Before moving to Chattanooga in 2020, Alva Leigh was half of the London folk duo Lewis & Leigh.
They toured all over Europe and played before some impressive crowds.
“I think my favorite gig was when I was 37 weeks pregnant,” she said, “and I tried to trick the crew at Royal Albert Hall into thinking I was going into labor.”
You’ve probably heard the name Royal Albert Hall, the 5,000-seat concert hall in the heart of London that’s hosted performances from the Beatles, the Stones, Bowie, Floyd, and Frank Sinatra.
Motherhood brought a host of changes for Alva Leigh. She moved to Chattanooga, and put music on the backburner as she raised two kids. While she wasn’t performing or releasing music, she continued to write.
And now in 2025 she has a complete album to share. A handful of the songs, including Birthday Girl, are already available online.
“I wrote it when I was pregnant with my oldest,” she said. “It’s a song about how I think baby showers are weird. Before the baby is born, everyone loves to talk about all the fun things that are going to happen, but then as soon as the baby comes, you’re really tired and lonely and everyone just seems to disappear.”
She describes the album as an “emotional tumble dryer” and found the creative process to be cathartic. “It was fun to have something to work on for myself, and not to disappear into taking care of kids.”
And while her kids have heard her music, she says they’d much rather listen to songs from their favorite Disney Channel shows. “And then a little part of me dies,” she laughs.
In addition to releasing her album, Alva Leigh is returning to live performances. She recently opened for Call Me Spinster at their sold out Songbirds concert. And while she thinks of herself primarily as a keys player, she has acquired a baritone ukulele and hopes to incorporate that into her set.
If you want to see Alva Leigh live, she’s performing along with Catherine Campbell at the Woodshop Listening Room on Saturday April 12th. Dixon Blake Callhan will play a DJ set while the Woodshop’s new owners serve up BBQ. Doors open at 5, music starts at 7, and there is a $10 cover charge.