I GREW UP ON THE GULF COAST OF MISSISSIPPI – AN HOUR EAST OF NEW ORLEANS. I SPENT 7 YEARS IN NASHVILLE, STUDYING RELIGION, LITERATURE & ART AT BELMONT UNIVERSITY, ALSO LEARNING ABOUT MUSIC IN A COMMUNITY OF WRITERS AND PERFORMERS. NOW I LIVE IN NORTH LONDON. I SPENT THE WINTER WRITING SONGS ON A RENTED PIANO, DRINKING YORKSHIRE GOLD, WALKING IN REGENT’S PARK AND READING AGAINST THE RADIATOR.

IN 2005, I MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND RELEASED WITH THIS LOVE WITH THE HELP OF PRODUCER MIKE ODMARK AND MS INDIE LABEL ESPERANZA PLANTATION. WHILE IN COLLEGE, I SPENT SOME TIME RE-WORKING SOME OF THE SONGS FROM THIS ALBUM AND WRITING NEW ONES.

 WITH THIS COLLECTION OF SONGS, I MADE MY DEBUT AS ‘ALVA LEIGH’ (MY FORMAL FIRST & MIDDLE NAME, MY FRIENDS CALL ME ALLIE). I RELEASED A SELF-TITLED RECORD IN JANUARY 2010 THAT WAS PRODUCED BY JOHN PAINTER (BEN FOLDS, SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER). THE ALBUM WAS DESCRIBED AS “A FEAST FOR THE EARS” – “POSITIVELY EXHILARATING, WITH SURPRISE-FILLED MELODIES AND LYRICS THAT ARE BOTH POETIC AND PERSONAL.” SOME NEAT THINGS HAVE HAPPENED WITH THOSE SONGS. AFTER THE MS OIL SPILL, “SKYLINE” WAS USED IN THE NATIONAL TOURISM CAMPAIGN FOR MY HOMETOWN. “CALLING ME” WAS USED IN EPISODE 7.02 OF GREY’S ANATOMY, AND “ORDINARY DAY” WAS USED IN THE 2012 FALL CAMPAIGN FOR PANDORA JEWELRY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I HOPE PEOPLE FIND THESE SONGS INSPIRING WHEN TIMES ARE ROUGH AND CELEBRATORY WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD.

THE SUMMER OF 2012, I GOT TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS TO RECORD SOME COVERS, PAYING TRIBUTE TO MY FAVORITE NASHVILLE ARTISTS BY COVERING SOME OF MY FAVORITE SONGS. WE RECORDED THE SONGS AT GRAY MATTERS STUDIO WITH PRODUCER MIKE ODMARK. ALVA LEIGH IN NASHVILLE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

- ALVA LEIGH, APRIL 2013

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LEGAL: TYLER MIDDLETON, GRAFFAM MIDDLETON

LICENSING: TYLER BACON, POSITION MUSIC