Meet Leonie Persch | Independent Artist & Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leonie Persch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leonie, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Germany – I grew up in a small town in Bavaria, and later spent six years in Berlin working as a songwriter before moving to Los Angeles two months ago, to launch my fully independent solo artist project. Growing up in Germany definitely shaped me in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to work ethic, structure, and this almost obsessive drive to “do it right”.
At the same time, working as a creative across Europe – and living for so many years in a beautifully multifaceted, multicultural city like Berlin – exposed me to an incredible range of art, subcultures, and global perspectives. It left me with this feeling of always existing a little bit in between worlds, which has deeply shaped both my identity and my work.
Berlin especially was where I cut my teeth as a songwriter. I learned how to write for other people, how to build songs that connect, how to sit in rooms and translate emotion into melody. But something in me always knew I had my own story to tell – not just behind the scenes, but front and center. So in a way, my background gave me the foundation – the technical skill, the humility, the discipline – but it also gave me the tension. The tension of feeling like I didn’t fully belong in the mold I was in, which eventually pushed me to break it and move to LA to rebuild everything from scratch as an independent artist.
And then there’s the immigrant piece – which is huge for me. Moving to the U.S. on an artist visa meant stepping into the unknown in the most real way. No guaranteed outcome, just belief. That decision has shaped who I am more than anything, not just as an artist, but as a human and a founder. It has taught me resilience, strategy, and how to lead myself when no one else is.
So my background isn’t just where I’m from geographically. It’s this whole layered thing of culture, creativity, ambition, and choosing to bet on myself over and over again. That’s what you hear in my music, and that’s the energy behind everything I’m building now.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is rooted in personal experiences and emotional processing. I’m not chasing a formula – I’m trying to release emotional truth and authenticity. I don’t try to sound like anyone else. I pull from everything I’ve absorbed over the years and use what makes me feel something or provokes a new way of thinking about anything.

But I see my work not only as music, but as part of a larger creative ecosystem I’m building. Every song, every piece of content, every project is connected. I’m building a self-owned, sustainable independent artist business from scratch.

Before I launched my solo project in LA, I spent six years in Berlin writing for other artists and releasing music under different aliases, doing lots of collaborations. It was a beautiful training ground, but at some point I realized I had too much of my own story to keep writing behind the scenes. So I moved to the U.S. on an O-1 visa — alone, with no blueprint — and started over completely as an immigrant artist and entrepreneur.
It hasn’t been easy, but that’s the point. I’ve had to teach myself – and I still am – how to be my own label, my own strategist, my own team. And in the process, I’ve realized that creative freedom comes from taking full ownership – of the vision, the business, and the long game. That’s what excites me most – this isn’t just about me. It’s about showing other independent artists – especially women – that it’s possible to build something powerful on your own terms. I try to inspire from a place of “still building” instead of “I’m there and this is how you can get there”.
I’m not pretending I’ve arrived. I’m in the middle of it, documenting the climb in real time while I just started taking this new approach to publish my most personal art yet. And I think that’s exactly what makes the story worth telling.

I think I got to where I am today – mindset wise and location wise – by a lot of trial and error – and by not giving up in the first place. By listening to other people, but still never ignoring my inner voice and intuition. By taking a break from music for almost a year, spending lots of time in solitude and introspection and then realizing there are still enough good-hearted people in the industry and outside of it. And by constantly reminding myself how grateful I can be for the life I get to live.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I actually just moved to LA two months ago, but I’ve visited so many times over the years that it already feels familiar – and I’ve definitely collected a few favorite spots along the way. One of the things I love most about LA is how every neighborhood has its own energy.

I’d start with music, of course. Two of my favorite venues are The Wiltern and the Greek Theatre – both feel magical in totally different ways. For drinks, I’m a big fan of rooftops with a view. The rooftop at the Waldorf Astoria is beautiful, and so are Soho House and Harriet’s at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. There’s something about seeing the city from above that always reminds me why I moved here.

Food- and view-wise, my all-time favorite restaurant was Moonshadows in Malibu — sadly, it was lost in this year’s wildfires, but it was one of the most breathtaking spots I’ve been to. These days, I also love heading over to Venice for good food and strolls – there are so many cute cafes and restaurants – Great White is one of my go-tos there.

I’d also take them for long walks through Beverly Hills or down Sunset Boulevard – I’m obsessed with beautiful real estate, so just walking past those incredible homes is my version of a museum tour. And of course, no trip would be complete without just sitting by the ocean, letting time slow down a bit. That’s the magic of LA — you can dream big and breathe deep, all in the same day.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been so many people along the way who’ve impacted my journey – in ways both big and small. I’ve learned something from almost everyone I’ve worked with, whether it was being deeply inspired by someone’s talent and skills, work ethic, or creative thought process, or learning through a more difficult experience what I don’t want to repeat moving forward. Either way, I consider it all part of the process – and I’m grateful for it.

I definitely want to shout out the Berlin-based talent manager, Wassif, who found a cover of mine I posted on Instagram and opened the door to my early industry contacts. A little later on, that led to the people I signed my first publishing deal with and gave me the chance to grow through consistent writing sessions – which shaped a lot of my foundation. Ironically, that same publishing deal also clarified for me that I wanted to move forward independently for now.

Patrick, a producer & A&R I connected with in Berlin, was the first one believing in me not just as a writer, but as an artist. We began shaping my first demos under an early alias, leaning into the EDM space – and that gave me the first sense of what building a sound and identity could feel like. He also ended up being my first publishing A&R.

During my years working as a writer across Europe, I had the chance to attend songwriting camps in different cities and countries, and I’ll never forget how many people welcomed me with open arms. In an industry that can be very tough to navigate – especially as a woman – those pure souls who are in it for the music and nothing else have helped me rebuild trust after some not so great experiences. Their presence reminded me that real creative connection still exists, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.



When it comes to my experiences in LA, I’ve met so many different, incredibly talented people and wouldn’t want to miss any of those collaborations as a writer. In terms of my very newly launched independent solo artist project, I want to give credit to my producer Simon, who’s been helping shape the sound with a lot of care and patience — especially with my many nitpicky revision notes (haha). He’s genuinely talented and doing a great job. Before we started this project, he also brought me into the studio as a writer and vocalist on an instrumental he had (co-) composed and produced with Jay Century and DLMT – which ended up landing a sync deal with Disney, something I’m really grateful for as well.

And last but not least, my mother has been the biggest emotional support throughout this whole journey. She’s the one who truly listens – not just to my songs – but also to the many, many interpersonal stories behind the scenes that have shaped my career. Her emotional intelligence has helped me navigate it all with a bit more clarity and strength, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

Website: https://www.leoniepersch.com

Instagram: @leonie.persch

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeoniePersch

Other: TikTok @leonie.persch

Image Credits
Luis Reynoso (all pictures but the black and white which I took myself)