Contributed by Amanda Long
Odie Leigh’s debut album, Carrier Pigeon, is a candid exploration of growing up in your twenties told through beautiful harmonies and guitar rhythms.
The indie-folk singer-songwriter grew up around music, participating in her church choir while living in southern Louisiana. Her path to making music as a career, however, was not something she expected. Originally studying film in college, Leigh shares that she didn’t have the confidence to share her music with the public. However, after a bet between her roommates, she posted a video of a song she wrote on TikTok that went on to go viral.
Leigh embraced this newfound momentum and started writing music seriously.
Carrier Pigeon album cover. All rights reserved.
Her first EP, How Did It Seem To You?, was released in 2022, followed by her next EP, The Only Thing Worse Than a Woman Who Lies Is A Girl Who'll Tell Truths, the next year. This July, Leigh released her first full LP,Carrier Pigeon.
The album is a natural evolution of her artistry, featuring more textured production while still allowing her anecdotal lyrics to shine. The album title comes from the idea that the messages and people she discusses in her music most likely won’t hear these songs until months or years after they are written. It’s like a pigeon carrying letters across a vast amount of space, or in this case, time. As Leigh stated in her press release via independent record label Mom + Pop Music, “This album is the carrier pigeon and the songs are the messages.”
Throughout the record, Odie Leigh utilizes her classic storytelling style of writing to discuss themes of insecurity, budding attraction, and unrequited love. While the second track, “Already (On My Mind)” is one of the most upbeat songs on the album, filled with horns and sparkling piano accents, the lyrics detail a more nuanced exploration of falling in love. With lyrics like, “I wonder if you wonder who/will f**k it up this time,” and “I’m not known for being good/at letting things go right,” Leigh depicts how the excitement of a new crush can often also be laced with personal uncertainty.
“No Doubt” serves as a response to the initial anxieties of the previous songs. Paralleling the chorus of horns from “Already (On My Mind),” the lyrics of this track are a bit more confident. As the song builds, Leigh sings, “I'm not too good at being subtle or acting unimpressed/I'm always worried that I come off too foolish self-obsessed/But when I'm with you I'm just closer to, closer to/So close to what I want to be, I wanna be.” The entirety of this verse represents the more positive side of falling in love, one where meeting someone can also help you grow and learn to love yourself, despite the initial wariness.
Photo of Odie Leigh. All rights reserved.
While the production is more developed throughout the majority of the album, Leigh goes back to the acoustic roots of her past releases on tracks like “Party Trick” and “Idiom.” The stripped-down production combined with Odie Leigh’s arguably most vulnerable lyrics on the record, it feels as if the listener is in the same room as Leigh when she plays these songs. Lyrics like “And I don't have many friends anymore/Who don't seem to view me like some pawn on chess board” (“Party Trick”) or “Cause I'm too much like my mother/I'm insecure/Always looking for someone to want me more” (“Idiom”) let people inside of Leigh’s internal struggles as she grows into adulthood. These types of tracks are what draw many fans into Leigh’s work – her honest storytelling puts feelings into words that many may not be able to express on their own.
The relationship that Leigh has already built with her fans extends beyond the album itself into her live performances and merchandise choices. In a recent interview with Eat Your Own Ears where she discussed performing live and touring, one fan commented, “I thought it was so special when you asked our names, especially at the intimate venue where it already felt like we were all friends!” It's evident that Leigh prioritizes connecting with her fans when she performs; the idea of feeling like a “friend of Odie” is prominent throughout her writing style, online interactions, and in-person community.
Her most recent merch release in conjunction with Carrier Pigeon further illustrates Leigh’s clear understanding of her fans’ interests. The two bundles available in her store feature vinyl, postcards, and stickers along with either a pigeon crochet pattern or a customizable t-shirt with markers. The ability for fans to personalize their merch into something that reflects both their personality and Leigh’s music distinctly reflects the artistic, DIY nature of her music and surrounding fan community.
Odie Leigh merchandise. All rights reserved.
Odie Leigh is the modern folk artist that Gen Z needs, exploring adventures and mistakes, loves and losses, and other layered stories that 20-somethings can deeply connect with. Heartbreakingly relatable with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout, Carrier Pigeon has further projected Odie Leigh into a dedicated and ever-growing fanbase.
Check out her website here for the full list of U.S. tour dates for her upcoming Carrier Pigeon tour this fall.
