Biography
Born on 5 January 1960 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, McLeod displayed pronounced artistic promise during childhood and pursued formal training at art school. From there he expanded into multiple disciplines, becoming active as a painter, actor, pianist, singer and, eventually, songwriter. During the late 1970s he worked for several years as a singer-pianist, describing the period as time spent in ‘the abyss of the piano bar circuit... where musicians have been known to disappear ? at times forever!’ Although demanding, the experience proved invaluable, equipping him by the 1980s to perform confidently as a straight pop singer, studio vocalist, advertising-jingle performer and backing singer for other artists. In 1988 he assembled his own ensemble, the jazz/blues quintet McLeod Nine. Parallel to his musical work, he sustained an acting career, appearing in a 1990 production of Chess? The Musical at Sydney’s Theatre Royal and, in 1992, in Godspell at the Sydney Opera House, where he also featured on the cast recording that followed. McLeod’s vocal style reflects acknowledged influences drawn from jazz, pop and R&B; his delivery is compelling and he shapes lyric interpretation with notable nuance. His original songs further reveal an ongoing fascination with the musical and lyrical dimensions of nature.
Albums