Country Artist Kerri Leigh on Her Upcoming Album

Leigh and her guitarist Craig Wilson are producing music that is personal.

ByABC News
June 30, 2016, 4:20 PM

— -- Country singer Kerri Leigh is molding her experiences of love, happiness and heartache into her soon-to-be-released album and EP. With songs like "Heaven," "Tie Me Up" and "Sleep Walking," Leigh and her guitarist Craig Wilson are producing music that is personal and authentic.

The duo, who were introduced through a friend, had low expectations of one another at first. “I said yeah, okay -- another singer, songwriter,” Leigh said. “When he heard about me, he said, 'A country singer who’s blonde -- real original.'”

Leigh and Wilson would soon regret their initial judgments. The pair not only hit it off instantly on meeting, they actually started recording the next day and dove straight into an emotional track.

“'Heaven' is actually one the first songs Craig and I have ever written together. It’s the first song we ever recorded. It’s just kind of about sending a message of help. There are so many things going on in the world right now. It’s crazy all the bad stuff that happens,” Leigh said.

Leigh, who was raised in Wisconsin, also says her music is partly inspired by the artists she grew up listening to. “I sang a lot to Martina McBride and Faith Hill and Mariah Carey, and then I started listening to the Dixie Chicks. But I grew up on country and TLC,” she said.

Growing up, Leigh continued to sing while also playing basketball in high school. At the Amateur Athletic Union championship at Duke University, the sound system went out and the venue was unable to play the national anthem. She remembers her basketball coach saying, ‘We have a singer,’ and moments later she was singing the national anthem at the opening ceremony.

Although she was being recruited for the next level, Leigh decided to pursue music instead. “I had college scouts, was getting on the letters, and I said, 'Dad, I’m going to sing for living.'”

So Leigh moved to New York to pursue her music career. To date, Leigh and Wilson have played all over the country at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe and the Highline Ballroom.