Jenny Leigh

If Jenny Leigh’s listeners are anything like her they crave music for the soul. You won’t find Leigh singing about breakups and whiskey benders. Equal parts sweet, sassy, and smart, the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, who’s shared stages with Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town, believes that music is sacred. She delves deep into her songwriting to offer a fresh perspective and personal message. “In some cases, country music has been watered down to serve ‘beer and truck’ culture and stripped of its greater purpose,” she says. She counters this by talking about real things people can relate to.

Music has been the red thread throughout Leigh’s life, from talent shows to the countless dive bars she’s performed in along the East Coast. It’s also always been at the center of her family’s gatherings in their hometown of Frederick, Maryland. At their annual Christmas Eve party, Leigh conducted her siblings like a mad scientist while they performed classics such as “O Holy Night,” which is still a song she enjoys performing today. Music was her family’s way of making memories, which she speaks to in her latest release “Old Oak Tree” as she tells the story of her parents’ first apartment and how they had everything they needed despite having little money. The song exemplifies the Southern charm, wholesome values, and fondness for simple pleasures the singer is known for. “The best compliment I could receive is that someone played my song at his or her wedding,” she explains. Leigh wants her music to be woven into the backdrop of her listener’s most cherished moments.

In college, Leigh sang in an award-winning a cappella group, Twisted Measure, where she learned more about melodies and harmonies than in any of her previous classes. After graduation, wanting to continue her music education, Leigh bought her first guitar and started taking lessons at the local strip mall. Not too long after, she began studying piano and mandolin, the first instrument she bought after moving to Nashville. During this transition period in which Leigh returned to her country music roots, she realized her desire to be a part of an artistic community. After making regular trips to Nashville she discovered it was where she needed to be. “Nashville was the first place where I felt like people ‘got’ my music and appreciated it on a deeper level as well as shared similar hopes and struggles,” she explains.

Once she had built an East Coast following by sharing the stage with acts like The Eli Young Band, Randy Houser, and The Cadillac Three, Leigh finally felt ready to leave her job in the Baltimore corporate world and move to Music City. Ironically it was the words of country legend John Rich of Big & Rich, who mentored Leigh on the reality singing TV show “The Next,” on which she was a finalist that inspired her move. “John encouraged me to move to Nashville ‘yesterday,’ which gave me the confidence to take the leap,” she recalls. Almost immediately after, Leigh sold everything she owned and moved to Nashville with co-writers Adam Wakefield and Ryan Sorestad. Chad Harrison, producer of “The Next” also said of Leigh’s talents: “Her songwriting shows that she is a true country artist and presence solidifies her as a performer.”

After working every odd job available in Music City, from Uber driver to freelance makeup artist, Leigh found her home on the set of ABC/CMT’s “Nashville” where she worked as an extra, stand-in, body double for Hayden Panettiere, and finally, in the show’s final season, as an actor in a recurring role as a Nashville-based songwriter. This musical role led to Leigh being cast as Opry legend Jan Howard in the 2019 Lifetime film “Patsy & Loretta,” a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Leigh to bring her passions for songwriting, singing, and acting together. It was an incredible experience for Leigh to play someone she has the utmost respect for. “Jan sang about the hardships of being a woman in country music—songs that ring as true today as they did in the 1960’s, which is a testament to her talent” she recalls.

In her first few years in Nashville, Leigh was also selected to perform at a CMA Fest main stage as an unsigned artist, won the Nashville Emerging Star Songwriting Competition to open for Grammy-nominated act Little Big Town, and toured extensively as a vocalist for Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Adam Wakefield. Wakefield, who was also a runner-up on season 10 of NBC’s “The Voice” praises, “Jenny sings grey areas of life, which others often overlook, and tell stories about hard times in a way that speaks truth but also makes light of them.” Most recently, Leigh’s December 2019 release “Old Oak Tree” landed her a partnership with Taylor Guitars and Tennessee’s Environmental Council for a 2020 Tree Planting Initiative.

Leigh’s driving force is to make music that moves people and triggers memories. By baring her soul on stage and in songs she hopes to find other kindred spirits. “As a kid, Willie Nelson eased the pain of weekend chores while The Eagles and Sheryl Crow were our soundtrack on road trips. I want to offer that same color and connection to my listeners,” she says.