Singer-songwriter leo. shines on the new EP, what now?, a project that leans into uncertainty, memory, and the quiet tension of growing into adulthood. Across its tracklist, the release unfolds like a collection of diary entries written over several years, tracing a period where identity feels fluid and answers remain out of reach.
At its core, what now? is shaped by introspection. The EP draws listeners into moments of self-reflection; at its heart, it is a record of hope. Its sonic world will feel familiar to fans of Lizzy McAlpine, Phoebe Bridgers, and Matilda Mann, with raw lyricism and cinematic songwriting guiding its emotional tone. Across the project, leo. explores what it means to lose clarity while still reaching for meaning.
The lead focus track, ‘sweet silly sixteen’, captures that tension with particular clarity. Wistful and carefully crafted, it functions as a letter to leo.’s younger self while reflecting on how perspective shifts with time and distance.
Having collaborated with Ed Allen and Nico Widdowson, the EP takes shape as something both intimate and self-assured, balancing personal storytelling with careful, understated production.
Speaking about the release, leo. says: “what now? is an EP about letting go and my recurring struggle of feeling so far away from my own feelings. I wrote these songs as diary entries, over the past few years, as I stepped into adulthood and became less sure than ever of what I really wanted to do and who I really wanted to be. Exploring all these big thoughts and emotions came with a lack of certainty that I’d never experienced before, but it also left me so much more open to accepting the unknown.”
“This process of rediscovery continued in the studio throughout 2025, where I collaborated with Ed Allen and Nico Widdowson to make some of my favourite tracks I’ve released to date. This whole project has been about embracing change, and it’s taught me so much. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done, and I can’t wait to finally share it with the world.”
On focus track ‘sweet silly sixteen’, he adds: “‘sweet silly sixteen’ is a letter to my 16-year-old self (and potentially also a letter to my current self). It’s about how impossible it is to recognize meaningful moments in your life until after they’re over, and how being a teenager is always so lovely in retrospect. Looking back, I can see the beauty of it so clearly, and sometimes I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to see it too.”
“I find myself yearning for that same intensity that I wished to get rid of at 16, while falling to the same trap of not looking around and being present for the beauty of right here, right now — so this song serves as a reminder. I’m really proud of how dreamy and nostalgic it sounds, and I’m really excited to see how it resonates with my audience.”
Beyond the music itself, leo. has also developed a striking visual world to accompany the EP. The series expands the project’s central themes of distance, introspection, and emotional disconnection through a carefully constructed aesthetic.
Leo explains: “At their core, these songs all share a common theme of how I often feel so distant from my feelings and from the world. It’s like I wrote them from inside the stillness of my own little terrarium, watching through the glass as everything around me changed and grew. I really wanted to build on this for the visual side of this project, as well as do something new and ambitious to complement the music. The result was 5 videos featuring little clay leo. who lives in a terrarium. We shot these over 2 days around Woodhouse Ridge in Leeds, with the wonderful props made by my friend and co-director Mar Alves, and camera work by Jacob Whiting.”
With its blend of vulnerability and craft, what now? marks a defining step forward. Built from the emotional residue of youth and the uncertainty of transition, it stands as leo.’s most personal and self-assured work to date. Listen below:
