Leigh-Chantelle on music

Written by the wonderful Australian author and poet, Adam J Murray

Through song Leigh-Chantelle is in search of a better world. Not a fantasy utopia created by fictitious lyrics but a call to action of our kind, a reuniting of our races and cultures to stand together no longer in apathy but strength.

Leigh-Chantelle’s music seeks to reach to the core of humanity, to reawaken us to an earlier time before fundamentalism prejudices and corporate madmen, warmongers and rampart industrialism. Its roots lie in the ancient resonation that is the core of us all, that deep internal rhythm that moves with the tide, with the wind stirred leaves, with the rising of a new dawn.

She hopes to bridge the widening gap between our own organic spirituality and the continuing distancing animal consciousness shared by all in the animal kingdom, not an appreciation of our natural environment but a deep reverence of it as we feel it stir within us with each breath.

Her songs encourage liberation, contemplation and action, each note rising higher to form a crescendo of activism, of self-appreciation and most of all life.

At a time when the world is sinking in a tsunami of media propaganda, corporate logos, junk food, mind-jarring television advertisements and pollution Leigh-Chantelle hopes that we will turn our backs on what is being force fed to us and dine on the heart and soul that is the banquet of her music and spoken word. Remaining independent and grassroots to bring to the people what they are truly hungry for, something real and tangible, something to believe in.

So many people on this planet that do not live in a western society face oppression, war, disease, torture and starvation and Leigh-Chantelle recognising the power of her freedom being a woman in a democratic western society uses it to its full potential standing tall above ignorance and apathy to bring not just her message but the message of those others underprivileged, of the struggle of the animals and the beating heart of the earth to all she touches through song. Music, where each person learns a bit more about the way we humans interact and feel and live and dream.
Leigh-Chantelle tries to inspire people with whatever she does, leading by action and example, encouraging others to search through the media manipulations and hold something organic and real. She writes songs from the heart and soul, possessing lyrics that encourage others to express themselves despite their situation, culture, race or religion.

Her words are political, inspirational and comment on social justice issues, she’s a spokesperson for animal rights and for individual experience and emotion, not so removed from individual soul to neglect bringing personal torment to her music and the beating of her own heart.

It’s a fundamental for Leigh-Chantelle to keep her music publicly assessable, giving it to the community where, through her own experiences within the community, the music has truly come from.

She has no grand delusions of being a rock star, but simply is here on this earth to educate and be educated and knows that through her music she is reaching people and achieving the equilibrium she is seeking within.

It’s a strand that she attempts to pull through us all, linking us together as one people united in action and activism under the banner of her voice.

Her two biggest influences are Dar Williams and Ani DiFranco.
Both advocates in the way women are always trying to compete against one another and through song finding the strength to rise above this.
Leigh-Chantelle has a core respect for lyrics and words and intellectualising situations, feelings and emotions. She loves Ani’s song through this, her ability to put this all together to a great beat of music and breath.

Leigh-Chantelle’s ultimate goal is creating and maintaining a successful independent label and business that still holds the highest of ethics and morals, not succumbing to major label intervention. A label that is more than just song, a label that is a touchstone that inspires normal people to achieve powerful positive change.

 

Digging up a Lost Recording of Leigh-Chantelle, the Seductive Vegan Diva of Logan City, Australia

by Tim Badrick, 21 January 2012

If i didn't think this girl was completely wasting her talent as a singer and was not a damn good singer to begin with then i wouldn't be too bothered to write this, because she seems to be quite happy now living a different life away from music. Leigh-Chantelle, who is now better known around australia as being a passionate leader of the vegan movement who dedicates all her time to spreading the gospel of animal liberation and her opposition to the farming of animals for human consumption on behalf of the vegan movement at large, is definitely a better singer than most of them who get on Australian Idol and a better singer than even she believes she is, if her exit from the music scene before her career ever even began is any indication.

Through the grapevine, i did know Leigh-Chantelle before i ever knew about her involvement in the vegan movement, she worked down at JB Hi-Fi where i use to buy my CD's and coincidently we did get to know each other personally a little bit. When i offered to help out Leigh-Chantelle with leaflets a couple of years ago for her Green Earth Day advertising, she gave me a mini CD she had recorded with the guitarist named Doug De Jong, basically it's an EP containing five acoustic songs. In very amateurish style, the CD is titled WHAT REMAINS, it is really home made looking, in fact the CD package is plain white cardboard with a black and white photocopied photo of her and De Jong on the front, it doesn't get any more primitive than this, the CD itself is just a burned disc. But as they say, dont judge a book by its cover, Leigh-Chantelle sings good enough to turn her own ordinary lyrics into very soulful rendentions which certainly are better than just decent, her pitch is not altogether unlike Pat Benatar and Madonna, albeit not so impacting.