Today we’d like to introduce you to Leo Salom.
Leo, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Going back in the years, it sounds pretty hard to think of how to quantify the amount of time I spent on music.
It all started in my hometown in Tuscany when I was a young kid in Lucca, the place where I was born and lived half of my life.
A magnificent place, with majestic bright hills and incredible landscapes that literally take your breath away.
I remember was alternating my days doing birds hunting my dad in the woods, or riding motorcycles with friends whilst I was trying to impress girls at the seaside. Though first of all, I have to admit, I was dedicating a considerable amount of time studying drums in my room all by myself.
A unique, difficult and “cutting” tool, to which you have to dedicate so many hours of practice, and where the “must” of following specific but diverse structures makes the drum a very hard one from all the other instruments.
It has been for me, ultimately, more than of great importance: it brought so much gluttony of adrenaline to my person, and allowed me to detach myself from the monotony I was surrounded by; at the same time, however, it gave me a great sense of rhythm and determination from which I couldn’t have escaped easily. Pros and cons are everywhere, right?
If I think about it more deeply, what I can say is that no other instrument has ever inspired me so much interest, perhaps the piano, but only sometimes and not as much; that made me realize that all musical artists are usually keen to pick that instrument one in which they represent themselves the most.
I played drums for many years, and I also started giving lessons to some kids just to make some extra money, after I moved to Rome to study Sound Design at University. Looking at the past, I can see my life exactly as a roller coaster, so many ups and downs, satisfactions and disappointments, struggles and joys… so many memories. All those things though, have helped me increasing consciousness through my personal life experiences, and I was honestly quite impressed with the constancy and full dedication I applied to the entire world of music. I bought many different tools and stuff around to try new and experiment sounds, and create something different.
After graduating, I decided to escape from Italy and go further I could have ever gone and booked a ticket to the other side of the world, that’s when I moved to California. A place I have always admired and considered the land of my most intense dreams.
I met so many young people, locals and foreigners, including mentors who taught me how to play with a bunch of new machines. I guess what I was missing, which I found in America, is that constant desire to reach the top and the obsession for success that never leaves you.
If I would ever put music aside for a second, the only thing that gives me the same feeling and power to live is extreme sports. I’ve always been a very active and energetic dude, to not to say “hyper-active”. I honestly think I can’t sit still doing nothing for more than 20 minutes.
Stability, calmness and rest are things that are way far from my wavelength. Just as I relate to music, I am accordingly with all different dangerous sports. I learnt how to fly with my body and jumped out of airplanes 300 times in two years, and I’m still wondering what any other crazy shit I should do next. I guess what I’m really looking for is my true identity, pushing my limits to the top as much as I can. I, therefore, decided to spread the two things that make me feel that breeze the most, extreme sports and music. All that mixed with dating a lot of blonde chicks all around, obviously.
If I think about it, my tracks are exactly like this: they are quite short, with a fairly simple structure, but full of variegated sounds that reach the top, giving you a splash of adrenaline, and then descend down… that kind of vibe! Well, I think that’s enough with comparisons for now… I don’t think there’s a way to explain the love I have with music though?
What I do know for sure today, I am sure I wouldn’t be the person I am now, and maybe I wouldn’t have been able to prove to myself how much I am worth and how important it is to believe in your own abilities.
Nobody helped me during my entire journey, if not my family and a few people I am close to. Nobody helps you to realize your dreams exactly as you have them placed in your mind. You’re the only one who has the power to make your own things happen, and I’ve made music my life by choosing something I could never live without.
I am planning a lot of new stuff, ideas of new music albums and collaborations with artists and labels, but I would like to transfer my musical skills and touch to the visual one at the same time. I just want to create interesting content, something you can listen to but also watch. People want to see things happening, otherwise, they won’t believe it.
We all need hope to show ourselves that, despite starting from scratch it’s always harder if you really trust the process, happiness is not hidden anywhere… you just have to look for it, inside yourself.
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?
If that wasn’t clear yet, America is a very, very, very… difficult place to be. It puts you in front of an infinite list of obstacles, bureaucratic, technical, psychological and economical problems: you literally have to figure your shit together, and also quite quickly, otherwise you’re screwed.
I had to fight really hard before I got the chance to get a work permit, and during that time I had the most absurd and unexpected experiences of my life; I have known personalities of all kinds, who made my mind change a lot and that brought my music style to a next level, and where my interests have muted into new different tastes. I guess being such a dynamic person this way, it all has become part of my life circle.
My biggest “issue”, making more of an interesting examination of my conscience, is getting tired of things very easily, and I always look for something new that gives me the feeling of discovery and curiosity; as in music, in sports, I think it’s also in people. That’s probably why I picked Los Angeles as my place to live, you know people come and go, you meet them briefly, you get that emotion, and then they leave.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of. What sets you apart from the competition?
Music Production and DJ sets.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When I played a live set with EDX.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leosalom.com
- Email: info@leosalom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leosalom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leosalom.music/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/leosalom?lang=en
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/leosalom
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