'HERE'S THE PITCH.' While he remains a fixture in the local music scenes – routinely producing for celebrated regional talent – Shane Leonard is stepping into a new sonic chapter. With the support of Sleepy Cat Records, the prolific producer and songwriter has unveiled his latest LP, Make the Birds Fly. The record will be released in February 2027. (Photo by Juliet Farmer)

“The title track of Shane Leonard’s newest release, Make the Birds Fly, is a cassette demo manifesto for the whole record.” Fellow collaborator and Eau Claire singer-songwriter Sarah Magill (Quiet Takes) narrates what will be the next chapter for Leonard as he unveils a fresh collection of music in partnership with the adventurous Sleepy Cat Records imprint.

Having shaped records for artists including – but not limited to – Sophia Ammann, Humbird, Courtney Hartman and J.E. Sunde, Leonard has turned helping other voices take flight into an art form. His keen ear for sound will once again return to his own music, with the new record slated for release in February 2027.

“It was really fun because when I’m mixing for others, I have to get feedback and usually have to contain the ‘freakiness’,” Leonard said in a recent media release. “But it’s my music, so I had freedom to do things ‘wrong’ and really just fuck with it.” 

Make the Birds Fly album artwork by Taylor Ashton, pictured. What hidden Eau Claire iconography can you spot? (Submitted photo)

It took close to a decade of dissection, he shared – and let’s not forget the many recording attempts – to arrive at 10 tracks which are sure to “float, swerve, dart and surprise.”

Previous records in his discography, perhaps familiar to local listeners, include alternative folk-rock Strange Forms (2019), Printer's Son (2016) and the Westbound (2012) side quest of Kalispel – a collaboration between Leonard and Ben Lester, Kevin Rowe, among others.

Leonard’s first single release from Make the Birds Fly, “Heart And Mind” drops today, Oct. 13.

For audiences who have already listened to this fresh track – or even better, experienced via live performance – the contrast between then and now is undeniable.

“I struggle with the ever-present tension between heart and mind – what we know to be truth versus what we truly feel,” Leonard said of the track and his songwriting process with companion J.E. Sunde.

While his solo debut, Strange Forms, featured self-arranged tracks rooted in interpersonal reflection, this latest composition pivots toward the external – with the perfect touch of wry humor Leonard fans know from his ongoing work in the Chippewa Valley's Clearwater Comedy scene.

As Magill writes for the new album bio, this track and the entire collection “should find of-a-feather fans in curious listeners … longing for moments of musical take-off.”

Listeners can pre-order vinyl and CD copies of Make the Birds Fly by Shane Leonard, online via Bandcamp.