Jessica Leigh wants to be a star (don’t we all?) and based on her new EP, she’s well on her way to getting there.
Leigh, a rising star of Aotearoa indie-pop, released I WANNA BE A STAR last week, and the EP made it into our ANZ best-of music roundup (listen below).
I WANNA BE A STAR is Leigh’s first EP since 2023, three long years ago, and taking the necessary time between those releases allowed her to return with “my most confident self represented in music.”
The record follows a busy period of career growth for Leigh, including being mentored by producer Liam Quinn (Peach PRC, Ruel) and Grammy-nominated Adrian Breakspear (Gang of Youths). The glossy, confident collection was recorded across Big Fan Studios and Mother’s Room Studios in Tāmaki Makaurau Aukland.
Leigh couldn’t contain her excitement about her EP on social media.
“FIRST EP IN 3 YEARS 🌟 FIRST EP AS A SELF-PRODUCING ARTIST 🌟 FIRST EP THAT I AM GENUINELY SO PROUD OF TOP TO BOTTOM 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 MADE ACROSS THE TWO GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD, AUCKLAND & NYC,” she wrote in an Instagram post on release day last week.
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Bouncing back and forth between New Zealand and New York City, she travelled to the latter city twice in 2024 for writing camps and collaborations. It was on one of these trips that she penned EP standout “I Know You Want Me” alongside Alex Marko (Del Water Gap, Meg Smith). Watch the accompanying music video for the track below.
Leigh’s EP makes her stand out on her own, but she’s also been busy working behind the scenes as a producer, building a portfolio supporting other female and LGBTQIA+ artists.
Once named an artist to watch by us in 2024, Leigh now features in our In My Room series — watch her stunning session in full above.
Jessica Leigh’s I WANNA BE A STAR EP is out now.
