Biography
Alice Leon maintains a modest regional profile across the northeastern United States despite limited national visibility, yet her work as a singer and songwriter reflects notable expressive skill. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, she has fronted multiple groups at different stages, consistently favoring melodic, tuneful, and hook-driven pop/rock and adult alternative material whether leading the Alice Project, After Alice, or performing alone. Her accessible style reflects influences that span Carly Simon, Carole King, and the Beatles on one side and Sheryl Crow, Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, and Aimee Mann on the other; the last of these rose to prominence as ’Til Tuesday’s lead singer in the 1980s before compiling an extensive solo catalog through the 1990s and 2000s. Resemblances to Mann appear only in melody and harmony, however, because Leon steers clear of the sustained angst that defines much of that songwriter’s output.
Leon, who handles guitar and keyboards, drew industry notice as lead vocalist for After Alice during the band’s 1990 appearance on Star Search. After extensive live dates throughout the Northeastern Corridor, After Alice released Sound the Alarm in 1995; several tracks from the album later served as background music on CBS-TV’s long-running soap opera The Guiding Light, which began as a radio drama in 1937 before moving to television in 1952. While still with After Alice, Leon made a guest appearance on the series itself, portraying a wedding singer who performed the show’s theme song of that era.
After Alice disbanded in 1996 despite the exposure on The Guiding Light, prompting Leon to work as a solo artist for a time. A solo performance in New York City’s Greenwich Village attracted the attention of a Sony Music executive, who arranged an introduction to producer John Kalodner. Kalodner placed her under a development deal with Sony and oversaw a 1997 demo titled Conversations in the Bedroom, produced by Dave “The Snake” Sabo of the Los Angeles-based heavy metal/hard rock band Skid Row and Jackyl vocalist Jesse Dupree; the resulting recordings bore no resemblance to either act’s sound.
Corporate restructuring ended the Sony arrangement before it could advance, a setback that has affected many other capable artists. Leon therefore formed the Alice Project in 1997 rather than continuing solo. She co-produced the group’s debut album, The Big Number, which appeared in 1998 on her own Clown Milk Records label. Further Clown Milk releases by the Alice Project followed, including the 2000 album Traveling With Lady Berlin and the 2002 album Overnight Success.
Leon, who handles guitar and keyboards, drew industry notice as lead vocalist for After Alice during the band’s 1990 appearance on Star Search. After extensive live dates throughout the Northeastern Corridor, After Alice released Sound the Alarm in 1995; several tracks from the album later served as background music on CBS-TV’s long-running soap opera The Guiding Light, which began as a radio drama in 1937 before moving to television in 1952. While still with After Alice, Leon made a guest appearance on the series itself, portraying a wedding singer who performed the show’s theme song of that era.
After Alice disbanded in 1996 despite the exposure on The Guiding Light, prompting Leon to work as a solo artist for a time. A solo performance in New York City’s Greenwich Village attracted the attention of a Sony Music executive, who arranged an introduction to producer John Kalodner. Kalodner placed her under a development deal with Sony and oversaw a 1997 demo titled Conversations in the Bedroom, produced by Dave “The Snake” Sabo of the Los Angeles-based heavy metal/hard rock band Skid Row and Jackyl vocalist Jesse Dupree; the resulting recordings bore no resemblance to either act’s sound.
Corporate restructuring ended the Sony arrangement before it could advance, a setback that has affected many other capable artists. Leon therefore formed the Alice Project in 1997 rather than continuing solo. She co-produced the group’s debut album, The Big Number, which appeared in 1998 on her own Clown Milk Records label. Further Clown Milk releases by the Alice Project followed, including the 2000 album Traveling With Lady Berlin and the 2002 album Overnight Success.
Albums
