Kieran Leigh is the third out of four children, and sister of movie Director, Peter Segal. Born in Manhattan, NY as Kieran Leigh Segal, her first generation American father, of Russian roots, found his way working in show business during the heyday at MGM, and her English born mother, of Irish decent, was a Top Ten fashion model. She recalls, "My earliest memory was of Cecelia (Simon and Garfunkel) on the stereo as we drove through NYC. It is such a unique song, harmonies that pop in and out of nowhere building on each other, and a truly unique array of percussion. I loved it. That’s when I recall wanting to be able to make music.” They soon, moved to Southern Califronia where her sister used to play Elton John and Pink Floyd“…which then lead me to Zeppelin. As I grew up, I had discovered that they borrowed from the blues, so, I soused out Robert Johnson. His vocal phrasing and guitar playing sucked me in. He told a tale that got everyone’s attention with as little as a three-chord progression. He wasn’t polished nor pretty, but played and sang with unbelievable soul – what a guitarist. The Doors brought me to Morrison who brought me to Nietzsche, existentialism and the thought of eternal recurrence. I became more attracted to complex music, jazz and classical. Then, Phish, because they are irreverent, Dave Matthews, MMW, Radiohead, in terms of bands on the periphery of mainstream rock. My dad frequently had something like a Rhapsody In Blue blaring, or Ella with her incredible vocal abilities cooing us with Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off, or, Louis singing A Foggy Day, and naturally Chet with The Thrill is gone. My dad really helped shape my musical interest.”

After the end of a relationship in 2004, Kieran began her first album. “I suppose I was in a bit of a dark spot, and the only inspiration came from expressing it. The best thing I could do was to try to lift myself back up, as we need to when there is a set back. Now, all my life I have dreamed music, but at that point I began to hear vivid full-length songs - melody, instrumental parts, lyrics and all. More out of curiosity I started working them out because they were so fantastic in my head – I mean, when they come in, they are broadcast via a pristine, pure, heaven-like stereo system." About three weeks later, I had twenty songs. I gave them to a friend of mine, Jeff Gerst, and he, unbeknownst to me, brought them to a producer friend of his, Andrew Shapiro. Andrew called me and said, 'I want to make and album with you.' That was a life turning moment for me. We made the The Ep, consisting of 5 songs. Then, the ball was rolling. The songs kept coming to me, so I kept making them."

Under The Big Top is Leigh's second effort. The album is intimate, personal, and the kaleidoscopic images that come to mind make it eccentrically offbeat yet completely consuming, drudging the bottom of internal emotions, only to lift us back up to a point of inspiration.

By - Maria Allen
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