Photo by Andrew Klewan Leslie Goldman is pictured here with her bandmates, The Lovedrops. The group has just released a new album.
Leslie Goldman is pictured here with her bandmates, The Lovedrops. The group has just released a new album.
Leslie Goldman, artist and owner of Wild Cherry Art, has a new music release.
Her album “Glitter & Grit” with her band Leslie & The Lovedrops is now available on Spotify.
The nine songs on the album are what Goldman calls “slices of my life, true stories, a musical memoir.” As the writer of all the songs, she said, “It’s sort of a musical journey, a lot of my personal experiences.
She describes her music as sort of a little punky, a little bit poppy. “Lyrics are funny and thoughtful,” she said. “Just fun. Sounds like Joan Jett—my voice and the band. That throw-back sound, a little bit, I think.”
Goldman’s journey in music began at a very young age. She began taking piano lessons at age 7. And simultaneously she started painting.
While Goldman had no formal music lessons, she graduated from Parsons with a degree in illustration. Having trouble making illustration work as a living, she returned to school to study graphic design, which she did really well with.
“I have lots of awards from graphic design,” she said.
After her husband died in 2012, Goldman realized graphic design wasn’t her passion.
“My passion was creating my own art as a painter,” she said. “After he died, I dove in head-first.”
While Goldman started to sell paintings as a fine artist, she gradually started writing songs again.
She’s been with The Lovedrops for five years now. One of the challenges she faces as a front person in a band is getting places to play at.
“After the pandemic, venues closed,” she said. “It’s much harder to find gigs than it used to be.”
Also, getting together to rehearse is a challenge because one of the band members lives in NYC. But there are no bad challenges. It’s just a lot of fun for Goldman.
“The guys in the band are great guys,” she said. “No drama. Very seasoned musicians. All pros in other bands. They bring years of experience to the table. Total pros. It doesn’t feel like a bunch of drama, like a band can often feel.”
Currently the band is looking for gigs, and Goldman isn’t sure where they will play next. She said, “It would be nice to find a place we can play regularly.”
Goldman is focusing on doing a singer/songwriter show, not with The Lovedrops. Explaining, she said, “I was friends with Jill Sobule. I took her songwriting classes.
“She inspired a lot of my progress as a musician. I’m putting together a benefit concert.”
For someone who aspires to be a musician, or an artist, Goldman advises to go for it. “Just do it,” she said.
“Don’t wait until you’re ready. Start now and learn along the way. Find someone who can mentor you. Keep trying.”
In addition to music and art, Goldman also likes to garden and see shows. She’s also on the SOMA Studio Tour Committee and coordinates the Warren Court Art Walk.
To learn more about Leslie Goldman, visit: https://www.wildcherryart.com/.
To hear Leslie & The Lovedrops, visit: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0o2lVFgU7bWfkKR7Q1B6T8/discography.
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