If the saying “you’re only as good as your last album” is true, then Leon Bridges is pretty darn good right now. His fifth studio album Happiness Anytime just dropped—a deep blend of soul, Afrobeat, disco, and Brazilian jazz influences—and the musician is making sure his style fits the bill.
“My album is so vibrant and joyous—I wanted my aesthetic to reflect that,” he tells me. “I’ve been trying to challenge myself during this process to incorporate more colors. Even the sneakers are something new. I used to never wear sneakers on stage, but they’re so easy to dance in.”
And boy, can the man move! A few days prior to our chat, I watched him hit a groovy spacewalk across the stage during his album’s launch party at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, hosted by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey—which he nodded to in his song “Light the Way.”
“In the past, it’s been tough to play the new stuff because people still need time to soak in the music. But with this new music, I feel like the tunes have an undeniable vibe.”
While Bridges might be tearing it up on stage, he’s keeping it pretty low-key when he’s not performing. His upcoming global tour is no easy feat, and learning Bridges is a bit introverted makes it all the more impressive. “Something that’s been helpful is finding moments of solitude,” he says. “These days, I’ve been a little bit more of a recluse. Going out a lot can be really, really distracting. I’m a simple man. In my downtime, I like to watch the ’90s cartoons I grew up on. I still watch the Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs—all that stuff.”
We talk about more than cartoons, of course. From his onstage style to his feeling on the new album, here’s what he had to say.
The Performer Persona
“During this whole run, I’ve been dressing down with a lot of windbreakers, but I’ve also been incorporating dancehall reggae style. Really, anything that’s comfortable enough to move in on stage works for me.
“My stage persona is definitely a different thing. In my personal life, I’m more of a shy, quiet, reserved person. On stage, I really try to be more charismatic and give people a great show. It still feels natural, but I think it’s okay to be able to turn it on and off. When I’m off the stage, I love a simple, Western, ’70s-era fit. And when I’m performing, I’m wearing custom fits and stuff. My favorite fit I wore was at Stagecoach. That was one of my favorite festivals I’ve ever played in. Chrome Hearts made me a custom leather fit, and that was easily the coolest thing I’ve ever worn in my life. I kept the pants, and they also made me some denim sets. I have a black one and a blue one.”
“My stage persona is definitely a different thing. In my personal life, I’m more of a shy, quiet, reserved person.”
Stage Fright
“I still get anxiety before going on stage, but I overcome it by telling myself that I’ve done this a million times. As soon as I step on stage, all of the anxiety goes away. Being there with my band and having that support and the camaraderie really helps. That’s been awesome in general; we’ve been trying to reinvent and change the show, and I really love this new configuration—having Adrian Quesada on the turntables, background singers, and my horn section has been really fresh.”
Getting People Dancing
“Happiness Anytime is a healing album. It’s all about togetherness. It’s a reflection of the space that I was in while I was making it. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t just creating to survive; I was creating to listen. And I think that’s a testament to working with [producers and musicians] Josh [Lloyd-Watson] and Lydia [Kitto]. It’s a great body of work. I love it, and I just hope everybody who listens to it does, too.
“When I name my songs, I try to find the phrase within the lyrics that I feel is the most encompassing of what the song is about. ‘Tears of Joy’ is probably one of my favorite songs on the album, and it’s really just a celebration of my trajectory and longevity. I’m just grateful to still be here doing my thing after all this time. With this new set, it’s mostly from the new album. In the past, it’s been tough to play the new stuff because people still need time to soak in the music. But with this new music, I feel like the tunes have an undeniable vibe that people are already moving and dancing to. So yeah, it’s been really awesome to see the response to the new music. I feel like it’s catching on pretty quick.”
“My album is so vibrant and joyous—I wanted my aesthetic to reflect that.”
Catching Tunes
“One thing I fear is putting out a body of work that doesn’t resonate with people. I guess I’m always chasing an album that has the same effect as my first album. But the awesome thing is that I never really expected those tunes to have the success that they have. I feel like some of my fans are married to my first album, and I think throughout the years, I’ve probably alienated some fans. But I do appreciate that my fans can still grow with me as I’m changing up the music and changing up my sound.
“I still really love ‘River.’ It’s a song that I didn’t even think would make my first album, but it’s really amazing to see how significant it is for people. I just love a good stripped-down moment. I think it shows humanity: none of us are perfect, but it’s always good to strive to put love out into the world and chase things that are meaningful.”
“I do appreciate that my fans can still grow with me as I’m changing up the music and changing up my sound.”
A Parting Party Trick
“Man, a lot of people don’t know that I can moonwalk. It’s cliché, so I never do it, but I gotta whip it out one of these days.”