On Saturday, February 1st, Springfield Native turned Nashville singer-songwriter Leah Crose will be returning to the area to play a free show at MIXX165 in Mechanicsburg, Ohio with friend and fellow country musician Alli Sarven. The show will begin at 7pm.
Leah and Alli are both from Springfield, Ohio and are graduates of Kenton Ridge High School. Music is more than a hobby for these two vocalists, music is both a passion and creative outlet. Through songwriting, one can express true feelings and tell stories in a creative manner that may go untold otherwise.
Leah enjoyed participating in 4-H and raising horses in her youth; she cherishes the memories of barrel racing at the Champaign County Fair. At age 14, Leah began playing guitar and shortly after she wrote her first song. Once her friends and family learned of her musical talents they began encouraging her to play more often which spiraled into open mics, acoustic shows and collaborations with other artists.
For Alli, her musical journey began with a guitar that was given to her by her father. She taught herself to play and began singing for her roommates in college. “One day I was playing with my back to the door and my roommate gathered many people from our floor. When I finished the song everyone began clapping and it was at that moment that I realized I had an audience. I just sort of ran with it from there!” Alli says.
Leah’s musical influences span many genres, Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 was one of the first writers that she remembers truly moving her with his lyrics. Her grandfather, who was also a talented musician introduced her to the sound of authentic country music and Leah is greatly appreciative for that influence. Since moving to Nashville she has been introduced to the songs of many talented writers such as Jason Isbell, Caitlyn Smith, Gregory Allan Isakov and Ashley McBride. For Alli, her insperations stem from a lot of the music that she listened to growing up such as The Eagles, Journey, Pat Benatar and Fleetwood Mac. Contemporary artist Maren Morris is also a major influence for Alli, she loves Morris’s ability to pour her heart and soul into the music.
Leah moved to Nashville in November of 2016 after graduating with her bachelors degree from The Ohio State University in a field unrelated to music. She said, “There wasn’t a whole lot of planning before my move, it was mostly a gut feeling and a love for music that drove my decision. I was ready to put in the work!” Other than the music scene in Nashville, Leah enjoys the vast wilderness that surrounds the city; there is tons of hiking and the many lakes and rivers satisfy her urge to be on the water. Nashville is also packed full of history, she enjoys getting out to the museums and plantations to learn about the past. Moving to a new city comes with the heartache of missing home. The distance can be difficult, not getting to see friends and family as often as she wants is a hard reality of living in Nashville. When Leah returns home she spends as much time as she can with her loved ones, but no trip back is complete without a Schuler’s Donut and a trip to Crabill’s for some hamburgers!
Alli regularly plays in the area, you can often catch her at the following locations: MIXX165 (Mechanicsburg), Buckeye Lodge (Springfield), Old Dog Alehouse (Delaware), Benny’s Pizza, Dalton Union Winery, Leons Garage (Marysville) and Mr. Boro’s Tavern (Springboro).
Click on the buttons below to follow Leah and Alli on Facebook and Instagram!!!