“I’m in a good mood,” Odie Leigh beams to the captive crowd at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on last week after opening her set with “Accommodating,” the first track off her latest EP. One audience member cheers when Leigh sings the lyrics devised from the title of the EP, The Only Thing Worse Than A Woman Who Lies Is A Girl Who’ll Tell The Truth. It’s a mouthful of a title but fitting to Leigh’s off kilter approach to writing.
This is Leigh’s second performance in New York this year. When asking the audience who had been to the first, (a sold out Mercury Lounge set in April), there is a scattering of “woos.” She directs her attention to one of the louder calls, recognizing the person it came from, she expresses her memory of the fan. There’s a small and endearing back and forth before the fan asks if she can toss a ring she made for Odie onstage. With the consent of Leigh, the ring is flung, landing somewhere near the drum kit. She assures the fan she’ll grab the ring before heading out. It’s an intimate and heartening exchange that feels rare in the current concert climate.
The Louisiana native has had quite an impressive rise to notoriety in the past three years. Picking up a guitar as a 2020 quarantine pastime, there was no way of telling, in just three years, she would become one of the brightest new stars in folk music.
She plays the earliest songs she wrote and unreleased ones from the upcoming album, due out in 2024. Hearing all of her work together, I’m struck by how quickly Leigh has grown into a distinct writer. She’s developed a storytelling voice that invites change and growth, while remaining reflective. She utilizes her own experiences of the South as a canvas to paint scenes of loneliness, womanhood in the patriarchy, and toxic relationships. Her tone and drawl lend to the authenticity of her lyrics, often singing in the context of small-town americana, she’s creating folk music that feels relevant and honest.
Odie Leigh holds herself with the air of a seasoned performer. I have to continuously remind myself that she’s only been in the game for three years. Her presence onstage is inviting and bold, curating the perfect vibe to let loose. There are plenty of times throughout the set that she asks fans to sing along, creating an atmosphere that feels almost like a campfire jam session. She has enough control over her voice and her distinct guitar plucking that she’s able to play around with vocal runs, leaving no doubt that she’s an artist to watch.
With enough time to play nearly her entire discography, “Nine Lives” and the unreleased upcoming single, “No Doubt,” are standouts from the night. The addition of Leigh’s two bandmates, Joey Laborde on the upright bass and Ajaï on the drums and keys, elevate the experience of songs like “Chutes and Ladders” and “Double Shift.”
There were countless highlights throughout the show, but I find myself on the verge of tears at the end of the set, when Leigh once again invites fans to sing along, this time to the final track of her first EP, “Take Back.” All together, we sing about reclaiming our time from the grips of exes, parents, and school, caroling “I’m gonna take back some of my time” in a repetitive mantra. The crowd doesn’t want this healing practice to end, and it’s clear Leigh could go on all night.
She extended her gratitude, speaking and plucking her guitar, still to the tune of “Take Back.” She insists we chant together one last time, prompting us with the phrase “I love myself.” At her count of three the crowd erupted in self adoration. In a room primarily of young women, it’s clear how much power these words have and how much gratitude there is in the air.
Before stepping off the stage, she grabs the fan-made ring that had been waiting for her by the drum kit. With a final thank you, she’s off, leaving us all somehow lighter and fuller than we were just an hour ago.
Odie Leigh’s North American headlining tour continues into January 2024. See the full list of dates here.
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