Leon Bridges: 2015

Leon Bridges' record, Coming Home, has been very well received by fans and critics alike. It has just been Grammy nominated for best R&B album and WFUV listeners have placed it at the top of their year-end favorite lists.

Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Leon Bridges makes music that not only honors R&B from the early sixties, but it builds on it. The classic feel to Bridges' songs is rich and authentic. While it is impossible to ignore his vocal similarity to Sam Cooke, Bridges clearly has his own voice—a voice that is just as flawless and effortless as that of Cooke himself.

When Bridges brought a stripped-down version of his live band to Studio A, they played the song that has created such a buzz for this young vocalist, called "Coming Home." In addition, Bridges and his band offered up a song written for his mother, "Lisa Sawyer." Both songs can be found on  Bridges' debut album, Coming Home, released June 23.

Leon Bridges and I talked about his early shows, what drew him to music, and the chance meeting with the guys in White Denim that led to his first recordings.

[recorded: 2/19/15]