Leana Short

Hailing from Sweden, Leana first found success as a model in Stockholm and later as, of all things, the owner of a court reporting agency in Southern California. Now, the striking blonde is finding success once again as one of club music’s leading ladies and the owner of her own record label, the aptly titled Swedish Diva Records.  

With her 2003 debut album Faith in Myself, Leana scored her first Top Ten Billboard Dance hit with the single “Dance With A Stranger” which set off a chain of events that led to her latest release Feel Me, which has already spawned the dance pop hits “Embrace Me” and “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight.”  

Here the Swedish bombshell talks about her new music, being inspired by Bette Midler, her love affair with ABBA, being a gay man trapped in a woman’s body, the effect breast-feeding has had on her tour schedule and why her gay back up dancers are sometimes more popular in her own household than she is.  

GayWired: From Sweden to court reporter to model to entrepreneur, you’ve had quite an interesting journey en route to becoming a dance music diva…  

Leana: Yes… crazy life… [Laughs]  

GW: Throughout all your various career twists and turns did you always have making music in the back of your mind?  

Leana: Actually during the time I was doing the court reporting, I had a show on Friday nights at a place called Luna Park in West Hollywood. It was called The Swedish Diva Show. It was cabaret… a little bit like a Bette Midler kind of show [and] it was about a Swedish girl coming to America and everything that went wrong [told] in a musical format.  

So I was a court reporting agency owner by day and a singer at night in West Hollywood!  

GW: So you had this dream of singing all along?  

Leana: You know, I think at first I thought I wanted to be an actress and then I realized very quickly that wasn’t my thing at all because, like modeling, I found it sort of boring. But I always loved to sing, so I think music was a love that grew. It’s really fun. I’m addicted to being on Pro Tools and being in the studio. I can get lost on Pro Tools and never come out. It’s so addictive. If people call, they know where to find me.  

GW: You’ve taken a lot extraordinary steps in your life, but what inspired the court reporter to take the stage and do that first live Swedish Diva Show?  

Leana: Well it wasn’t ordinary for me to be a court reporter either. It’s really very funny that I would own a court reporting agency because I’m very dyslexic. It doesn’t make any sense at all. [Laughs] But Bette Midler has always been an idol of mine and I’ve always been attracted to the stage so the show just seemed like it would be a very fun thing to do.  

I always say I was probably a gay man in my past life and I came back as a woman! [Laughs]

GW: Why do you say that?  

Leana: Because I feel like a gay man trapped in a woman’s body.  

GW: Well you certainly have a lot of gay fans! Speaking of which, you’ve been doing a lot of touring, hitting the Pride festivals around the globe. What has it been like performing for adoring throngs of gays?  

Leana: Wonderful. The gay audience is such a warm, supportive, nice audience. They really are. We have a mutual admiration. I have always loved gay men.  

GW: Have you found gay audiences different from your mainstream audience?  

Leana: I think we’re all human and we’re all more alike than we think we are, but I do think the gay audience is the audience that has naturally been attracted me. How can you explain it?  

I don’t know. I’ve always attracted a lot of gay people in my private life even though I’m not gay myself. So I think there’s always been a natural connection.  

GW: Were you surprised by the phenomenal response to your first album?  

Leana: Absolutely I was. After all I was a little too old and the truth is I sold the court reporting company when I became a mother. Then I had the financial opportunity to go for what I really, really wanted and it took off. It was such a fun, wonderful gift to have a second career.  

GW: And not just any second career either. You’ve had one dance hit after another in a very short space of time.  

Leana: Yeah I’ve been very, very, very lucky and I’ve enjoyed the ride very, very much.

GW: Even though you’re signed to Universal in Sweden, you created your own label to produce your music. How much credit for your out of the gate success do you give to the fact that you’ve been in control of your career from the start?  

Leana: Well it always helps when it’s organic. I am who I am. When you allow the artist to be organic, you have a better chance for success because somehow the audience feels that. Then some of it’s been just luck… luck in working with some great people. But it certainly is a gift to really be able to be who you are.  

As soon as you start having a little success, everybody wants you to be something. Everybody has a vision of who they think you should be. Every producer, every make-up artist, every stylist, every person you come into contact with. When you’re working with a big record company, you really have to follow some of that. But when artists are allowed to listen to themselves, I think they have a better shot.  

GW: With that in mind, what attracts you to the music that you record?  

Leana: It’s funny… every producer that I’ve ever worked with says I’m channeling ABBA [Laughs]. I can’t help it! I don’t try, it’s just that it’s the music that I grew up with. But I think you just know it. When you hear it, you just know it’s the right song for you. Just like when you meet a person and you know you have the chemistry.  

GW: How would you describe your music to someone not familiar with it?  

Leana: I’d call it European dance pop… with a lot of Swedish touches. [Laughs]  

GW: What would your fans be most surprised to learn about you?  

Leana: That I’ve got three kids…  

GW: Three? Wow, you really are doing it all. You’re recording, promoting, running a business and playing mommy.  

Leana: Yeah I’m doing it all. I just had another one. He’s three months old today.  

GW: How old are your kids?  

Leana: Eight, five and three months.  

GW: And do they all listen to mom’s music?  

Leana: Oh yeah. They listen to the music and they love to hang out with my gay dancers. They bring my kids jewelry so they’re very popular in my house. [Laughs]  

GW: And what do your kids think of mom’s sometimes sexy image?  

Leana: You know, they’re at sort of the age where they embrace it and enjoy it. I’m sure when they get older they might think it’s weird but now they think it’s a lot of fun. They play ‘how to make a music video’.  

When we went to Sweden to do Gay Pride, I traveled with my dancers and the kids and the nanny. They loved it.

GW: What’s next for you?  

Leana: Right now, I’m just trying to get back into shape again. I need to regroup. [Laughs] For the next few months I’m taking it pretty easy, but we’re promoting the new album, of course. I’m taking it easier as far as shows but we’ll probably heat up again in the fall.  

GW: So no Gay Pride shows for you this summer then?  

Leana: Probably not this year. It’s too hard with the breast feeding and everything. But in the fall I’ll be back on the road again.  

News, which I’m sure is music to the ears of her fans.  

For more information on Leana, go to www.leana.com.