There’s a distinct magic to writing a song that serves and sounds like an 11th hour number. With “Leading Lady”, my third professionally produced song, I ventured into writing my first ballad for my own original musical - a challenge that pushed me into new song-writing territory, resulting in a track I’m immensely proud of. It features another rich composition by Dan Astles and powerful vocals by Hayley Sheen.

This ballad catches the main character after her success in getting through the regional heat of a scriptwriting competition. It explores her renewed drive to finish her script, while revealing her personal vulnerabilities, from her unexpressed romantic feelings for a friend to her longing to perform on stage. 

To bring such a clear vision to life, the track demanded a powerful, full orchestral sound. Dan’s stunning composition builds a dynamic foundation, while Hayley’s powerful, nuanced vocal performance brings the character’s emotional journey vividly to life.

Having built up a strong rapport with Dan, the collaboration process is much easier now as we are more transparent with each other and both able to express our honest (and sometimes brutal) opinions, while pushing ourselves further. I felt I contributed more to the actual musical arrangements than ever before, explaining exactly what I wanted and choosing the instruments, tempo and vibe of the song.

It’s one thing when you’ve imagined what the song is going to sound like in your head, but it’s another thing to bring the music and vocals together for the first time – both really exciting and daunting. I went into rehearsals slightly apprehensive, not knowing if it would meet my expectations, once I heard Hayley sing along to the music – I instantly realised the lyrics fit the melody really well and were very powerful.

Working with Hayley again has been an extremely wonderful experience, both our creative and personal relationship has become so much stronger with each song recorded. This ballad really suits her voice and the impressive vocal range she brought really enhanced the song. I pushed her further than I ever have done before and she rose to the challenge, take after take, knocking it out the park every single time.

Asking Martin Fletcher (from ‘Make My Track’ - Arrow Studios) to come back on board was a no-brainer after the fantastic job he did last time with recording the vocals for my previous song. Being back in the studio together was an absolute joy and an experience I’ll always treasure.

Martin is very knowledgeable and I've learnt so much more about the producing side through him. There is so much more that goes into it than I had ever imagined.

I really appreciated how Martin and Dan gave me the space to take full creative control. Their trust boosted my confidence immensely, helping me realise I have a real ear for music and can produce a professional-sounding track when backed by the right tools and support. It feels amazing to discover something I truly love and have a natural flair for.

I hope you love it and can hear the passion, emotion, dedication, time and effort everyone gave to this song. I would like to thank everyone involved for going above and beyond to create something that I feel is special, unique and powerful.