hi, i’m joshua. i make music as ‘king leer.’

Born beneath the looming shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the skyscrapers of New York City, King Leer is an artist with conflict in his very DNA. King Leer, born Joshua Perna, imbues the deep contrast of both his Appalachian and metropolitan surroundings into his indie music. Borrowing the acoustic folk aesthetic of deep-woods revival meetings, darkening it with the slick, modern production of city studios and clubs, King Leer creates a musical experience unlike any other: intimate, whispering vocals and fingerpicked acoustic guitar, shrouded with a dark ambience and melancholy, coming to life in an explosive live show.

As a songwriter and producer, King Leer has amassed one hundred million streams for projects of multiple genres and sounds. Following in the tradition of singer-songwriters such as Sufjan Stevens, Hozier, Ben Howard, and Phoebe Bridgers, King Leer is now working on his debut solo record.

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