We like to highlight success stories of our members whenever we can and no one has had a bigger 12 months than one of our founding members, singer-songwriter Kelli-Leigh. Already established as one of the UK’s most prolific unsigned performers, Kelli-Leigh started the year as the vocalist on the Bingo Players top ten smash ”Cry Just A Little” and followed that by touring with Adele as one of her backing vocalists in the UK, Europe and US. Kelli performed alongside Adele at The Grammys and The Brits and also features on the best selling Adele: Live At The Royal Albert Hall DVD. We’ve included a clip below of ”If It Hadn’t Been For Love”

For further information about Kelli please visit her website

http://www.kellileigh.com/

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

KELLI LEIGH ”MISSING YOU”

Missing You – Kelli-Leigh by KelliLeigh

After the fantastic reception to her recent London shows at Water Rats & Pop Revue, dynamic singer/songwriter Kelli Leigh is back with new track ”Missing You”. The track was written by Kelli and produced at Arcadium Studios (www.arcadiumstudios.com).

For footage of Kelli working at Arcadium, her recent photo shoot and why Sting is a bit weird, click here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5iGl5G20cI

MISSING YOU was written in memory of a family member that passed away however Kelli believes the track is adaptable. As she states, “This song was very specific to me when I wrote it but it’s not a sad song, it’s a reminder of how important that person was in your life”.

MISSING YOU is a taster to Kelli’s forthcoming EP release which will be due later in the year.

Currently on tour with Adele in the USA, Kelli is back in the UK at the end of June 2011 to put the finishing touches to her debut EP. She will also be appearing alongside Cage The Elephant and CSS at Lodestar Festival in Cambridge on Friday 2nd September 2011.

“I’m really looking forward to putting my music out there. I love working with Arcadium Studios who are adding a whole new dimension to my sound. I also can’t wait to get back with my amazing band for some live UK dates especially my slot at Lodestar”

To find out more about Kelli Leigh please visit her website
http://www.kellileigh.com/

http://twitter.com/kellileighvocal
http://soundcloud.com/kellileigh/sets
http://www.youtube.com/kellileighhd

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

We had the privilege of being invited to see the world dominating Adele live at The Olympia Theatre in Dublin last night courtesy of one of our members, singer-songwriter Kelli Leigh. Kelli is accompanying Adele as her one of her backing vocalists for the UK, European and US leg of the 21 tour so when she called us up to ask if we would like to come & see them in action, well it would have just been rude to say no.

A crowd of adoring fans started gathering outside the venue around 2pm that afternoon on the off chance they might catch a glimpse of their idol. Also lurking around were numerous touts who were apparently hawking tickets for up to 1000 euros, indication of how popular the girl with the big voice from South London has become.

Opening the show was folk/roots music/soul singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka (http://www.myspace.com/mikeksongs) who’s recent signing to Polydor marks him out as a talent to watch. Accompanied only by a guitarist, Michael had the crowd eating out of his hands with a slew of soulful numbers. We had the chance to meet Michael briefly after the gig where he was meeting and greeting fans and he told us how happy he was to play to such a receptive crowd. A proper gent.

Adele took to the stage around 9.15 opening the show with Hometown Glory. Miles, her ridiculously talented MD and pianist, was first on stage with only Adele’s voice booming across the auditorium to nothing short of hysteria from the crowd. As always with her shows it’s not about the spectacle, it’s about the performance. The show, brilliantly constructed by lighting & sound designers, had enough subtle flourishes (Set The Fire to the Rain set against flashing orange glows) to engage the eye. Typically Adele’s banter & self deprecating wit provided the perfect balance to the throat tightening, heartbreaking pathos she conjures with numbers like Turning Tables, Don’t You Remember and Someone Like You.

The highlight of the show was reserved for the finale with Rolling in the Deep. Adele instructed the crowd that she would sing, her backing vocalists (the superb Kelli Leigh & Bobbi Gordon) would do their bit then the crowd. Turned out to be quite fruitless as the crowd sang every single word anyway, nearly blowing the roof off the Olympia. Adele’s joy at this reaction was one of those magic gig moments, she jumped on the spot squealing with delight. For a set with so many sombre songs, it’s quite a testament to Miss Adkins that she sends every audience member away with a spring in their step. A special mention must also go to the terrific musicians her and her label have assembled for this tour, a genuine pleasure to watch & listen to them all in action.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

UK Music Jobs are happy to announce that we have teamed up with one of London’s top PR companies to host a live night of the most exciting emerging music acts in the UK & US.

Monday 28th February 2011
@ The Water Rats
328 Grays Inn Rd, Kings Cross, London WC1X 8BZ
iVienna
Kelli Leigh
Luke Rathborne
Doors: 7.00pm – 10.30pm
Tickets: £4.00 if you click here and buy online. More on the door.
Facebook Event page

The ridiculously prolific Luke Rathborne has only existed on this earth for a mere 22 years, and has already found himself with a body load of work. His heavenly but haunting melodies and tales will leave you reawakened to a sound and intimacy that surpasses artists twice his age. The US singer/songwriter’s self-titled debut EP is out on March 7th. It features members of Anthony And The Johnsons as his backing band & prompted Lauren Laverne to describe the 22-year old as ”your new favourite hipster”.

Former Brit School student, singer/songwriter Kelli-Leigh is a fusion of rock, pop, soul & funk. She’s performed all over the world & more recently with Adele in both the UK & Europe including a stunning performance on Radio 1′s Live Lounge. Kelli’s incredible voice and star quality has resulted in critically acclaimed shows at Indigo 02 , Embassy and The Station Sessions.
BREAKING NEWS – It has just been announced that Kelli Leigh will be joining Adele on her UK, European and North American tour as her backing vocalist. Monday 28th February will be Kelli’s last live UK date with her band (including one of the UK’s most sensational female drummers) before she heads off on tour.

iVienna are four young lads whose epic soar-away choruses and anthemic tunes have already seen them escape their Bournemouth roots and start to create a real buzz within the music industry. With comparisons to Arcade Fire and Editors and a new single (recorded at Abbey Road Studios) on the way in March, it’s clear 2011 is going to be the year IVienna leave their mark on the UK music scene. As a treat to their fans, new and old, you can head over to their Soundcloud page and download the brilliant single ‘Exertion’ for free.

IVienna – Exertion by IVienna

Make sure you don’t miss out on what promises to be a spectacular show on Monday February 28th 2011 at Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross. We are limited for space so to avoid disappointment please ensure you book in advance.

Advance tickets are a recession busting £4 per person & you can purchase them by clicking here

MUSIC JOBS GIVEAWAY!
You can also be in with a chance of winning 5 pairs of tickets, if you simply email uk-info@music-jobs.com by 5:30pm on Thursday (24th Feb).

We look forward to seeing you on Monday 28th February.

UK Music Jobs & The Cult PR Teams

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

Kelli is a professional songstress, she gigs, backs and does session work for any number of people, including Blaze Blackheart, (an artist we featured on this blog last month), and teaches youngsters to sing.

Her most lucrative work to date has been with the High on Heels tour. Which takes a collective of uber- talented female musicians, DJs and vocalists and sends them to perform at gigs and corporate events around the world. Kelli’s been incredibly fortunate over the past year to have had the opportunity to visit a massive number of countries, both near and far. The high point being a trip to Macau, where Chinese new money paid for the girls to live in high style for the duration of their trip, returning home to Croydon happened, said Kelli, “With a bit of a bump”.

And it’s that bump which she might just be able to avoid in future. She’s just engaged the services of a new manager, and is making serious moves to launch her solo career. Since the spring she’s been spending hours holed up with her guitarist and writing partner Kier Moore, and has developed a impressive set of tracks that show off her spectacular vocal range. Her voice lends itself to a range of styles, from Ibizaesque dance (she’s been mistaken, vocally and visually for Kelly Rowland) to hip-hop flavours, and I’ve seen her perform them all. But without a doubt, her dulcet tones are most suited to the rock/funk fusion that she’s currently performing.

Right now she’s trying her best to get noticed by the industry, and believe me when I say it’s working, but what she wants is to be recognised as an artist who’s not running with the rest of the pack. Vocally, she’s got the grit of Alexandra Burke and a range that could rival Whitney (pre “troubles”). However Kelli’s lyrics also stick out from the crowd, her music, most of which she’s either written or co-written, is authentic, soulful, empowering. It’s spirit, if not its sound, is evocative of early Mary J Blige.

She does without a lot of the modern accoutrements that have allowed so much of today’s “talent” to become successful, it’s her and her band. It’s the sort of music that could have been made in an age before the advent of the mobile phone, and it’s all the stronger for it.

I’m of the opinion that anyone can play a stadium, but that it takes true talent to win over an intimate venue, and Kelli’s voice, and the strength of her material, allow her to do just that.

She’s fortunate to have a supremely talented & loyal band made up of some of the UK’s finest session musicians. You can see from her performances just how tight they are, and how much faith they have in Kelli, and this translates into a performance that’s nothing short of spine-tingling. It also means that she never has (and she hopes she never will) end up on stage with a backing track, these performances are about as real as you’ll find.

This year has seen quite a change for Kelli. Before 2010 she was performing with Butchered Beats, a fusion of collective that focussed on dance, soul, chill, jazz and funk. Since then she’s given herself “a kick up the bum” and has developed her website www.kellileigh.com and those tracks I’ve been talking about. Right now she’s  working on perfecting the recordings of the three newest tracks in her repository, Dicmatised, Caught by the Reins and the soaring I Am Here, a lyrical excuse me to the music industry, but evoking feelings we can all relate to. One of these is likely to be her debut single, and she’s testing the water with each of them at various showcases and events.

Trust us when we say Kelli-Leigh is one to watch, And you don’t need to take our humble word for it. Raj Rudolph of influential music blog Electroqueer has been plugging Kelli on his blog, and (Boy) George O’Dowd has also given her a boost through Twitter. Were that not enough, Kelli has been providing backing vocals for the magnificent Adele, herself a lady who takes music back to it’s roots, at The Royal Variety Performance, various UK & European TV appearances and Radio 1 Live Lounge. Listen out for the backing vocals on live performances of Rolling in the Deep to hear Kelli in action.

http://soundcloud.com/kellileigh/i-am-here-full-band-mix-by-kelli-leigh-and-keir-moore

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

The Station Sessions is a unique and original idea where the most talented, emerging artists from across the globe get the opportunity to perform sets in St. Pancras International. Last night we headed down to see what all the fuss is about. We are so happy we did as we had the pleasure of seeing up & coming singer/songwriter Kelli-Leigh perform a remarkable set of original material. As an added bonus she threw in a cover of Skunk Anansie’s ”Hedonism” so brilliantly executed it could easily be released as a single tomorrow.

A fusion of pop, rock and soul, Kelli took to the stage to a mixed crowd of curious commuters, families waiting for the Eurostar and assorted station workers. By the time she had finished singing her first track, the crowd had doubled. By the middle of the 2nd track, she had everyone eating out of her hand. She has a big, powerful voice but she’s learnt to control it beautifully delivering clear lyrics with an impressive vocal range that resonates deeply but never overwhelms. This all works so well because of her winning combination of sincerity and star quality. Her original material is of a similar vein to P!nk, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift so essentially up tempo ballads with attitude. Kelli has the looks, she has the music and my god she has the voice.

Special mention for the brand new track she performed called ”I Am Here” co-written with her seriously talented guitarist Keir Moore. It’s a terrific song and one that if properly handled could be her breakout single.

http://www.kellileigh.com/

The Station Sessions website list all their upcoming gigs & we highly recommend checking it out. If you sign up they will also send you a free track each week.

http://www.stationsessions.com/

Photographs courtesy of Max Knight – WWW.MAXKNIGHTPHOTO.COM

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

LIVE GIG REVIEW

ARTIST – Kelli-Leigh

VENUE –  The Regal Rooms, Hammersmith

Its a rare thing to be invited along to gig (especially acoustic) in a small venue and have the pleasure of witnessing something really special. Well I’m delighted to report thats exactly what happened to the Music Jobs team last night at The Regal Rooms in Hammersmith.

Kelli-Leigh is a 24yr old singer/songwriter from Croydon who previously sang in a band called ‘KI’ and collaborates with up and coming DJ/Producer Butcherd Beats most notably at this years Great Escape Festival.  Her bio is impressive having written & performed with the likes of Leona Lewis, Katie Melua, Luke Pritchard of the Kooks and Daniel Bedingfield.  Last nights show however was all about the little lady with the huge voice and boy did she take advantage of the opportunity.

Kicking off with the infectious ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Mind’ and accompanied by the excellent Ryan Haberfield ( with whom she shares fantastic chemistry) on guitar any sign of pre-show nerves where lost the minute she opened her mouth and the astonishing array of notes came flooding out.  With natural charm and like-ability beaming from the stage Kelli moved on to the poignant ballad ‘Thru The Storm’.  You could literally hear a pin drop throughout (even the really annoying, drunk guy by the bar kept his trap shut).  A stunning, controlled vocal performance.

Next up was ‘Smiling At You’ a track about how social networking sites can cause some people to suffer with amnesia.  As the lady herself declared this one’s a ‘little edgier’.  Rockier vocals and a diva stance remiscient of Pink soon any thoughts of us witnessing a one trick pony were dispelled.

For the fifth number ’Just Want You’ the baby grand piano tucked away at the back of the stage was put to use.  By no means a bad song this was the least lyrically memorable of the set despite her more than competent skills tinkling the ivories and sublime vocals.

For the finale she stripped it right back to perform ‘Missing You’.  This track is the one getting the most attention from listeners and fans alike and you can tell its one that resonates deeply with her.  The throat tightening pathos in which she delivers each note and lyric draws you in and doesn’t let go until the final strum on the guitar. Tears were shed my friends.

It wasn’t only the emergence of a terrific solo singer last night but an outstanding musical talent that has worked hard on perfecting her craft.  It might be leveled that her songs are a little traditional (especially in the current climate of GaGa, La Roux & Little Boots etc) but who cares!  Kelli tells stories in her own way and delivers them with a voice that is simply world class.

http://www.myspace.com/kellileighhd

***** (5 out of 5)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed

Welcome to our new series of Q&A’s with music professionals from all walks of the industry. The idea of this series is to provide you with advice and insights into working in the UK Music Industry.

This interview is with singer/songwriter Kelli-Leigh Henry Davila lead singer of the band ‘KI’. 22 year old Kelli is an accomplished vocalist and trained at the renowned Brit School alongside Leona Lewis, Katie Meula and Luke Pritchard of The Kooks. In this interview Kelli tells us how she finds working in the UK music industry and her advice/tips on how to survive.

Q1. What made you want to get into the music industry??

I don’t remember how old I was when I specifically said to myself I want to be a professional singer but my family are very musical. My uncle is a professional drummer, my other uncle is a professional singer and my mum is a singer/songwriter amongst other artistic skills. So I grew up quite musical, and I would love to sing along and dance to; I think it was Eternal at the time and try and hit all the high belts that Easther Bennett would sing.

Q2. How did you begin your career in music?

I started after I left school. I had started helping other younger students with their voices for upcoming shows and I kind of got a knack for it and started as an assistant to a singing teacher, which then developed into me becoming a professional singing teacher myself. I then met my other half and in doing original material gigs this managed to manifest into doing paid gigs, realising I could also do covers very well, began getting bookings for bars, clubs, weddings and more.

Q3. What was your first experience of success in the industry and how did you build on it?

Mmmm, this is a difficult question as in my eyes I haven’t had the industry success that I desire, but in terms of basic working within the music industry I suppose I am very successful. I do music full time, as a teacher and doing gigs, function bands, private events, my own band bookings, session work and now co-own my own disco company with my partner IBP Music…which is now doing very well.

Q4. How has networking with other musicians and in the music business helped you?

Networking is a weird but often wonderful thing. But I think it’s a little bit different then going up to someone and saying ..’what do you do?…oh well you can book me for this then’. Its getting to know other people in the industry and being honestly yourself with them and if you make a friendly connection then passing each other your details is great as you are going to remember and want to work or pass work to that someone you get on with and respect.

Q5. What sort of networking do you find the most effective for you?

I think its through doing gigs and meeting other musicians and singers. There you can get to know someone as a person but yet see their skills first hand. The worst thing is getting on with someone then putting them up for a gig that they are just not right for.

Q6. Are you a member of any music industry organisation or professional body and how has it helped you?

We are members of PPL as our company IBP Music is also a registered label. This enabled us to release our debut album independently. We also need to be members of MCPS AND PRS…infact I really need to that in a bit.

Q7. What would you recommend as the most effective method of breaking into the industry or gaining experience?

Make sure you are confident in your instrument or skill and that you know yourself and how you will cope in stressful and individual situations then go go go for it. If you want to be a professional singer then get some good demos, pictures and CV and apply for singing jobs you see on places like UK music jobs. Do backing vocals for other singers you may know. Get a repertoire together as with lots of function gigs you need to now a lot of songs (in my ones its mainly disco classics, pop and popular modern tracks) or basically get together covers that suit you …e.g- if you want to be a jazz singer, then you need to know your jazz standards! If you only want to do your own original material then there’s not much to suggest but go out and do live live live gigs and build your fanbase, but unfortunately until you hit it big, it may not pay your bills in the mean time.

Q8. What would you describe as the best thing about working in the industry?

I like being able to see the sun on a sunny day like today and managing my own time. The worst thing when I worked in an office job for half a year was the strictness of it. The early mornings and then the evenings being gone by the time you got home and had dinner, and not seeing the light of day especially in the summer! Also I am not very good and being told what to do unless in a music work situation…honestly it felt like a grown up version of being at school!

Q9. What’s the best bit of advice you have even been given about working in music?

Be honest and work hard. Don’t get a gig and then turn up not knowing their songs or be late on your first job, they will remember it and you wont get a 2nd job. In singing world…look after your voice, not only is this your prized possession if it goes, what singing work can you do?! Be versatile and smile a lot, it makes you happy and other people whom are looking at you. And if you do something wrong like mess up lyrics or sing bum notes, it happens to everyone just keep going and most importantly when you sing or play an instrument or produce or DJ etc.. have fun that’s why you started doing it the first place right?!

Q10. Who do you admire most in the industry?

There are a lot of artist I love and really like but the people I admire are the ones that you probably don’t know. They are other musicians and artists I have met that work their backsides off getting further into their career and trying to reach their dream goal. I admire them!

For more information on Kelli-Leigh please view her UK Music Jobs profile by clicking here;
http://uk.music-jobs.com/fview1.php?uid=634044&type=&start=&position=0&search_uid=&uploads=

For more information on ‘KI’ please click visit their website;
www.myspace.com/worldki

For more information on ‘IBP Music’ please visit their website;

http://www.ibpmusic.co.uk/

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed