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Leslie Hunt

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About the Artist

If you consider yourself a fan of LESLIE HUNT, you are not alone. From the legions worldwide who protested her too-soon dismissal from Season 6 of American Idol 2007 to the Chicago fan base who discovered her prior to American Idol, LESIE HUNT is a musical phenomenon. Her impressive performance history (onstage with familiar names like Kenny Rogers, Rick Springfield and Ides of March/Survivor’s Jim Peterik) is equal to her keyboard talent and her prolific self-composed song catalog. Her style emanates pop, rock and soul, with influences including Bjork, Joni Mitchell, Feist, Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley, Ben Folds Five and Stevie Wonder, all of whom are wonderfully present in her music, without taking away from the sheer originality of her sound, not to mention the power and control of her distinctive voice.

LESLIE HUNT has been performing as a musician since childhood. Singing and playing piano by age four, the St. Charles, Illinois native performed with Kenny Rogers at age 11 and had already played leading roles in productions of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Music Man” by age 13. In 2001, she inked a development deal with Sony and recorded a five-song demo the following year. Emboldened by a brush with death in Brazil, LESLIE HUNT decided to audition for Season 6 of American Idol. She was chosen out of 104,000 competitors and quickly found herself in the national spotlight when she reached the “final 10 females” on American Idol 2007. From there, she found herself performing her original music on the Fox Morning Show in Chicago as well as many prestigious clubs, including The Empty Bottle, Martyr’s, Uncommon Ground, Elbo Room, Gunther Murphy's, Underground Wonderbar, and Katerina's.

LESLIE HUNT is currently releasing a full length album in early '09 through L & L Entertainment, Ltd. Expect more of the sultry melodies, lush harmonies, thoughtful piano playing, and pop sensibility of her previous outings. Having already accomplished more than most do in a lifetime, LESLIE HUNT has only just begun. Expect to hear more from this extraordinarily gifted singer, songwriter, and performer as her life unfolds.

Here's what people are saying about her CD "From The Strange To A Stranger", available HERE.

"Leslie can get around on a piano and has a very dynamic voice that rivals many great singers in all genres. You can easily hear the passion she has for her craft in each phrase. For an album of just piano and voice, Miss Hunt brings a wide range of emotions and dynamics that some can't even get with a full band. And her writing--superb, with the kind of skill usually found only in a seasoned professional." - Adam Keele

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Video Grand Prize Winner September 2009

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September 2009 Pop Videos

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Local Q&A : Leslie Hunt by metromix
When pursuing musical opportunities, Leslie Hunt sometimes doesn’t even mention that she gained a certain degree of fame from making the “American Idol” top 20 in 2007. If she does mention it, the Ukrainian Village-based singer-songwriter often qualifies the reference: “You might remember me from such monstrosities as ‘American Idol,’” she’ll say, “Where I hilariously made it to 17th place.” Yes, despite the show earning her devoted fans in Korea and Sweden, Hunt’s not particularly proud of her experience on the TV juggernaut—for which she calls auditioning “a silly decision.” Whatever. Hunt, 27, is now on to brighter things with the release of her official full-length debut, “Your Hair is on Fire,” a sophisticated blend of heartfelt pop (just try to listen to “American Dream Man” and not hum it all day) and gloomier tracks like “Down Day.” The record certainly reflects the light and dark sides to Hunt, who, with the same people but in different costumes, also plays in the prog-rock group District 97. Before her CD release show, an eight-months-pregnant Hunt checked in to chat about life after “Idol” and how expectant mothers make more energetic performers. How self-conscious are you on the CTA? Do you assume everyone is trying to remember why you look familiar? It’s funny. It’s been a couple years now so I’m kinda used to it. But I get that a lot, where it’s like, “Oh my gosh! Did you go to school in Miami? Were we in the same sorority?” People just come up with these things. “Do you work at Applebee’s?” [I’m] just like, “No. Do you watch TV though”? “Yeah.” “Do you watch ‘American Idol’”? They’re like, “Oh my god!” It usually takes a couple memory jogs on my part. How does the Leslie Hunt on “American Idol” compare to Leslie Hunt now? When I was on the show, I wasn’t really sure what kind of a record I would have made. I had been writing, but I didn’t have a product and I wasn’t very clear about my artist image, or the general direction or sound that I wanted. I was kind of disillusioned and thought maybe I was a soul singer. The producers would say, “So, what kind of a record would you make if you won?” And I’m like, “I don’t really know.” And they were like, “Red flag! Red flag!” So I think that they didn’t really show me as much because they were just like, “Oh, she’s not the rocker or the big diva that will wear a boa and a long sparkly gown.” How I’m different is I know what it is that I’m doing and I’ve got the confidence now and the experience and the wherewithal and the good humor to put on a really damn good show. What makes your live show great? I’m out of my mind, and I’m totally out front dancing around. Even though I’m pregnant, it doesn’t matter. You’re still able to go as crazy as ever? It’s so weird. In some ways I have more energy. When you’re pregnant you’ve got more blood and more oxygen and you’re on this natural high all the time. Your mood is very stable because you’re never randomly drinking or randomly having cigarettes or crashing from caffeine because you’re 100 percent sober all the time. How do you describe your current sound in five words or less? Progressive indie-pop in a dress. Would you rather be Kelly Clarkson or Katy Perry? Katy Perry. I don’t know, though, because Katy Perry is all shtick and Kelly Clarkson actually has a really incredible voice. But Kelly Clarkson, she’s not making as many waves, and I don’t like that as much. I appreciate Katy Perry’s balls, and I think this is a really powerful, wonderful time for women to be in rock and women to be performing because we can pretty much cover whatever subject we want ... I’m more into Lady GaGa to tell you the truth. I feel like she’s hip as hell right now. Tell me something random about yourself. I’m always out walking my dog, pretty much all the time. That’s how I come up with my songs; I walk around. I’ve never really written a song sitting down before. Does your dog get a writing credit? My husband is really, really mad at me that I didn’t credit [my cocker spaniel Maya] on the liner notes because she’s a huge part of my life. I didn’t really thank her because … She can’t read either. She knows without me having to put it into words. We have a connection. Matt Pais is the Metromix music and movies producer. Leslie Hunt’s Chicago personality test Fave bar: Cleo’s   Best vegan restaurant: Chicago Diner, Karyn’s Cooks   Fave Chicago celeb: Billy Corgan   Local tourist attraction not ashamed to love: Navy Pier fireworks Leslie Hunt’s word association Music: Love   Party: Headache   Hilarious: Abs   Ugly: Hatred   Delicious: Artichokes   Crazy: Gnarls Barkley   “American Idol”: Hell   Paula Abdul: Retarded

Ex-'Idol' coming to St. Charles with new record by Daily Herald
Former "American Idol" contestant Leslie Hunt will play two shows in her native St. Charles this month in support of her new record, "Your Hair Is On Fire. The album, to be released Tuesday on Ellenel Records, is Hunt's second since she was a finalist on the starmaker Fox program in 2007. It's pretty much the most exciting thing I've ever done. I've never been so proud of anything in my life," Hunt said. In the works for two years, the record features high-caliber studio musicians who have played with the likes of Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock and Stevie Nicks. Hunt said she drew on "a lot of life-changing experiences," including the death of her sister last year, for songwriting inspiration. It was such an artistic experience for me to have an overall concept and just chisel away at it," she said. "It's pop music but it's way more complex than your regular pop music. I wanted to explore all different sides of myself. To celebrate the release, Hunt is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Riverside Roadhouse, formerly Chord on Blues, at 106 S. First Ave., in St. Charles. Admission is $5. Hunt also will do an in-store performance at Border's, 3539 E. Main St., also in St. Charles, at 7 p.m. Aug. 13. As for touring, any plans are on hold until after Hunt, who is eight months pregnant, delivers a baby girl due in early September. Surprisingly, Hunt said, her pregnancy hasn't hindered her ability to perform. I was expecting to shut down, but I've got more energy," she said. "My life has this new meaning now. It is amazing how it's translated. I've never been such an in-depth performer. Hunt lives in Chicago but is a native of St. Charles, where her family is known locally for its work in music and the arts. Her new record is available for purchase at lesliehunt.net.

The evolution of an American Idol by Chicago Tribune
It’s an exciting time in Leslie Hunt’s life. The singer’s new CD, “Your Hair is on Fire”—nearly two years in the making—will be released Aug. 5 at a show in her hometown of St. Charles. And in about one month’s time, she and her husband Tommy will welcome their first child, a girl named Eliza Joni. Yet, despite the promise each event conjures, Hunt remains even-keel, knowing how fortunes can change almost in the blink of an eye. She’s had practice. Consider this: in the span of a little over two years, Hunt faced down death on a Brazilian vacation; she successfully auditioned for American Idol Season 6, making it into the top-20 before her elimination; and she was informed of her sister’s death the day before her wedding. She maintains her balance through music, and her new CD is evidence of that. Part dark and moody, part light and poppy, the album serves as the audio diary of a life set to sound. Hunt’s journey began in St. Charles. Her parents Steve and Annie Hunt are both musicians; Annie holds a degree in vocal performance from DePaul University and Steve has played drums on Chicago’s free-jazz scene for more than 20 years. They exposed their daughter to music at an early age, recording her at age 3 singing with their band. “She would dance and sing anything that would come to mind,” Steve Hunt said. “She used to take naps in my electric bass case when I took her to rehearsals with me,” Annie Hunt said. “I remember her at 2 going to voice lessons with me. She’d climb up on the piano and sing.” Growing up she took piano lessons, and by high school she had made a tape recording of six original songs, which she sold out of her locker at St. Charles High School, eventually parting with 1,000 copies. “The tape circulated and circulated,” she said. “One day we actually had a fire at my house and the fireman was like ‘I have your tape.’ He had gotten it from his daughter and he really liked it.” The tape circulated its way into the hands of Jim Peterik, former member of the band Ides of March and later, Survivor, known for their number-one single “Eye of the Tiger,” featured in “Rocky III.” Peterik became Hunt’s mentor, which led Sony Records to offer her a developmental deal during her senior year of high school. She recorded a demo for the company but the deal didn’t last. “I wasn’t into the stuff they were saying they wanted me to change,” she said. It was 2000, the bubblegum pop era. ‘N Sync, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves and Hunt wasn’t ready to join their club. “I thought I’d rather just play in coffee shops the rest of my life,” she said. Her parents divorced around the same time and to escape the drama, Hunt moved to Boulder, Colo. for less than a year before returning home to attend school at Roosevelt University. That too, did not last. She dropped out before the end of her first semester and moved into her mom’s basement, where she found work as a waitress. Hunt saved her money and tried Roosevelt again, this time finding greater success. For two years, she earned high marks as a music composition major and piano performance minor. But by the end of her second year, she grew tired of the program and dropped out. “I went as far as I could,” she said of her college experience. “I was there to get skills.” Though no longer in school, her musical output increased. She frequently sang with different bands, finding steady work fronting a funk and soul cover band. She also found romance with Chris, a man 12 years her senior. Chris worked in the film industry as a crane operator, but every January and February, when Chicago winters kept most movie productions away, Chris took elaborate vacations. In February of 2006, after a year of dating, Chris invited Hunt on a month-long trip through the Amazon Rain Forest. Before departing, Hunt received a Yellow fever vaccination, common on trips to the jungle. Yet because she has the autoimmune disease Lupus, Hunt had an adverse reaction to the vaccine. On the couple’s first morning in Rio de Janeiro, before leaving for the Amazon, Hunt woke up with a terrible headache. “I felt like my head was being run over by a bus,” she said. “Apparently my brain had swelled; all my organs started to fail. I had no motor skills.” Her boyfriend Chris took her to a travel clinic. She remembers little. “When I finally came to, both my parents were in the room,” she said. “They had flown down to Brazil because the doctors said I wasn’t going to make it, so they should come down and say goodbye.” Had not it been for a one-day delay in Miami due to a visa complication, she said she would have been in the jungle when her seizure occurred, and the chances of survival would have decreased dramatically. One common reaction of people who have had near-death experiences is to do something drastic. Hunt returned from Brazil and drove to Los Angeles to audition for American Idol Season 6. “I said, ‘I’ve got funky blood. I’ve got to do something fun,’” she said of the decision. She had not watched any of the past five seasons, but her uncles were all big fans of the show since its first season in 2002 and convinced her to try. She went through eight “heart-pumping, this-could-be-the-end-of-the-journey auditions,” she said, before being selected as one of the show’s final 24 contestants out of the 10,000 possible candidates. Being in the top 24 immediately put her in the public spotlight. “It felt strange,” she said of being on the show and having her life taped all day and night. “It made me feel sleazy. I didn’t light up for the camera.” She survived the first round of eliminations with her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman,” but was voted off by the viewing public after singing “Feelin’ Good” by Nina Simone. “It was a horrible feeling,” she said. “And I’m really surprised at how much I had inadvertently bought into some of this, because the whole time that you’re on the show, there’s people in your ear saying, ‘Oh, you’re going to be so famous.’ There are so many people behind the scenes.” She particularly didn’t enjoy having to wake up at 3 a.m. the day after being eliminated to do six hours of press interviews. “Being eliminated,” Hunt said, “you’re the hottest story for one second and then you’re gone from the brain.” Overall though, Hunt said she was pleased with her American Idol experience and the attention and focus it gave to her music. A few months after the show, Hunt traveled to Nashville to begin work on the album that would become “Your Hair is on Fire.” The process began strong. She solicited the help of producer Rick Chudacoff, whose credits include work with Smokey Robinson and Patti LaBelle. Hunt came to Chudacoff through another well-traveled producer, Christian Cullen, who had known her from her time with Jim Peterik. When recording began in January 2008, Chudacoff brought in drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bass player Vail Johnson to lend their talents to the work. Both have worked with music legends, including Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Sting and Herbie Hancock, to name a few. “It was really cool to just be in a room with them,” Hunt said. With her professional life on track, Hunt turned to the personal. Her long-time boyfriend Chris had asked her to be his wife, and the couple planned a June 20 wedding. On June 19, Hunt awoke to a phone call from a Chicago police officer informing her that her only sister, Lauren Elizabeth Hunt, was found dead in a home on Division Street and Rockwell Avenue in Chicago, the result of choking from a seizure caused by opiate use. She was 22. Hunt’s sister had been in seven different rehab clinics in her life and was described by Hunt as having an addictive personality. “She wanted whatever she could get at any time,” she said. Though her sister had shown promise in turning her life around, Hunt said her sister struggled daily with mental anguish. “She was really suffering,” Hunt said. “She had been through more horrible things than anyone I’d ever met before … the most unspeakable things any girl could possibly go through in her life.” Hunt would elaborate no further. Lauren Hunt’s death, as one would expect, hit the family hard. “Death is the most devastating thing anyone will ever go through,” Annie Hunt said. “I think it took until Christmas to realize [Lauren] wasn’t coming back. Everything seemed to change when she died. I think Leslie thought a lot about what she could have done.” “There’s no way to know if it could have been avoided,” Hunt said. “Everybody wonders if they could have done something, but I think we were all doing what we knew how to do best.” Hunt’s life changed drastically after her sister’s death. Less than 20 days later, Hunt cancelled her wedding to Chris and ended the couple’s four-year relationship. “If my sister did anything in her life, she gave me a new life,” Hunt said, “because I would have married him. And we would have gotten along really well, but I probably would have had a wondering eye because [their relationship] was like a friendship. I’m the kind of girl that needs some passion.” Passion came in the form of Tommy Faulds, who at one time was the drummer in her backing band after American Idol. “We only did two shows but I had to kick him out,” she said. She told him things just weren’t working out, but her actual motives were more complex. “I got this really intense crush on him and it was very inconvenient because I was engaged,” she said. The two didn’t speak for a year after Faulds’ departure from the band. They eventually met at a show in August of last year, at which time Hunt came clean on the real reason for firing him. The two started dating later that month and were married April 17 of this year. Their first child is expected Sept. 2. Though her personal life caused a delay in album work, Hunt continued to perform. At a charity event to raise money for Lupus research, her path crossed with Ken Arlen, owner of Arlen Music Consultants, Inc., an Evanston-based company that provides live music for special events and conventions, including gigs at the Kentucky Derby, the New Year’s Eve celebration at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel and the second inauguration of former president George W. Bush. Arlen was impressed with Hunt and offered her a job singing lead female vocals in his orchestra, a job she continues today. “We’re probably the hardest working party band in Chicago,” she said. “It’s the coolest gig in the world.” “I’ve had a lot of great singers in the band,” Arlen said. “Leslie’s my favorite. She is a phenomenal talent.” In between marriage, pregnancy and her work with Arlen, Hunt found time to finish “Your Hair is on Fire” and shoot a video for the album’s first track, “American Dream Man.” She said many of the songs deal with her sister’s passing, as evident by the album’s liner notes, which read: “Thank you, Laurie-Beth. I hope that, wherever you are, you know the extent to which this album is yours. You are, and always will be, my primary muse.” Hunt is hosting two CD-release parties. The first will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5 at Chord on Blues, 106 First St., St. Charles. The show is for patrons 18 and older. Tickets are $5. Her second release party will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 at Subterranean, 2011 North Ave., Chicago. The show is for patrons 17 and older. Tickets are also $5. To hear songs from Leslie Hunt, watch her music video or purchase her new album, go to www.lesliehunt.net. —Jonathan Bullington/Triblocal.com reporter

'Idol' star Hunt plans party in St. Charles by Kane County Chronicle
ST. CHARLES – St. Charles native and former "American Idol" contestant Leslie Hunt is coming home to release her new CD, "Your Hair is on Fire. The 27-year-old Hunt, who now lives in Chicago, will perform at a CD-release party today at Chord On Blues Riverside Roadhouse, 106 S. First Ave., St. Charles. The 18-and-over show will start at 7:30 p.m. and there is a $5 cover charge. She will also perform at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at Borders Books Music and Cafe, 3539 E. Main St., St. Charles. Hunt, who reached the Top 20 on "American Idol" in 2007 before being voted off, continues to grow as a musician. "Your Hair is on Fire" features a number of experienced musicians, including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who has worked with the likes of Frank Zappa, Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell. I was very much humbled by their musicianship," Hunt said. "We sat there for a couple of days and tracked every single song in L.A. The album is a collection of songs that shows off her different musical styles. I wanted something to showcase just everything that I do and all my versatility," Hunt said. "And I think I've achieved that with this record, because from one track to the next, it's very diverse. Rick Chudacoff, who produced "Your Hair is on Fire," called Hunt an exciting and dynamic artist. She exhibits the command of her art as both a writer and a singer that is hard to find in someone her age," he said. Hunt released the CD on her own record label, Ellenel Records. She enjoys the control of having one's own record label. I'm going to see where it takes me," Hunt said. "I'm going to see how much I can accomplish on my own. I'm actually doing a lot of great things on my own, and I don't answer to anyone, which is great. She still gets recognized for her stint on "American Idol. People will kind of look at me funny, and say, 'Gosh, where do I know you from? Did we go to school together?' '' Hunt said. Hunt will soon juggle the duties of being a full-time musician and a mom. She is eight months pregnant and married to fellow musician Thomas Faulds. I'm all baby, but I've still got a ton of energy," Hunt said. "If anything, I feel like a better performer now than ever.

ABC Performance/Interview by ABC
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Your Hair is on Fire by The Deli Chicago
When you hear “American Idol Semi-finalist” you don’t always have the most positive thoughts rushing to mind. Yet, Leslie Hunt has managed to craft an album that appeases the pop mongers, but also has a certain depth to it. Whether this depth is genuine or manufactured is unclear, but the fact that this is a independent release may answer that question. On Your Hair is on Fire, she touches on abuse, fear, loneliness, and the tangles and traps of a young girls life. She addresses the struggles she saw her sister face, but keeps an optimistic approach. Leslie, a newlywed and mom to be, was in fact a season 6 contestant on American Idol, but has been able to stay true to her not-so-humble St. Charles roots. To make her dream come true and create an album filled with pop and passion Leslie enlisted Vail Johnson and Vinnie Colaiuta. A cause-driven vegan, she falls somewhere between Fiona Apple and Tiffany and is off to a great start. Your Hair is on Fire is available starting today from Ellenel Records, Inc., and you can see Leslie live tomorrow night (Aug. 5th) at Chord on Blues in St. Charles and on Aug 6th at Subterranean. Both shows are $5 and also feature her other band District 97 and The Rikters.

WTTW Chicago Tonight Interview/Performance by WTTW
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