Ava Leigh

Notable as the first—and likely only—reggae vocalist to emerge from Chester, England, Ava Leigh captivated a skeptical music press through the genuine textures of her first full-length release. Hayley Carline, who entered the world in 1986, absorbed a steady stream of lovers rock and ska from her mother’s record shelves during childhood. A holiday talent show revealed her vocal potential, prompting her to enroll in the school choir and jazz ensemble. She turned down her parents’ suggestion of stage school, preferring to chart her own course, and soon secured representation from 141a Management. Early demos presented to labels leaned toward R&B, yet a pivotal introduction by manager Raymond Stevenson to the Abu Shanti Sound System steered her firmly toward reggae. An encounter with the A&R executive who had signed Jamiroquai led to a contract with Virgin Records and the start of album sessions. The resulting tracks, shaped alongside Nick Manasseh, Future Cut (Lily Allen), and Feng Shui, took shape in an eclectic array of locations: a garden shed in Glastonbury, a basement facility in Brixton, and the storied Harry J’s studio in Kingston, Jamaica, where Sly & Robbie contributed. Drawing from the legacies of Marcia Griffiths and Dennis Brown, Turned on Underground appeared in 2008, spotlighting the singles “La La La” and “Mad About the Boy” alongside the Finley Quaye duet “After Tonight.”