Meet Anna Leckie of Hit Lizard in Athens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Leckie.

Anna, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been more creative than analytical. Since I was a very young girl, my favorite things to do were draw, sing, and perform. I knew I was going to be a performer. It was a knowing in my soul from as early as the age of three. I pursued a theatre degree at the University of Georgia studying performance. Meanwhile, I would write private songs in my bedroom about very real things in my life. It was how I expressed myself emotionally.

Although this was something I loved to do, I kept my songs private and rarely shared my music with others because there was such a sense of vulnerability that came with them. Eventually, I met my friend Brett who is the guitarist of Hit Lizard. He knew I loved to sing and he basically forced me to collaborate with him. We began writing songs in his basement and eventually, we had a four-piece band that we began playing shows with. I got to perform and sing original music that was genuine and that was what I had wanted to do for decades. It’s incredibly rewarding.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has really been at times confusingly easy. That is not to say that we haven’t had our struggles. In our band, we are all very close and bond through our communal music-making. Last year our bassist finished his Ph.D. and moved to Texas. He is loved and such a huge part of our band so after he left, it was a hard transition. We eventually brought Connor Sherouse on board and he became a wonderful addition to our lizard family. Going through the change in group members was a tough experience because we had a hiatus for a while as we were looking to fill the position. Something I very much enjoy about the band as well as find challenging is merging our different styles of musical taste into one sound. The four of us have very different musical backgrounds and styles so sometimes we clash in our musical direction when we are writing music together. Ultimately I feel it has lead to a unique sound. I was raised on R&B, Pop Music, and Synth Rock. Undeniably my voice echos the R&B influences. Anytime you have a group project, you have different minds working together to make a product and that is super fun as well as challenging.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am the singer of Hit Lizard. I also play some keyboard and am a co-songwriter. I am probably known for my big voice that comes from a small body. I specialize in belting things during the songs. I am most proud of my lyrics and the honesty behind them. I write about things that are really pertinent within my life and I love to create a world within a song.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was constantly playing, exploring, and indulging in anything creative I was also very hyperactive and focused my energy on music and art. I loved performing, singing, and writing. I was often taken over by my own imagination.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Hitlizardband
• Facebook: facebook.com/HitLizzie

Image Credit:
Mirabel Lee and Brittany Courtenay

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