By Brooke
Though the reference may be lost on many, it’s only fitting that the Great Leslie are named after a debonair mid-century daredevil. Dapper, delightfully defiant, and dripping with talent, the London-based four-piece consistently delivers bangers that hearken back to an era when the music scene was rife with exciting new formula-breaking artists creating and combining entirely new genres and styles. Truly, The Great Leslie embodies the pioneering spirit of the 60s musical revolution, with expressive lyrics and hard-hitting, dancey, genre-defying tracks.
The guys’ names even sound made for rock stardom. There’s frontman Ollie Trevers, a lifelong creative with a master’s in composition, a flair for the dramatic, and eclectic taste. The way he uses his impressive vocal range is not only a hallmark of The Great Leslie’s distinct sound, but it’s also a big part of what drew bassist Alfie Pawsey to join the band. A dedicated Bowie fan who has been in a number of groups since his teen years, Alfie does a lot of The Great Leslie’s production and is “really funky on bass,” per drummer Ryan Lavender. For his part, Ryan – a techy and creative by day – is a bit of a metalhead, and this influence can be heard in the loud and powerful drum lines that rev up so many of the band’s tunes. Rounding out the magic sauce that makes up The Great Leslie is lead guitarist Freddie Miles. (Admittedly, his is a stage name.) Raised on classic rock, German-born Freddie picked up the guitar when he was just 6 years old, and his masterful riffs and runs landed him in The Great Leslie not long after moving to the UK in 2020.
Read the rest of the feature interview where it was originally published.
Indie Dependent 
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