Leon Timbo Mourns a ‘Great Love’ in New Song ‘Lovers and Fools’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Leon Timbo mourns the loss of "a great love" in his new song "Lovers and Fools." It's premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen.

Timbo's music pulls from soul, blues, folk, R&B and gospel, but "Lovers and Fools" also offers a bit of a bluegrass vibe. The chorus' acoustic beat, quick stringed instrumentation and perfectly placed harmonies keep the song rooted in that genre, while the verses are smooth, with a R&B-leaning sonic switch.

"I wrote this song to grieve the loss of a great love," Timbo shares. "It asks the question if one is foolish for feeling so deeply about something that is gone and now out of reach."

"Lovers and Fools" is the title track of Timbo's forthcoming EP, an eight-song release due out in the fall. Timbo recorded for the project in Chicago, Los Angeles and Nashville, and calls the experience "like a coming of age."

"My upcoming album came from my hardest relationship process, and it came about as as a result of handling my grief," Timbo says. "This album gave me the freedom to authentically be me."

The son of two pastors, Timbo is a Jacksonville, Fla., native who grew up with his parents and grandmother, Virginia, introducing him to some of their own favorite music. He started singing at the age of 16, received his first guitar as a gift from his grandma one year later and was pursuing music seriously by the time he reached 20 years old.

Timbo independently released his debut project, Soul Sessions, in 2005, and toured coast to coast. At one performance, singer, songwriter and rapper Tyrese was in the crowd and, impressed, invited Timbo to open for him. That opening spot led to a creative partnership that, in turn, led to a short-lived record deal with Babyface's Island Def Jam record label imprint Soda Pop and work with Quincy Jones.

"Lovers and Fools" will be available widely on Friday (Aug. 20) and is available to pre-save now. Visit LeonTimboLove.com to keep up with the artist and his plans for more new music.