Neo-Soul Band Sweet Leda Takes a Stand for Gay Marriage with "Let Her Love Her"

    ANNAPOLIS, MD, April 04, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "I know a girl. She loves a girl. She is her world. She always hides the tears that she cries. Baby don't hide. If you disagree then just let them be," proclaims "Let Her Love Her," the second single off of rising neo-soul/pop band, Sweet Leda's recently-released album, Need the Music.

The song challenges prejudices and anti-gay sentiments by asserting that love is love. "Imagine if you finally found the right person, and you weren't even allowed to marry that person! Even worse, imagine that some people protested against you and demonstrated hate simply because of who you love," urges Sweet Leda Lead Singer Julie Cymek, who co-wrote the song with bandmates Jaime Horrigan (bass), Don Boyette (drums), and Omar El Dieahy (guitar). "The concept of love sparking hate breaks my heart. We are strong supporters of equality. If 'Let Her Love Her' causes even a single person to contemplate supporting same-sex marriage, I would consider it a victory."

The groove-induced song features a rap by Singer/Rapper/Percussionist Jay Crawdads from the group Higher Hands, a funk/soul group that has become a regular fixture on the Mid-Atlantic club and Festival circuits. In fact, it was during a show on that circuit that Crawdads and Leda had a chance encounter, which ultimately led to the collaboration.

"We wrote 'Let Her Love Her' in the fall of 2010, and I decided I wanted to write a rap for it," says Cymek. The problem was, as a rap-writing virgin, Cymek kept pushing the task to the back burner. That didn't stop the group from performing the almost-finished tune at a festival, which Crawdads and Higher Hands had attended. "Immediately after our set, Jay came up to us and said how special the song was to him and how he would love to be part of it in some way. It was a perfect fit! We asked him to write a rap for it, and a few months later, he came into the studio to record. None of us had any idea what he was going to say, but when he started rapping and singing, it was magic."

The band performed "Let Her Love Her" and other Need the Music tunes at their sold out Album Release Show, which was held on March 26th at Annapolis, MD's premier Rock 'n Roll club, The Whiskey. The event also featured an appearance by Crawdads and Higher Hands, along with Singer/Songwriter Christie Lenee.

"Let Her Love Her" and the entire Need the Music album are now available on the band's website and Facebook page, and can be purchased through iTunes.

About Sweet Leda
Based in Annapolis, MD, Sweet Leda is a rising star in the diverse Annapolis music community. With its rich blend of new school funk, soul, and pop, Sweet Leda's heartfelt original material has drawn comparisons to Joss Stone, Janis, Maroon 5, Supreme Beings of Leisure, and Edie Brickell, while garnering its very own stylistic label: "Sexy smooth rock and groove."

For more information about Sweet Leda, please email Jaime Horrigan at [email protected] or call 410.507.2711.

Official Website: http://www.sweetleda.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Leda/170802465076
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sweetleda
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/need-the-music/id429247653

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