Leon Thomas is on the grind.
The Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer, who released his second album MUTT on Sept. 27, is supporting genre-bending artist Blxst on his I’ll Always Come Find You Tour. After the tour ends on Oct. 26, Thomas will launch his headlining MUTT Tour on the following day.
Thomas has been active not only on the road but also on the music front. He recently collaborated with producer ESTA. on “Dangerous Game,” British singer Elmiene on “Sweetness,” and melodic rapper Yung Bleu on “Is There Someone New?” Further, he produced recent releases by Coco Jones (“Sweep It Up”), Bryson Tiller (“Ciao!”), Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign (“Burn” “Slide”), and Ayra Starr (“Last Heartbreak Song”).
But wait, there’s more. “I don’t stop recording records for myself just because the album’s turned in,” Leon Thomas tells Rated R&B over Zoom. “Actually, it inspires me more. Since MUTT, I’ve been in the studio nonstop because the process of seeing people enjoy my music inspires me so much.”
Thomas’ propensity to constantly record could also stem from his habit of documenting moments through music in real time. On his first album, Electric Dusk, Thomas chronicled the progression of being single to being in a relationship and its eventual end. “When I started Electric Dusk, I hadn’t met her, so I was on my single journey, and then I documented our relationship, the turbulence of it, and the ending of it,” he shares.
On MUTT, Leon Thomas captures life as he navigates the aftermath of the breakup. “It’s the afterlife of it all, finding myself, figuring things out, standing on my own two feet [and] working through this crazy wilderness they call Hollywood,” Thomas explains.
MUTT opens with “How Fast,” a stadium-ready anthem that hears Thomas celebrating his success over driving percussion. “Feels like I just got off the stage at the Grammys / Feel like I just bought a new house for my mama,” he sings in the hook.
Yet, the first and only verse has him thinking about his past relationship, pondering marriage, and revealing, “My therapist told me my problem is I’m too detached.” It all sets the stage for how Thomas allows his thoughts and emotions to flow freely, no matter how complex they are.
On “Safe Place,” he guards his heart as he warns a prospect, “I know you wanna settle here / But I’m not trying to save face / You can save a little bit / But this is not a safe space.”
The Diane Warren-penned “Answer Your Phone” hears Thomas desperately trying to get in touch with his ex, pleading for another chance. “I know I don’t deserve it / But please, some have some mercy / ‘Cause I just might die if you don’t,” he croons on the emotive ballad.
On “Far Fetched,” the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted second single, Thomas has reservations about a love interest who is only interested in materialistic things. “Paid for my mistakes in Benzes and diamonds / 250 fronted like you was my artist / 5g just to cross the Atlantic / We sat in silence for almost two hours,” he sings.
Then there is “Mutt,” which launched his new era. The funked-out bop was one of the last songs Thomas worked on before completing the album. He says the track was inspired by a mini scuffle between his pet cat and dog.
“I had just gotten a new painting in my living room. I was sitting on my floor, looking at the painting, and my dog and cat started fighting. I have a female cat and a male dog, and my cat is just hitting him with the skippity-paps,” Thomas chuckles. “I looked over and saw he was kind of pouting.”
That exchange between his furry friends was an eye-opening account. “It was the first time I recognized that me and my dog have similar features. I kind of saw myself in him similar to how relationships happen, where he has good intentions with my cat, but sometimes he gets in trouble, and that’s an interesting journey of control,” Thomas adds.
In a press statement, Thomas expounded on that idea of control and how it’s threaded through the album. “MUTT is a metaphor for our need and desire as human beings to exert some control over our partners,” he said. “I explored themes from jazz, rock & roll, hip-hop, and R&B, giving myself no parameters for personal expression. This project delves into every part of me: the balance between control and chaos.”
MUTT includes additional collaborations with Masego, Baby Rose, Wale, Axlfolie, and Freddie Gibbs, who appears on the remix to the title track.
In Rated R&B’s interview with Leon Thomas, he talks more about MUTT and shares stories behind some of the tracks.
When did you start working on MUTT?
I started working on this album two years ago, and we’re coming up on three years. We booked a studio space for two months. I thought I had a whole album after three months, then I took time off from it, [to] really live life, and I was like, “Nah, we’re going to go back in, and we’re going to try harder and write better songs.” Sonically, I just wanted to say more. I found all the missing pieces as my journey unfolded.
In our 2022 interview, you shared that “Breaking Point” was one of the new songs you were adding to Electric Dusk after going through a breakup. Is this the same breakup that inspired your new album MUTT?
Yeah, it’s kind of chronologically forming. When I started Electric Dusk, I hadn’t met her, so I was just kind of on my single journey, and then I documented our relationship in the turbulence of it, and I documented the ending of it. MUTT is a whole new chapter. It’s the afterlife of it all, finding myself, figuring things out, and standing on my own two feet, [and] working through this crazy wilderness they call Hollywood.
What was the first song that got you into the booth to work on this album?
The first song I wrote for this album was “How Fast.” It’s a really upbeat record — lots of vibes. I’m kind of rap-singing on it. It is really fun to perform. My band goes crazy live with that one. A lot of these records were after I had started doing shows. I was like, “I need songs that make a crowd feel like this. I need more dynamic moments for the middle of my set.” Most of the album was me just trying to find more moments from my live shows. I’m addicted to performance, so I’m really creating a safe space for me to do my thing.
What sort of world were you trying to build with the album MUTT? Is that world connected to Electric Dusk within the same galaxy?
It’s like an extension of that. On Electric Dusk, I played with a lot of breakbeats and lo-fi sounds. I wanted to expand on that for the first half of [MUTT]. That’s why I worked with people like Conductor [Williams], who works a lot with Griselda [Records], Drake, and J. Cole. I also wanted to [transition] during the second half of the album into more live elements.
You teamed up with Ty Dolla $ign again, this time for “Far Fetched.” I read that it was originally pitched to Drake. How much did it change from the pitch to what we hear on the album?
To be honest, it didn’t change much at all. I just liked the song [and] fell in love with it. I forgot about it for a while, but then I was in the studio with one of my really great mentors and big homies, Boi-1da, and he was like, “Bro, what are you doing with this song?” I played it for Ty. He was like, “Oh, this is fire.” He cut an amazing verse to it. The rest is history. I added some more elements to it musically. A lot of the outro stuff and sounds were definitely new additions.
What lyrically inspired “Far Fetched”?
I think situationships are a disease that plagued this generation. Knowing you’re in a situationship [and] knowing this isn’t your final stop is the worst feeling ever. Like, “Man, I’ve already invested time. I think we both have figured out this is going absolutely nowhere but the bedroom.” I wanted to document some of my experiences dating people that I know aren’t right for my spirit and soul. It is definitely one of those records that came from me jamming in the studio and having a great time. I feel like that energy survives in the song.
You teamed with Masego for “Lucid Dreams.” How would you describe your experience collaborating with him?
We’re very similar with our humor. It was like I met one of my long-lost homies. That song was us having a conversation, talking about breaking up with an ex, and she leaves a bunch of clothes in your closet or random furniture at your house. It’s like totems for the relationship. I’d never heard a song about that before, and I wanted to dive into that. It just turned into a fun moment. That song sparked a really amazing friendship with me and Masego. We can just hit each other up and kick it, too. It’s not just all music. I appreciate having a new musical homie, man. He’s super talented.
Another standout on the album is the pleading “Answer Your Phone.” What was your mindset when you were making that song?
That was the only song I didn’t have a hand in writing. I’m so thankful for Diane Warren, an amazing top-tier songwriter. When she played me the song, I was thinking she was going to play a demo. She was like, “Follow me to the piano.” She goes to the piano and starts singing this song like Stevie Wonder.
She was doing her thing, singing her ass off — chords and everything locked in. I just had to sing it down, and then we produced the record and turned it into what it was. I had to give them a little something because we get toxic on the rest of [the album] (laughs). So I had to give an R&B n***a in the rain, leather jacket, no shirt vibe. But honestly, I’m very thankful to Diane for that song.
Which song on the album do you feel is your most vulnerable?
“Dancing With Demons” was really interesting. It was like an internal journey for me. That was me talking about all the ups and downs that come from trying to find yourself in Los Angeles. It’s not just about love. It’s also about career and figuring things out.
If you really dig into the second verse, you start seeing what I’m talking about lyrically, but sonically, too. The sound of it was dark and moody for a reason. I was trying to find myself during that period of my life. It was a whole season of self-reflection. I’m glad that song came out of that time period.
Was there anything you learned from your debut album, Electric Dusk, that you applied to MUTT?
It wasn’t even just my experience that really taught me a lot. I think being around Ty [Dolla $ign], too, seeing Vultures 1 come together. I was kind of around for the beginning of the process when he was making a lot of those songs, which started off as house records. They were totally different. Seeing how far they journeyed from the beginning to when it dropped let me know music can evolve, and it’s OK to search, edit, and revise. Watching my big bro do that helped me take more time to chip away at an idea until I genuinely felt happy with the outcome.
You mention Vultures 1. In addition to that, you’ve recently produced for Bryson Tiller, Coco Jones, Big Sean and others. What has it been like balancing that production-songwriter side with your own music for this era?
God bless my assistant and my management team because it’s been insane. I’m doing my best. I don’t always succeed when it comes to having a balanced schedule. I’m kind of a workaholic. Hopefully, once I get past a certain threshold or season, we’ll start talking about foreign words, like vacations (laughs). I’m on a mission right now. I really want to leave something for my family. I want to create a safety net for my tribe, and it takes work. I got to hustle. I see my artistry as a brand, like Coca-Cola or Pepsi, and we’re past that startup phase now. We’re learning our demographic and doing our best to make a better product.
What did you learn about yourself while making MUTT?
There’s a record towards the end of MUTT that kind of explains where I’m at now. It’s called “I Do,” and it’s me speaking from the perspective of my future self and wanting to be in a position to maybe marry somebody one day and do the whole nine yards. Going through this journey of being single, finding myself, and documenting it through these songs showed me how much I crave something real. MUTT is the documentation of my evolution into the John Legend version of myself one day with the whole family, touring and being a professional R&B artist who also has time for a life.
