I discovered Leilani Wolfgramm while reviewing the Trevor Hall docu-series, “Coming Home,” co-produced and featured on the YouTube channel Sugar Shack Sessions.
The featured video, pinned to the header on Sugarshack’s YouTube channel, was Leilani Wolfgramm – Change the World ft. Jacob Hemphill & Fortunate Youth | Sugarshack Sessions, /span>

Leilani Wolfgramm from Orlando, FL, performing her original song “Change the World” featuring Jacob Hemphill and Fortunate Youth live at the Sugarshack Recording Compound in Bonita Springs, FL. Episode #202 of the Sugarshack Acoustic Live Music Series. This video had me from the visuals alone, and then the harmonious collaboration of extraordinary groove masters working together. Yet what about the lead singer, Leilani, hiding under a hoodie sporting black engineer’s optics, with such beautifully strong vocals? We had to know more.

The Journey of a Musical Storyteller

What makes Leilani Wolfgramm so captivating isn’t just her sultry voice, which has been compared to Sade’s, but her authentic journey as a musical storyteller. This American Tongan singer-songwriter from Orlando carries the weight of deeply personal experiences into every performance, creating music that serves as both a memoir and a form of healing.

Growing up in Orlando, Leilani was practically born into the entertainment industry. Her father danced and choreographed at Disney World, which meant she spent her early childhood backstage at Hawaiian luau shows. By age four, she was already on stage with her Tongan family, performing for tourists at Disney and around town.

Her formal musical education began at the age of nine, when her mother introduced her to the legendary Patsy Cline. But it was at fourteen, when her brothers exposed her to reggae, that Leilani picked up the guitar and found her true calling. In 2012, she joined her brothers, Zech and Nasur, in their reggae band, Hor! Zen was touring across America, honing her craft, before embarking on her solo journey in 2014.

A Sound That Refuses Labels

Don’t try to put Leilani Wolfgramm in a box. Her music bounces between R&B, soul, reggae, dancehall, hip-hop, and pop – sometimes all in the same song. This genre-hopping approach reflects both her diverse influences and her Polynesian heritage.

Her latest album, “Live Wire,” produced alongside multi-platinum producer Fredro Odesjo (known for work with Tohoshinki/TVXQ) and Joshua Sadlier-Brown (who has worked with John Legend and Gogol Bordello), gets brutally honest about her life. The album tackles child abuse, drug addiction, and psychological trauma head-on. The title comes from her loss of her father, while “The Trail” references the Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, the street on which she grew up.

“I write music to celebrate being alive,” Leilani says, and that philosophy turns her worst experiences into something that can help other people going through the same hell.

Making Waves in the Industry

Since Raleigh Music Publishing signed her in 2016, music blogs and magazines have taken notice of her. LADYGUNN, PopDust, Top Shelf Reggae, and EARMILK have all featured her work. More importantly, she’s earned stage time with some serious heavyweights: Ziggy Marley, Incubus, Dirty Heads, Tribal Seeds, and Sublime with Rome.

Her Spotify numbers tell the story – over 51,000 monthly listeners and growing. The #wolfpack, as her fans call themselves, connects with her willingness to tackle difficult subjects. Music site Rootfire captured it perfectly: “she wields her voice like a weapon and keen insight like salve.” (1)

Why Her Music Hits Different

Leilani doesn’t sugarcoat anything. Her songs read like diary entries—sometimes uncomfortable, always honest. Whether she’s talking about trauma, addiction, mental illness, or losing family, she puts it all out there. That rawness, combined with her incredible vocal range and genre-jumping arrangements, creates something that sticks with you.

The music industry is full of artists trying to be vulnerable for clicks. Leilani’s different because she’s been through real shit and isn’t afraid to say so. Her path from Disney kid to critically acclaimed artist proves that sometimes the best art comes from the worst experiences – when you’re brave enough to share them.

For anyone tired of manufactured emotion and focus-group-tested feelings, Leilani Wolfgramm offers something real. Her music matters because she does – and she’s not pretending otherwise.

(1) Leilani Wolfgramm: Vinyl » LIVING LIFE FEARLESS. https://livinglifefearless.co/2019/photos/leilani-wolfgramm-vinyl/