“Plans,” the single from the album of the same name, is about trusting God no matter what. Written and performed by singer/songwriter David Leonard, the song came out of the circumstances and struggles he encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think this new record … spun out from the pandemic and the future … what I feel … is coming, and whether or not I feel like the Lord has plans for myself and my family,” Leonard said.
Leonard started playing guitar at 15 years old. His father was leaving his job at a college to pastor Leonard’s home church. His father asked him to lead worship at one of his last campus events before he left. The song “Good Lord” came from that night.
He recalled, “I was singing Matt Maher’s ‘Lord, I Need You’ and out of that song a spontaneous moment happened, which is special because I’d never written a song that was birthed out of the same place that taught me how to lead worship. It was really cool to have it come out of that moment and space.”
That time of learning has led to over twenty years of leading worship, songwriting and performing.
When he was a teenager, his parents thought that his playing was “fun,” but felt that he should figure out a different career for his life.
As Leonard headed into his 20s, their attitude changed, and they supported his pursuit of a music career.
“I still remember that switch. It happened probably when I was 19 or 20. I think I’m still blown away that I get to do this for a living. I never thought that I’d be 40, still living in Nashville and doing this thing. But I’m grateful I am,” he said.
Leonard’s first experience with a group of musicians was a band he formed — Jackson Waters. He later performed with NeedtoBreathe and then performed as one-half of the duo All Sons & Daughters.
This collaborative attitude continued with winning a GMA Dove Award as producer and creative partner in The Creak Music. Writing the worship songs, “Christ Be All Around” and “All the Poor and Powerless,” his most impactful and widely recognized worship song is “Great Are You Lord.”
Leonard said about his songs, “Each one has sentimental value, for sure. I’m probably most well known by a worship song that [a couple of friends and I] wrote called ‘Great Are You, Lord.’ That’s really been a beautiful song in church, and [people have] connected with it.
“I’m so thankful. Any time people want to sing your song, it’s pretty special, so I’m grateful that they have taken it on as their own,” he revealed.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Leonard started working on solo projects. He quickly released “The Wait” and “The Wait: Silence the Noise,” a live version of songs from “The Wait.”
Between 2019 and 2023, Leonard released a couple of EPs and some singles. It wasn’t until March 3, 2023, that Leonard released another full-length album: “Plans.”
Leonard’s songs have one thing in common — they come from where he is in his own life.
“I try to write honest songs. Songs from where I am in life and what’s happening in my family, what’s happening around me. I just try to be really honest, and hopefully that breeds honesty and vulnerability which allows people to know that they’re not alone in how they’re feeling,” he explained.
Leonard recently toured with Katy Nichole and CAIN. He’s excited to get back on the road.
“It’s always fun just to play a song and see how people connect with it,” he said. “[Touring] is high energy and heart moments. It’s all around a good time.”
Leonard added that there is never a dull moment around Katy Nichole and CAIN, and that “it’s always a fun time – getting to be with them.”
Leonard’s hope is that his songs are relevant to all people — whether the person listens to a song by streaming it or by hearing it at a concert.
“I write from a spiritual side ‘cause that’s a part of my life, but my hope is that people can find hope in these songs whether they are believers or nonbelievers. I’ve found that true honesty is really the thing that connects all of us,” Leonard shared.
He continued, “All of us are looking for something real. Unbelievers are looking for people to be real with them. The hope is that we can go out there and do that on the road and do that through these songs.
“I think that everybody’s just looking for connection.”
Leonard will be on tour through August 25, 2023. Go to www.davidleonardmusic.com to find out more about the tour and his music.
Share with others: