Worship leader Chloe Leigh has released her debut album, Bloom, an 11-track collection of original worship songs produced with husband Jonathan.

“I have been singing for as long as I can remember,” said the Knysna resident. “Music was always something that came naturally to me.”

Growing up in Johannesburg, she took part in school concerts, choirs and eisteddfods whenever she had the chance. At 11, Leigh attended a vocal academy with one of South Africa’s well-known vocal coaches, Malie Kelly, where she trained until she was 13.

“I attribute much of my early vocal development to her training and the valuable input she had in my singing journey.”

At 15, Leigh became involved in worship ministry, which has shaped her as a singer over the past nine years.

“Leading worship has given me the opportunity not only to develop musically but also to discover what music means to me personally. Releasing my own original music has been a significant and exciting next step in that journey.”

The story behind Bloom

“Bloom is really the story of my journey of discovering Christ,” said Leigh. “The songs explore who Christ is in me and, in turn, who I am in Him. Each song carries something personal from that journey, which makes this album very close to my heart.”

Bloom is an 11-track album, with 10 original songs and a cover song that has meant a lot to her, and has been independently released and produced. Her husband Jonathan, whom she married last year, he has been involved in music production and sound engineering for his own music for well over a decade.

He served as the producer and engineer of the songs, which Leigh penned. Together they created the album with the resources they had available, which makes the finished project even more meaningful.

“Until then I never really saw myself as a songwriter. I always wanted to sing and had songs that would flow from my heart, but not necessarily for an album.”

However, towards the end of last year these notions began to shift and Leigh felt prompted to record what she had written.

“I strongly felt God was prompting me to take the songs I had written, produce them and release them. It required me to step out of my comfort zone and simply start.”

Three singles were released throughout the year in preparation for the album, and Bloom officially launched on 25 September across all major streaming platforms.

“The support so far has been incredibly encouraging, particularly from our church community,” Leigh said. “People have been listening, sharing the music with others and helping us spread the word organically.”

What comes next

For now, Leigh and her husband want to continue promoting Bloom and see how far the songs can reach. At the same time, they are continuing to write, create and develop their sound.

“I definitely don’t see Bloom as the end of the journey,” Leigh said, “it feels much more like the beginning.”

A life of worship

Leigh serves as the worship leader at her local church, which is a huge part of her life.

“It is such a joy and privilege to serve our church family and to be involved in ministry,” she said. “Music and worship are deeply connected for me. While releasing original music is a new chapter, worship ministry has been the environment in which I have grown, developed and discovered so much of who I am as a musician.

“Stepping out as an independent artist has brought a wonderful sense of freedom, but it also comes with the challenge of building exposure and creating opportunities for your music to be heard.”

For her and Jonathan, the goal is to remain authentic.

“We want to keep creating worship music that is pure and genuine to what is in our hearts, rather than simply producing something for the sake of releasing it,” said Leigh.

The couple is still learning and growing through the process, and they are excited to continue developing as songwriters and producers.

“Bloom represents a step of faith for us and we are excited to see where that step leads,” she said.

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