leahgte on collaborations, opening for stars and putting on GTE GAFF

leahgte is a DJ and producer and one of the biggest names flying the Scottish flag in the UK 'underground' rap scene. Her recent production credits include ‘Midas Touch’ for Conglomerate (stars Lancey Foux, Len, and Fimiguerrero) and ‘Money Walk’ for YT, and 2025 saw her open for MIKE and 454 in Glasgow, among many others. Along with friend Nich, she has also cofounded GTE Gaff, and they've held two very successful music nights in Glasgow. We sat down with Leah to discuss her career so far, her collaborators, putting on GTE Gaff and why she hates the term 'underground'.

DB: It's been a huge year for you musically, with the massive [production] placements like Money Walk and Midas Touch, and opening for YT, MIKE, 454. How do you balance that with being a student?

LeahGTE: It’s difficult, because a lot of my uni work does depend on me being in class. Thankfully enough, most of my sets have been over the weekend, apart from Conglomerate - I think that was on a Wednesday, but we still went to Manchester. In terms of production, it's kind of hard, because you do need to lock in: you have to send multiple things for one placement to drop or for one thing to get used. That’s the procedure. But I think I've handled it pretty well. You just have to have a good work-life balance. Put work first, and then the music. I prioritize studying over music.

DB: How did those big placements come about?

LeahGTE: I've always been a fan of these people before I was acquainted with them. I used to use Discord a lot, and I joined a server called New Wave, where I met all my music friends to this day. I got acquainted with Len, and I started sending him beats. I just kept sending them, and then I produced "Top Shotta," that dropped last April. "Midas Touch" was made in May 2024, but I didn't know it was going to be on Conglomerate. With "Money Walk," I just happened to send beats to Len and then he was in the studio with YT. I remember I was in Wetherspoons, and I just got a message, and I saw two songs sent back. I was like, "rah, okay!"

DB: You’ve played both as an opener for some huge artists and at your own shows like at ‘GTEGaff’. What’s the difference for you, between being an opener and doing your own events: what do you prefer?

LeahGTE: I did Antag [Fest]. That was a huge lineup - I didn’t mind being an opener, because the capacity was 1.5k, so I still got exposure. I got to play in a huge venue - it was the same venue I saw Lancey in four years ago…

DB: Full circle.

LeahGTE: Yeah, full circle - that was gas. I don't really mind opening for artists - of course, I enjoy being the headliner, but for my own sets, I don't make myself the headliner. That’s why [at GTEGaff] I put Salam Kitty before me, and I put N4T before me - I want to showcase other artists, as well as myself.

DB: What’s your favourite show that you’ve played so far?

LeahGTE: I’d say Antag - my name was on the huge screens, and I thought “this is crazy!”  That might have been my best set - it was very short though; I like my sets when they're at least 40 minutes long. It's either that or Twstd: I went banger for banger for banger - Jim [Legxacy] played too, that lineup was sensational. Those were great sets.

DB: You’ve collaborated with a lot of artists. Who’s impressed you the most?

LeahGTE: Producer-wise, I would say Cppo or Zoja. Cppo’s been on a Ronaldo run, producing for so many songs on BBM [Black British Music, Jim Legxacy’s album], most of SINN6R’S Tape, for Esdeekid... he's charged. Zoja’s another producer - every time we work, he's just crazy. In terms of artists, I would say Jim [Legxacy]. When he would send me stuff to do additional production on: he moved me cause he had a different bag every time.

DB: Did you end up working directly on Black British Music?

LeahGTE: No, no – the tracks didn't come out, but when he was sending me songs, I was very impressed.

DB: Have you got any plans for solo music under the LeahGTE name?

LeahGTE: 2026, that's the move. I want to make my own stuff and play it at my own sets. I want to create my own brand. I want to be my own artist compared to, you know, "someone else's producer." That’s what I've been trying to achieve this whole time.

DB: How important is it for you to organize events like GTEGaff -  making sure that events in the underground in Scotland are run by people like yourself and Nich, for example, who are actually involved and are truly passionate?

LeahGTE: I understand that everyone wants to be involved in this thing now and I get it, but I feel like if anyone should do events showcasing the underground, it should be me. I spent my entire teenage years listening to this music… back in 2018 I had an archive page, and all these [Playboi] Carti producers followed it, Yeat followed it. It was my whole childhood, the chronic online-ness: it makes me me. Which is why I'm even in this position right now where I'm being paid to play music. People know I have a passion for it, I'm not shit, or doing it for the money, I genuinely enjoy playing it.

I wanted to showcase different parts of the Scottish underground people don't really talk about, because there is a scene in Scotland, which is why I've been doing these events: I want to show there's a scene here. Whenever I speak to my English friends, they always say "It's just Leah in Scotland. Just Leah, just Leah." I'm like "No, it's really not though." If I can sell out a 300-person venue... and guys like YT can sell out shows too, there's clearly people here that are into the music, which is why I wanted to build a space for it.

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I spoke to GTE Gaff co-founder Nich, too, about the process of putting on the event, and the importance of spaces like it.

Nich: GTE Gaff is a space you need for young people. Somewhere that people that have nowhere to go to can go. And it's not like “come be niche with us”, it’s just “come and enjoy something, whether you know it or not.” Every event we've had, yes, the music has been targeted, but the crowd hasn't been. We try to make sure anybody, and everybody can show up, so that you can not only meet people that like stuff that you like [but] just meet people in general. Because nobody's doing that anymore, man. People are too inside. I feel like we need to bring people outside again, man. The streets are boring.

DB: Did you expect the events to be as successful as they have been?

Nich: Since you're writing this, I'm gonna say no [laughs]. I'm not gonna be stoosh [arrogant]. We did it from my room - it was just a bunch of wee guys, doing something. We were hoping to fill half the venue, the first time around. But I feel like we were able to do what I mentioned—bring people together, it was so many different crowds. Everybody was talking to somebody new, and it was weird.

The tickets sold out, and I'm glad about the turnout of both because crowd-wise and actual event-wise, they turned out really well. It's only cause it's from the heart. We did it. You can really do whatever you want if you actually got love for the game. Anybody can do it, bro. It is seriously that easy - you could do the same if you really tried.

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DB: What do you think, then, about the music scene more generally in Glasgow and Edinburgh at the moment?

LeahGTE: I think that Bloody Shield is flying the flag, for sure. Of course, I think I am - I have to gas myself. Elias is doing his thing, JR Manneh is doing his thing, JT is doing his thing: there's a lot of talented people in this country. I feel like it's cool that people are tapping in now, because when I was playing this music back in 2023, people were still on drill beats. Now they're making the change to the "underground genre." Let me just clarify: underground is not a genre. We're never gonna make it a genre, but that's what they call it.

DB: You DJ on Radio Buena Vida - how important are indie radio stations for helping grassroots artists gain a foothold in the industry?

LeahGTE: Without them, I wouldn't have got my first booking - they found me off Radio Buena Vida, through my radio show in November 2023, and my first live set was December. Buena Vida is so important to me because they helped me build a platform. When I first started DJing people would always tap in. People always used to wait until 7 PM on a Friday for my radio shows. They said my first show had the most listeners of any show they’d done. Without that I don't think I'd be me - they've helped me out so much. We must support the local radio stations, man, and Buena Vida’s one of the best.

DB: What have you got up your sleeve to take the Scottish scene to the next level?

LeahGTE: I can't say too much but... obviously the reception that N4T got in Glasgow was good. Did you enjoy that set?

DB: It was great - the atmosphere was quality.

LeahGTE: I feel like I need to one-up that and maybe bring multiple artists. We'll see. 2026, I'm trying a couple things.

DB: What’s next for LeahGTE? What should we look out for from you in the near future?

LeahGTE: Ooh - maybe a tape. Maybe my own self-released music - we'll see. Maybe doing more events. Bigger events. More merch. More motion. More money. We'll see.

Pictures by INDIESLEAZEFOREVER