title represents the emotional charge that empowers this body of work. Through her songwriting, Leon reconciles the tension between the warm affections of romantic partnerships, and the strenuous moments of disappointment that come from these same relationships.
The desire to support and nurture is an essential quality in Leon’s work. In the song, “Hold Me” Leon reveals a willingness towards vulnerability, she fights for the importance of physical closeness and the comfort found in sensual connection. The song expresses a capacity to share in a loved one’s struggles, urging them to “forget your burdens and worries, let me help you lift all that’s heavy”. There is a beauty in wanting to share in the experience of life with someone, to bear witness to each other’s struggles and successes.
On the contrary, there is another force at play expressed with poignant intensity in the song “WTH”. Leon sings with the full force of her spirit against emotional apathy. She tries to understand “what the hell happened baby…you don’t look at me the same way”. Leon doesn’t fall into pessimism, she fights against it. She acknowledges dysfunction as a real aspect of relationships, and it is an essential theme of the album, but it is never given enough attention to influence her definition of what love is. Leon’s songs have an overarching commitment to the power of love and how that power can create lasting, harmonious partnerships.
The production value of “Push & Pull” mirrors Leon’s vigorous passion. The full-fledged sound incorporates all kinds of influences, from string sections, synthesizers, up beat rhythms, and melodies that crescendo alongside Leon’s soulful vocals. The deep feeling that Leon pours into her music, accompanied by the bright, complex variety of sound, makes the album burst open with a colorful array of emotion.
Leon explores subject matter forever relevant to human life. Finding a partner and nurturing that relationship plays an immense role in our existence. These relationships, to a large extent, can affect our wellbeing and life trajectory as a whole and they fill us with “lots of questions burning”. Leon doesn’t offer any clear cut answers, probably because there are none. Instead, she is upfront and undeniably authentic in her needs and wants. This clarity of emotion is a light shining in a world that can be somber and lacking in love. Leon inspires us to be forthright with our own emotional needs in a bold and unapologetic way, which is in itself a kind of answer. In her own words, “life is too short and we owe it to ourselves to live it.”
About Tina Leon
Tina Leon is a singer-songwriter from Montreal, Canada. Having previously, under the name of Marie-Christine Depestre, shared the stage with many prominent artists (Lionel Richie, Garou, DJ Champion, Les Louanges), collaborated with Stevie Wonder on her song “Keep on Running” and performed as a backup vocalist on several popular TV shows, she begins a new stage in her journey as Tina Leon, one that is intimate and more authentic. In reference to the nickname that her family gave her and as a tribute to her maternal grandmother, choosing Tina Leon as her stage name is a way for her to fully express her personality, embrace her creativity and be grounded artistically.
Her new album “Push & Pull”, out now via Ensoul Records, delivers a colourful journey through jazz, funk and pop-inflected rhythms accompanied by lavish melodies.
Upcoming Shows:
June 28th TD Victoria International JazzFest 2025 – Victoria, BC
June 29th Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2025 – The Shipyards – Vancouver, BC
July 2nd Summer Kicks 2025 – Golden, BC
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