Leon Bridges

“I'm coming from a Ginuwine and Usher background: slow and smooth songs. And that's why I really connected to Sam Cooke, because he was just very smooth. It's not like the James Brown types, which is all great stuff, but he was totally set apart from those guys.”

“I remember hanging out at Starbucks. There were these older guys who would sit around and play Crosby, Stills & Nash songs. I was just so in love with music. I would just go hang out with them, and I would try to sing and harmonize with them. I didn't even know the songs.”

“When I started writing, I just wanted to do something different and creative. I first thought neo-soul was a good pathway for me, so I tried that out but realized I didn't want to be placed in that box.”

“I shop at thrift stores and consignment shoppes. I wear my clothes as is, and maybe get them dry cleaned whenever possible.”

“A lot of R&B cats are doing a lot of auto-tune. Tyrese went back to the basics. I love classic soul music and Ginuwine. Ginuwine and Usher laid the foundation back in the '90s. There's no one doing that anymore.”

“I'm not trying to compete with any other revival soul acts. It's just Leon Bridges, a kid from Fort Worth trying to be himself and give people hope. It's great music to dance to and just love.”

“My mom was very religious. She might have let me buy records, but I assumed that she wouldn't.”

“In the beginning, I was so inspired by the music. I had the option to make something modern with classic undertones, but I wanted to make something that was exactly like that old sound.”

“I never really thought about my music being universal. When I set out to write, it was just a feeling that felt good to me. I never thought about being able to reach everybody.”

“I love the pioneers like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, but when I write music, it comes out in my own way.”

“I think I'll always live in Fort Worth. It's great that I can now go anywhere I want to play music, but I love coming back here. I can roll down the streets and just reminisce.”

“When I started writing the music, I wanted everything to be consistent from the way I dressed to the way I presented myself online. I wanted everything to match what I was doing on stage.”

“When I write, I talk about stories and things that are happening in my life. I come from the church. There was a time in my life when I actually had that transformation and relationship with God.”

“People have this perception of soul music of somebody shouting.”

“The first time I heard Sam Cooke was in the 'Malcom X' film. I was with my father, and that's the first time I heard his song. I remember my father telling me the story of Sam Cooke.”

“I like to wear short-sleeved collared shirts and high-waist trousers with shiny shoes. And at night, when I'm playing, I'll often wear suits. But it started with my uncle's vintage clothes.”

“I knew I had a gift. I wanted the world to hear my music, and I wanted it to be my career, but I didn't know how to go about it.”

“People tell me they use my song 'Coming Home' at their weddings. My audience seems to range from young to old, and it's cool when you really get to connect with all different people.”

“The thought of me not having to clock in for a job anymore is something that I can't really put into words, aside from 'amazing' and 'awesome.'”

“I got tired of depending on other people, and I had this strong desire to make music of my own. I decided to start writing my own tunes and just see what could happen.”