In this heartfelt and inspiring interview, singer-songwriter Leanna Crawford opens up about the story behind her beautiful song “How Can You Not.” She shares the touching moment that inspired the song and the profound impact it had on her and her family. With her genuine passion for speaking truth and encouraging young women, Leanna discusses the importance of her music in reaching and uplifting others. Plus, she takes us back to her childhood on a horse farm, sharing a funny anecdote about a made-up song she created while driving around with her family. Don’t miss this engaging conversation with a talented artist who is making a difference through her music and her message.
View this video with Leanna Crawford and other interviews with JOY FM artists videos on the JOY FM YouTube Channel.
Leanna Crawford Interview Transcript:
Kim:
That song, “How Can You Not” is such a sweet and beautiful song, and we would love to know what is your thought behind it? Your story behind it? Why is that important to you?
Leanna Crawford:
I actually wrote that song a couple of summers ago. My parents were visiting me in Nashville. My sister and I moved there together five years ago, and we moved from the good old northwest. And in the northwest there are no fireflies, but of course in this part of the country, fireflies everywhere. And so not growing up with them, I just think it’s the coolest thing every summer, every year to see them. Well, my dad had never seen fireflies and they were going to be there. My parents were there for a whole week.
And during firefly season, the height of it, and we were about to see some fireflies. I don’t know where they were. We went on walks every single night, not a single firefly was found. The night before, they’re about to fly home where there’s no fireflies. So sad. We go for one final walk and we are walking by this field, and I’ve walked by this field like 100 times, and I’d never seen anything like this. It lit up. It looked like stars were in the field just full of fireflies. And my dad looked over to us and he just said, “How can you not see a creator?” And that’s where this song came from.
Kim:
That’s so cool.
Justin:
I love that. Well, if you love that song too, then you are going to have a chance to sing it with Leanna in about eight minutes. We’re going to play, Finish the lyrics. She has been going through all the lyrics and she’s found some tough ones for you. You pick whatever song lyric you want out of “How Can You Not.”
Leanna Crawford:
Wow. I feel like this is like, we’re going deep in there. Should I make it hard? Should I make it a little difficult?
Justin:
Should go like fifth verse.
Leanna Crawford:
There is a fifth verse.
Kim:
The one that isn’t published?
Leanna Crawford:
Yeah, the one that isn’t published yet. Let’s see. I feel like I kind want to go to verse two land. I feel like I want to do verse two land. I think that’s what we’re going to do all. So I already know.
Justin:
Give this to us.
Leanna Crawford:
Okay, here we go. I see the sunset and I wonder.
Justin:
That’s it. That’s all we get.
Kim:
Oh, is great.
Leanna Crawford:
Should I do more?
Kim:
That’s great. If you think you know what it is, give us a call right now. Joy FM. Hi, who’s this?
Caitlin (Caller):
Hi, this is Caitlin.
Kim:
Hi, Caitlyn. Caitlyn, I’d like to introduce you to our very special guest, Leanna Crawford.
Caitlin (Caller):
I feel so honored. Hello.
Leanna Crawford:
Hi, Caitlyn. It’s so nice to meet you.
Justin:
So I’m sure you’ve heard what she’s sang just a moment ago. She’s going to sing it for you one more time, and then you just have to sing the rest of that line.
Caitlin (Caller):
Okay.
Leanna Crawford:
Okay. You got this, Caitlin, I believe in you. Okay. I see the sunset and I wonder.
Caitlin (Caller):
If he paints it just for me.
Justin:
Yeah!
Leanna Crawford:
Whoo!
Kim:
Yeah Caitlin!
Leanna Crawford:
You’re a queen. That was so good.
Caitlin (Caller):
Whoo.
Justin:
Nice job!
Caitlin (Caller):
I’ll be on stage with you tonight, okay?
Justin:
So Leanna, a lot of your songs are written from the perspective of a young woman’s life. Why is speaking to young women so important? I know that’s very important to Kim.
Kim:
It is. I work with young women at my church. I think it’s such a valuable thing to be able to pour into somebody who needs to hear truth.
Leanna Crawford:
Yeah, I mean, I think it honestly makes me get very emotional when I think about the amount of young people, but especially young girls that haven’t had someone speak truth into their lives. I think it’s shocking the amount of young girls that have not had truth spoken over them. And I’ve always been very passionate about it. I don’t think I maybe identified that quite until I was in high school, and I literally felt like God called me to do music and specifically call me to minister and encourage women, young women. And I didn’t even know I was a young woman. I was like, “I need encouragement too.” And now that I have all the answers, but I think that was part of it too, is I’m so grateful for women that have spoken into my life and encouraged me. And so if I can do that in my music, if I can do that in anything that I say that’s encouraging in other young women, then I want them to hear that. I want them to be encouraged by that. I think it’s just so important.
Kim:
Leanna, you are a fellow Washingtonian like I am.
Leanna Crawford:
Yes. Queen.
Kim:
You grew up on a horse farm. Talk about what that was like.
Leanna Crawford:
Oh, I mean, just every day down the barn cleaning out horse stalls.
Kim:
Not quite as romantic as you would expect, right?
Leanna Crawford:
No, it was so fun. I mean, how cool to grow up with horses, but there’s the other side of it that nobody wants to think about. But I mean, every day actually surprisingly therapeutic to clean horse manure, then no one else talks about that. But it was just an incredible way to grow up. I loved it.
Justin:
So I heard that you enjoyed making up songs around the farm.
Leanna Crawford:
Yes.
Justin:
Do you remember any of those made up songs and could you sing a few for us?
Leanna Crawford:
Oh, wow. Or I can just give-
Justin:
Or a line or anything.
Leanna Crawford:
Yeah line, wow. Okay. Well, one comes to mind, speaking of the farm, I mean, I’m always making up songs all the time. But speaking of the farm, I don’t know why this one jumps out at me. I don’t really remember the story behind it, and it’s really not very deep or emotional at all because we were just chilling out there. But we were very young and driving around on, it’s called a rhino, but it’s kind of like a Gator four wheeler type thing. And it was to help us with farm work. It was how we fed the horses anyways, so that’s what we used it for.
But one time, I don’t even know my parents know this, but I’m not sure driving and not maybe fully paying attention. We were just having a good old time, and it’s possible that there may have been another car coming down the driveway and we had to turn off really quick into the field. And so then I just started singing. It was a head on collision made by one bad decision. That’s all I remember. But that’s where that was.
Kim:
So how old were you, you think when that one?
Leanna Crawford:
Oh dear. My parents will be, “All right, listen.” I think I was probably like 12 maybe.
Kim:
The hits were coming, even back then.
Leanna Crawford:
Oh yeah, man, they were coming. Yeah.
