Today, Freeman Leverett shares a video for “Open Up to Love” that was recorded earlier this year at The Pity Party, a house venue located in the Boulevard neighborhood. Exploring themes of love, longing, surrender, innocence, struggle and transcendence, the song creates a hypnotic and dreamy space to get lost inside of before finding yourself a little better off than before you started.
“This song is about falling in love with the world again, by recognizing your pain and accepting help from others,” says Leverett. “The song patiently blossoms to provide a space to become increasingly absorbed in the music.”
After taking a hiatus during the pandemic, the Pity Party bounced back to include exciting collaborations with Feral Galleries, a series of pop-up exhibitions that transform the home’s living room walls into gallery walls. The DIY spot will likely wait for outdoor temperatures to rise before cranking back into gear, but videos of performances from the past year—recorded by Taylor Chicoine and filmed by James Preston—can be re-experienced here.
Leverett is a songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist who grew up in Elberton and has been a figure within the Athens music scene since the mid-2010s. Over the years, he’s worked with groups ranging from Convict Julie, Bichos Vivos, Aquatic Soul, Muuy Biien, Fake Flowers, American Mannequins, Chandra Natha and others. He recently released the single “Back to You” this past October, is currently working on another new single “Made of Love” to share soon. Additionally, he’s collaborating with renowned classical singer Faizan Ali Khan of the Sham Chaurasia Gharana in Pakistan to create an EP and full album in 2023.
Leverett’s next live performance will take place during a New Year’s Eve Show and Karaoke Party at Happy Top Lodge & Rest, an eclectic bed and breakfast on Bryan Street that occasionally hosts house shows. The party will kick off around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. More details are forthcoming, but in the meantime, keep up with Leverett on Facebook and Instagram.
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