After visiting New York as a kid, Shayna Leigh, singer,
songwriter and actress fell in love with the city. “I instantly felt like this was where I was
meant to be,” said Shayna. Originally
from Orlando, she moved to New York for college and has never left. “I love the energy of the city, and I really
do think if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. At the same time, I have also found New
Yorkers to be some of the kindest, most helpful, no nonsense people around, and
I like to consider myself one of them,” said Shayna.
As a Universal
Music Group recording artist she released her debut album, Drive, in July 2015. The ten
pop driven tracks include organic, traditional elements mixed with modern
electronic elements and were co-written by Shayna. “I’m inspired by people who are kind, strong,
and stubborn. I’m inspired by people who
are faced with seemly insurmountable obstacles and manage to overcome them,”
said Shayna. She has always been a person
who has kept a journal and free writes, which has helped her make the
transition to songwriting.
Since
moving to New York, Shayna has had the opportunity to open for notable artists
such as Howie Day and Sister Hazel. She
has also released two EPs previous to Drive,
called The Cold Hard Truth and the Dream
and Hey Shayna Leigh. In the entertainment business there isn’t
much that can replace hard work. “Hard
work is the foundation to success. You
need to find a way to work hard and simultaneously make sure you are enjoying
your life,” said Shayna.
No two
days have been the same since Shayna started her musical journey in the big
city. One day she could be headed to a
songwriting session, the next day she could be recording in studio or filming a
video. “I think it is really easy when
you’re pursuing a career in the entertainment industry to try to fit yourself
into a mold that you think will make you more successful. I have found that to be incredibly
detrimental to both my artistry and my ability to make progress in my career. It’s important to work hard and listen to the
advice of mentors and other musicians you trust, but also I believe you must
try to stay true to the beat of your own drummer,” said Shayna.
A few
of her musical heroes she takes notes from include: the Beatles, Carole King,
Freddie Mercury as well as some of the female powerhouses such as; Pat Benatar,
Heart, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, and
Adele. “I think studying so many
different artists I learned the value of individuality. I learned about power and stage presence and
vocal nuance. I learned the importance
of making my music my own.” said Shayna.
In continuing to apply what she’s
learned from some of the greats, she’s recently finished a new EP of five songs
called Disaster Artist. “I’m going out to Los Angeles to film the
music videos for each of the songs.
After that, I plan to focus my energies on releasing the videos and
touring and making more music! I’m
really pumped for 2017, I must say!”
Follow Shayna Leigh on:
Twitter:
@heyshaynaleigh
Instagram:
heyshaynaleigh
Facebook:
@ShaynaLeighOfficial
Visit Shayna Leigh’s website at www.shaynaLeigh.com. You can watch her videos and download her
music from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play or stream it on Spotify.
