ARIA award nominees the Leonard brothers are an artistic force to be reckoned with.
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Leonard Bros Creative, made up of graphic designers Sean and Scott Leonard, are making waves in the Australian music industry’s elite for their pioneering and creative album cover art.
This month, the highly sought-after former Ballarat High School students were nominated for the Australian music industry’s top honour, an ARIA, for their unique and quirky design for renowned Australian hip hop artist 360’s album, Utopia.
The artwork depicts a portrait of rapper Matthew James Colwell, better known by his artist moniker 360, with a superimposed rainbow-coloured planet on his head.
Scott, 27, the younger of the two, said the artwork was not simply an expression of the rapper’s music and title of the album, but also a deeper representation of his colourful past.
“It is based around him having a utopian state of mind as opposed to a planet,” Scott said.
“It’s all about him having a clear head.”
The dynamic duo, who officially started collaborating in 2012, said they were surprised by the nomination.
“We were really surprised to be honest. We didn’t expect it at all,” Sean said.
“But we’re really excited by it.”
The brothers both completed their graphic design studies at Federation University in Camp Street, before deciding to combine their love of music with their creative flair.
Since then, they have worked alongside some of Ballarat’s most acclaimed musical talents, including Gold Fields, Yacht Club DJs, Twinsy and punk band Hunting Grounds.
They have also designed album covers for high-profile Australian acts including Hunters and Collectors.
“The fact that we’ve been able to build a business out of doing what we are both passionate about – making art and designing – is really special,” Sean said. “We love working with bands and artists as every project is unique and that gives us the opportunity to push some creative boundaries and deliver art that complements the music.”
The brothers now have their sights set on bringing their artwork to life for international acts.
“At the moment we are working on some exciting album art for a band that is going to be released soon and we have a few other things in the works,” Scott said.
“Working with a big international act would be amazing.”
They are up against some of the biggest names in the industry for the Best Cover Art category, including album covers for Angus and Julia Stone, Sia, Chet Faker and DZ Deathrays.
The 28th annual ARIAS will be held on November 26.
To view the brothers’ work, visit leonardbroscreative.com
melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au