Bailey Bass and Leanne Tessa are two young starlets that are climbing the ladders of Hollywood. They are both sure to make a big splash in 2019! Each of them has their own impressive career accomplishments: Leanne is starring in the new revivial of the Mickey Mouse Club and likewise, and Bailey is one of the main characters in the upcoming 4 Avatar films. Also, Bailey and Leanne together dropped a song cover and music video for the song “Youth” by Shawn Mendes. So YEM spoke with the girls about their careers, their song cover and if they will collaborate more in the future!
Young Entertainment Mag: You recently released a cover of “Youth” by Shawn Mendes. What was it about the song that made you want to cover it?
Leanne Tessa: On top of my favs; Shawn Mendes and Khalid’s amazing voices, the song addresses daily tragedies and calls for awareness for how these headlines affect the youth. “You can’t take my youth away” is a strong statement that stood to me.
Bailey Bass: The song “Youth” is such a powerful and beautiful song. The lyrics are so true and relevant. We constantly hear heart breaking stories. From families getting ripped apart at the boarders to school shootings. This song encourages us to stay hopeful and continue to be young because we should not have to be afraid of the outside. I could not, not cover this song.
YEM: So how did you two first meet each other? How did you begin collaborating?
Leanne: We first met at a dog adoption event and were introduced to each other by a mutual friend, Steve Wiseman who owns @nailandbone. When we found out we both sang, we pulled out our calendars and planned out when we could collaborate.
Bailey: Leanne and I first met at an adoption event in support of Nail & Bone. We decided to collaborate that same day. We started talking and with some encouragement from our parents, we made the decision.
(Nail and Bone donates 20% of their proceeds to charities and primarily supporting pet rescue and adoption.)
YEM: If you could collaborate with any artists, who would it be and why?
Bailey: Collaborating with any successful artist would be an honor. Every single artist had to work hard and struggle to get to where they are. No matter what artist I collaborate with, I know I would learn something.
Leanne: If I could collaborate with any artist it would be Kehlani because I am absolutely obsessed with how confident she is in her own skin. She never hesitates to tell the truth, tell a story with her lyrics, or call for respect when earned. Also her music is dope and it would be a dream to collaborate.
YEM: You’re both also actors! Leanne, you’re a member of the newest version of The Mickey Mouse Club called Club Mickey Mouse! What is that experience like? What was it like to meet and be mentored by JC Chasez?
Leanne: To this today it feels unreal to be a part of a legacy like Disney’s Club Mickey Mouse. So many inspirations (Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling etc.) initiated their careers from this show and it has been an honor to carry out this role as an official Mouseketeer. Meeting and being mentored by JC Chasez was truly amazing! He shared his own experiences of what the show was like for him and gave us some inspirational words for our future careers as well.
Photo Credit: Disney
YEM: And Bailey, you’re starring in the next 4 Avatar movies! What does that feel like? Also, was it a challenge to work on a movie that is all motion-capture?
Bailey: Being able to be part of such a big franchise is extremely exciting and I feel incredibly blessed. Motion- capture is all I know being I have never been in a movie before this. I don’t know anything different. So it can be challenging at times but overall it is not that difficult.
Photo Credit: Rowan Daly
YEM: Do you plan on doing more song covers together? Also, would you two like to act in a project together?
Leanne: Yes! We can’t wait to record more covers and put out more inspiring videos for the youth watching and share what we love to do. It would be so much fun to act in a project together because nothing is better than doing what you love with people that you love.
Bailey: Leanne and I do plan on doing more covers together. I think we complement each other very well. Not only that but I consider Leanne a good friend. We have fun collaborating together. Acting in a project would Leanne would be great. I’ve never worked with someone I already knew so it would be nice to have a familiar face.
YEM: Finally, You are both two young artists who have quickly emerged as frontrunners in the industry, and much of your success has involved technology (song covers on Youtube, Club Mickey Mouse online, Avatar sequels involving motion capture). How do you navigate the digital world? Many of the older artists you’ve worked with did not grow up in the digital age. So how do you manage it all?
Bailey: I love that with social media I can have a voice and connect with people. It is really convenient but because of that it can be really easy to over use it and get to comfortable. And I try to limit myself. I am only on social media thirty to forty minutes a day.
Leanne: Honestly, social media has really taken over this generation in both positive and negative ways. It makes it so much easier to share what you love to do like posting videos and growing opportunities to take part in shows like Club Mickey Mouse. But, I generally don’t make posting and scrolling through Instagram a priority in my life, nor does my happiness’s depend on how many likes or followers I have.
