Leah Grams Johnson is an artist and songwriter, hailing from the rugged coast of Northern California. With a distinct timbre akin to the untamable spirit of the American West, Leah’s authentic take on Folk and Country music has resonated with fans of all musical backgrounds nationwide. Raised on the voices of strong impassioned women like Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell, Leah discovered early on her path the magic of music and power of a well-written song. She is an alumna of both the Berklee College of Music and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and has been a finalist in numerous songwriting contests including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. With the release of her debut full length record “State of Grace” in the spring of 2026, Leah divides her time writing songs in Nashville— where she has resided for over a decade— and singing them in the West.

Like those who came before her she so deeply admires, Leah is a woman of heart and mind. She is her own breed of cowgirl mystic, living on gut feelings, with an unshakeable love for the world.

State of Grace- LP 2026

These songs were written in the quiet and heat of lived transformation.

When I started the process of writing these songs, it wasn’t with a set goal in mind, or even a vision of how these stories may intertwine. This is true for the recording process as well. We had only planned to record six songs and ended up with twelve (one song was left off to release down the line). As our days rolled on in the studio, experiencing the songs as a collection felt like witnessing constellations emerge out of scattershot stars in a dark sky. These songs and stories were interconnected in ways that I did not plan. It wasn’t until I listened to the masters, in sequence, that I finally understood what we had made. The soul of the record, as a complete entity, had something to say.

The initial concept was rooted in New Mexico, inspired by the song "Maria Weaves," which emerged from a gifted 100-year-old Mexican serape tied to generations. As the project expanded, the setting broadened to include Appalachia, Montana, and the wider American West, making the album span multiple regions and cultures. I am a child of the West and a student of the South. The West raised me but the South has taught me some of my greatest lessons so far. It has been my place of coming into womanhood and maturation.

Through multi-generational stories, my aim was to reflect cultural, spiritual, and environmental urgency, grounded in a bedrock of hope.

I chose the name State of Grace, because I found this to be the through line from song to song. Its also my own daily pulse check— to see where I am in relation to this state of being, then doing what I can to get back there. Each of these songs shares this pursuit. The actual phrase came from the final verse of Rites of Passage: “…still workin’ on this state of grace…”. And that sort of sums it up for me. I’m not quite there…but I’m working on it. And may it always be so. 

COLLABORATORS:
Evan Galante: Co-producer, engineer, mix/master, guitars/bass/keys/percussion/drums 
John Mailander: Co-producer, arranger, fiddle/mandolin/keys

Additional musicians include:
Alison De Groot (clawhammer banjo) // Jeff Taylor (accordion) // Nic Gareiss (percussive dance) // The McCrary Sisters (background vocals)

And co-writers:
Tyler Nichols (Dustbowl) // Nick Bullock (Recede + Rites of Passage) // Regina McCrary (Time)

CONTACT

Booking/General Info: Leahgjmusic@gmail.com