LONG BIO:

 

     Miss Leo (“Leo” Lauren Williams) is the California Soulgrass Songstress with a memorable and unique take on Americana music. Rich with imagery of the west, her original music effortlessly channels the full spectrum of emotions as she sings the relatable stories of humanity, drawn straight from her own life experiences. Her buttery vocals and heartfelt delivery are paired seamlessly with distinct and dynamic guitar playing, reminiscent of the Carter Family. 

      Many folks make a conscious decision at some point in their lives to be a musician or follow the artist’s path. Not Miss Leo. “Sometimes,” she says, “it seems that the music chose me, whether a blessing or a curse. I couldn’t get away from it even if I tried (yes, I have tried). It’s always been the only path for me and I’ve had this very deep knowing for as long as I can remember.” Her musical journey began at age 5, when she begged her parents for piano lessons. Her non-musician family lovingly obliged, watched, and listened as her musical path was forged. And from there, it never ended. Beginning to write songs at age 13, music has been Miss Leo’s guiding light ever since.  

     Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, memories of childhood largely feature the Grateful Dead playing as the soundtrack to her life. Other 60’s and 70’s classics were also huge early influences, such as The Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Cat Stevens. She was introduced to bluegrass music in high school by a group local boys who had formed a bluegrass band and invited her to join them on an adventure to the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA when she was only 16. Fast forward to college at UCSC, Leo met many musicians through the music department and experimented with all kinds of sounds including joining a Shoegaze band, singing with the college jazz ensembles, taking opera lessons, forming an experimental indie rock band called Glitter Skull, self-producing her songs on Garage Band, and beginning to play solo shows around town. Her influences and background in music spread far and wide, and listeners will notice this particularly at her live performances. 

       Miss Leo landed on the California Central Coast (San Luis Obispo County) in 2015, where she has been rooted ever since. Shortly after moving here, she formed the first iteration of her band that is now known as Miss Leo & The Handsome Fellers. Originally known as Miss Leo and Her Bluegrass Boys (a feminist jab at the male dominated, traditional bluegrass scene), the band was a 5 piece traditional string band. As the sound progressed and she grew inter herself as a songwriter, the group morphed into its own unique genre-bending vibe and thus changed the name. The Handsome Fellers are fluid like the music they make - sometimes they play as a trio, sometimes a full bluegrass band, while most recently they are adding drums to the mix and experimenting with new sounds. 

      In her years on the Central Coast, Miss Leo has earned quite a reputation after releasing her debut album, All I Need, in 2021 . On top of her day job as a K-8 Music Teacher, she remains very active in the local music scene. She has won multiple awards like garnering 1st place in the 2024 Songwriters at Play song contest (a competitive yearlong competition involving songwriters from near and far) as well as 1st and 3rd place awards in the 2021 New Times Music Awards (SLO County’s huge annual competition for the burgeoning local music scene). She has had features in the local paper, live interviews on local radio, and is a top choice for local events and festivals. Some notable touring acts she has opened for include Billy Strings, AJ Lee and Blue Summit, Big Richard, Never Come Down, among others. 

      Most recently, Miss Leo is shifting her focus away from the band and more on building a name for herself as a songwriter. Focusing more on solo shows and the creative process, she has been writing new songs, honing in on her identity as an artist, and getting back into the studio making magic happen for her next big album release (more on that later!). She hopes to expand her following outside of the local scene with this next record. Outside of writing songs and taking care of all of the DIY artist responsibilities, Miss Leo spends her days teaching K-8 general music and adventuring in the great outdoors with her two boxer dogs and husband, Mitch.