SONG PREMIERE: Michelle LeBlanc "Loving A Hurricane"

Singer-songwriter Michelle LeBlanc is set to release her debut EP, A Man Like You, on March 2, 2018.  The five-track outing, produced by Nick Buda, is a true reflection of LeBlanc’s fiery heart and gypsy soul - a confessional, vulnerable collection of songs about the time in her life when she took a leap of faith to move to a new city while having to leave behind someone she felt deeply for.

Today, TDC is incredibly proud to share one of the album's tracks, "Loving A Hurricane." Penned by LeBlanc and Amy Gerhartz, the heartfelt, accessible ballad is led by LeBlanc's airy, emotive vocals telling the story of a woman who finally garnered the courage to leave a toxic relationship.

LeBlanc relays the story behind the song explaing, "I wrote this song with one of my good friends, Amy Gerhartz.  We had both just moved to Nashville around the same time and this was one of the first songs we wrote together.  I remember showing up to her apartment for our co-writing session, where she was making a pot of chili for us because that’s what good co-writers do... they feed you.  At that point, I was in the process of trying to move on from a man from my past life back in NYC who left me very confused.  We had this ongoing dynamic where one of us would sort of show up out of the blue, and I would feel like I was the center of his universe, and it felt as though he had deeper feelings for me, but then he would always disappear on me shortly after.  That pattern kept repeating itself over and over and was becoming destructive and toxic for me.  So, I went into our writing session wanting to write a song about being in love with an unavailable man and how painful that experience is.  We wrote the song in one sitting.  It came quickly and easily, and when it moved me to tears by the end, I knew it had a some magic about it."  

"Cause loving a man like you is like loving a hurricane
You’re so intense, you pull me in destroying everything in your way
And standing in the middle of the eye sure as hell ain’t worth the pain
And your winds don’t make it easy to stay
Loving a hurricane"

Listen to, and share, "Loving A Hurricane" above and then read on as LeBlanc discusses her musical heroes, details what's next, and more.

Credit: Danielle Shields

The song is an incredibly emotional one. Did it come as you imagined it would, or did it morph into something different when you were recording it?
One of the first words that my producer, Nick Buda, used to describe my music when we were first starting to work together was "organic," and that’s what initially sold me on him.  I’d like to think we stayed true to that quality when recording in the studio.  We kept things pretty simple... it’s an emotional song and it was important to me to allow the lyrics and emotion to shine through.  Vocally, it’s a song that I’m very connected to and it rings very true to my experience, so we laid it down pretty quickly and easily.  Right before recording (because timing is divine), I had just finally closed the chapter between myself and the guy who inspired it -- so recording it in the studio at that time was pretty therapeutic for me and helped me sort of tie a bow on the whole situation. 

If you could have anyone, living or dead, cover this song, who would you choose and why?
I think it would be kind of cool to have a man cover this song, just because this sort of emotional rollercoaster really can go both ways.  I’m thinking maybe Johnny Cash. I’d imagine his voice would bring with it a certain haunting quality that would lend itself to the song.  That would be cool... in fantasy land, that is.

Who are your musical heroes?
There are so many women who have influenced my voice and my music -- Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, Lori McKenna, and Lucinda Williams, to name a few.  The honesty and vulnerability laced in their lyrics and their braveness gives me permission and inspiration to be true to myself and my music.

What’s ahead for you professionally in 2018?
I’m releasing this EP on March 2nd.  It’s my debut into the music world.  I’m using Kickstarter as a platform to pre-order the EP and I also have a music video in the works that I’m excited to share.  Right now I’m working on getting myself and my music out into the world.  I have a number of upcoming performances scheduled following the release -- the first being my release show that will be the evening of March 2nd at the Bowery Vault in East Nashville.  Moving forward, I plan to take these songs on the road and get some touring under my belt.  Also, I would love to get back into the studio to record an LP.  I’ve already gotten most of the songs written, so it's just a matter of right timing and alignment.

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