Meet Leah Shipchack | Singer of Fame & fiction

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leah Shipchack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leah, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind our success is expressing our individuality and supporting and inspiring others in the community through our music and who we are as people. We are a band of six very unique people who are all are apart of the lgbtqia+ community and we are we very proud of that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Lauren Horbal and I both come from Connecticut and had previously formed a band around 2011. We played a lot of the local LGBT establishments in the area until our lives took us in different directions. We reunited in Nashville in early 2017 and formed Fame & Fiction (our dream of a lgbtqia+ rock/pop group). Since then we have played with so many talented people and had a lot of different variations of F&F over the years.

Right before Covid we locked in the current formation of Fame & Fiction. We are all close friends and have been in each other’s lives for years, and having that bond with people you are creating with is very special to us.

During the pandemic we posted home performance videos and performed at safe seated and masked acoustic shows at Marathon Musicworks with Music on the Move. We had our returning show that was fully open to the public at the infamous Exit Inn.

What I think is truly special about our group is that all six of us are singer-songwriters and add vital pieces to the puzzle. Whether we are in a songwriting session or in rehearsal, there will be times when we are flowing ideas and someone will have an idea that knocks everyone out of their seats. It’s moments like these that make the experience truly rewarding and sometimes even emotional. Our newest EP “Hello, Old Friends” is our first EP in which everyone took part in the writing process.

We are overjoyed to be featured in this year’s Nashville Pride festival and I think it’s a great testament to what we exude; what we are all about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely start at brunch in East Nashville at The Lipstick Lounge (one of the only remaining lesbians bars in the country). I would like to show them Shelby park and its beautiful scenery. Of course we would spend some time in Five points and all the various bars and patios like Rosemary Beauty Queen. I would take them to see some live music at The Basement East or Brooklyn bowl. I would definitely make it a point to check out The Fox Bar and the Bowery Vault right above for their great vintage finds. I would also like to explore German town and the fun places I like to frequent like Mothers Ruin and get a burger at Jack Browns. Take a walk around the farmers market and bicentennial right around the corner. Hopefully they are dancers because I would finish the night at PLAY dance bar and see their amazing drag shows.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would love to shout out The East Room for always being so supportive of us and always being so amazing when we play there. They have always been so warm and welcoming and we have made so many memories there. The staff is amazing and we are so happy to call that our home base.

Website: https://fameandfiction.com/

Instagram: Fameandfictionmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fameandfictionband?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Nashville photo Group

Emily April Allen Photography