Not everyone can say they truly, passionately love what they are doing for a living. For accomplished country artist, Sonia Leigh, it was apparent in a matter of minutes that her job is one of her most prized possessions. “What I do for a living is what I’d do even if I wasn’t getting paid,” explained Leigh. Born in Lakeland, Florida, Sonia traveled with her family a lot before ending up in Atlanta, Georgia. Music played a large role in her upbringing thanks to her surroundings and the talent wasn’t hard to come by in her family. Sonia’s fascination with music also grew thanks to her family’s presence in church where music was everything. “I never thought I was a good singer,” laughed Sonia. “I always loved writing constantly. It was my sister who sang.”
After settling in Georgia, the singer/songwriter knew the next step had to come to help her career. “I was always on the road anyways. All of my stuff was in storage.” Then in 2012, Sonia’s mother passed away. “Before you know it, life has passed you by. In her death, I knew what I had to do.” That’s when she packed up her belongings and took off to the Music City to embark on the next phase of her journey.
That journey has now led Sonia to being a household name on Sirius XM The Highway. Her independent release, ‘Put It In Your Pocket,’ was a Highway Find and first debuted June of 2014. The 36-year-old was thankful for KKGO out in Los Angeles, which was happy to give her single ample playing time. Listeners quickly wanted more from the spunky Sonia Leigh. Lucky for them, fans can hear her latest December release, ‘When We Are Alone,’ frequently played on satellite radio. “John Marks of The Highway has been so supportive of women in music,” Sonia raved. “There is a little dehydration of women in country.”
Sonia wants to quench the thirst for more women in country music. Her talented songwriting can be found in many other songs, including Zac Brown Band’s ‘Goodbye In Her Eyes’ and ‘Sweet Annie.’ You won’t catch Sonia writing anything that isn’t personal to her. Raw, romantic, and emotional were words she used to describe her songs. “It’s my two cents,” she added. “If it’s on my mind, it’s there. I try to figure out how I feel. There is absolutely a piece of me in every single song of mine. I have to relate. I think the best songs are when you have a connection to them.”
If you ask Sonia whether she prefers singing over songwriting or vice versa, you’ll hear a true musician’s answer. “They go hand-in-hand. I wouldn’t be satisfied with just one. It’s my outlet,” said Leigh. The easygoing artist prides herself on her eclectic genre. “I let the music speak for itself,” she explained. “I allow myself that freedom.”
You’re going to get a wide range of artists when Sonia talks about her favorites in the music industry. Anyone from Amos Lee and Sean Costello to The Judds and Delta Spirit make up her list. Talking about some of her favorite people to tour with, her response was quick. “Loretta Lynn. It was a dream come true to play with her in Atlanta at the Chastain Amphitheater.” Another favorite moment along the way came in Eric Church’s hometown of Granite Falls, North Carolina. Sonia joined him and Brantley Gilbert, where Church took the stage after the concert by himself, and played his old songs for the familiar crowd. Sonia continued to rave about Church saying, “I respect him so much.” Leigh didn’t want to leave out one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle for her career, Dean Dillon, when talking about her success. “He has been bringing me up, taking me under his wing,” admired Sonia. “He is the greatest songwriter ever.”
Most recently, the outspoken country singer played at the Mountain High Music Fest, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Crested Butte, Colorado. Sonia was joined by the likes of Lee Brice, Thompson Square, Brooke Eden, and Robert Earl Keen to name a few. Colorado was just a stop along the way of her busy road-life. The fun-loving Leigh has a lot on her plate for 2015, but she is welcoming it with open arms. It was recently announced that Sonia will be traveling to England for the Country 2 Country (C2C) Festival, a two-day concert on March 7th and 8th. She will be accompanying artists like Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, and Jason Aldean up on the big stage. “I am so excited about this year. To be a part of all of this, it feels like small victories starting to add up.”
Watch out country music world, Sonia Leigh is here.