Leo Forde was born in Glasgow in 1989 the day before the fall of the Berlin wall. His early years were spent in Scotland dressing up as different animals and waving at fire engines. When driving in the back of his mum and dads car, he pretended he could cut the tops off mountains with an invisible stick. Years later, he read about Neal Cassady doing the same thing in a book. He liked dancing to Kate Bush and the Singing Kettle. On entering primary school, Forde pursued his interest in dressing up and enjoyed giving dramatic readings from school books with a small group of friends until he got beaten up by an older boy called Christopher for doing so. He developed a habit of scribbling holes in his jotters until they were ruined and cried as he tried to fight the impulse. In primary 3, he took up the bagpipes which annoyed everyone near-by except his younger brother, who didn’t mind. Forde was threatened with expulsion from primary school for pulling his trousers down at the janny but got away with a warning. Switching to a catholic school in his teens, Forde began to understand the importance of feeling guilty about everything and drinking alone. He made some new friends and they began listening to music.

He took guitar lessons with a great teacher called Duncan McCallum who told him about BB King and Django Reinhardt and Forde began to lose interest in the bagpipes. He left school as soon as they would let him and began work for a number of organisations and individuals, all of whom eventually sacked him. Luckily, Strathclyde University agreed to take him in and he got to play with people his own age. Realising that he didn’t really know anything about music, Forde started trying a bit harder and got some gigs which was really helpful. Patient older musicians encouraged him despite what he was playing and he eventually played some music he was proud of.

Forde now lives in Birmingham where he studies jazz at the Conservatoire there with Mike Williams, Hans Koller and Jez Franks. He performs with a number of different groups including his own quartet and trio.

He has since become quite busy and lives in New Orleans where he enjoys working with Double Whisky, Aurora Nealand, Meschiya Lake and The Hot Club of New Orleans.

‘Leo’s music is much more conversational: a group of friends sitting together, having a good time, exploring what might be played, supporting each other’s impulses to form a gentle small community.’ Jazz Lives

‘Heartfelt feelings ring true as the band performs’. OffBeat Magazine