Get Ready for Bari Leigh

Bari Leigh may not be a name that you know, but after her debut release on July 29, 2014, you will! The Nashville-based 25-year-old's Tonight, I'm Unchained is going to turn her loose on the world of country music and we're all going to be better for it.

Bari grew up listening to the best music of the 70's - Bobby Gentry, Dolly Parton and Etta James, women, she says, who "weren't afraid to be determined, powerful, and even tough, if necessary." But it wasn't just their potency that drew her in, it was also the way they let their souls show through their music, totally exposed to the world for all to see. "Each of them also have a deep and beautiful vulnerability to both their music and their singing. That blend is what's always been magical to me," she explains.

With a fearless confidence of her own, Leigh set out to share herself with the world, taking two years to make sure Tonight, I'm Unchained painted a true picture of who she is. She wrote or co-wrote all of the songs, produced the album itself and even will be releasing it on her own label - Starfish Music (ECR Music Group).

"I've been surrounded by strong, independent women my whole life," Bari shared. "I'm not about to not be one of them."

Leigh added a final touch to her debut that shows she is as smart as she is strong and independent. She brought in veteran producer Blake Morgan, who has had five albums in the Top 20 simultaneously, to mix and master the release. Morgan spoke highly of Bari, saying, "Bari has just the kind of defiant, independent spirit that I love to see and hear in an emerging artist. This is a record well-worth paying attention to."

Smart, strong, independent, talented, beautiful and spirited - Bari Leigh isn't just a triple threat - she is a wonderful representation of a new chapter in country music that finds newcomers like Natalie Stovall and The Drive, Lindsay Eli, and, of course, Bari Leigh, joining the ranks of powerful female artists like Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, and Carrie Underwood. This may be the year of "bro-country," but don't count the ladies out. Bari is unchaining a huge talent and heart that will help shine a little more light on the beautiful ladies of country music.

Tags

Dolly Parton, Natalie Stovall and The Drive, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood