Small Town Roots, Big Country Ambitions | Dariann Leigh

Dariann Leigh is back on Heart of the Gulch — and she’s not short on things to talk about.

We caught up with the Minnesota country artist during CMA Fest 2025 for a conversation about new music, the years of work behind her career and the question fans have been waiting for her to answer: When are we getting that debut EP or album?

Country artist Dariann Leigh returns to Heart of the Gulch for an interview during CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville.

For an artist who grew up in a town where country music came through static-filled radios, making it all the way to Nashville for CMA Fest makes Dariann’s story that much sweeter.

Inside Dariann Leigh’s Heart of the Gulch Interview

Welcome to Heart of the Gulch, a Nashville-based interview show and country music platform featuring artists, singer-songwriters and personalities shaping music and entertainment. Host and creator Tony Mendoza sits down with Dariann Leigh during CMA Fest 2025 to discuss her upcoming music, small-town Minnesota roots, creative process and what she’s building toward next.

As a returning guest, Dariann also gets the chance to reflect on just how far the journey has moved since her last Heart of the Gulch appearance.

Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza interviews Dariann Leigh about new music and her country career during CMA Fest 2025.

From Karlstad to Nashville

Dariann comes from Karlstad, Minnesota — the kind of small town where dreaming about a career in country music can feel a long way from actually living one.

Music became part of her world early, listening and singing along to the country artists coming through the radio and developing a love for the voices and stories that defined the genre.

Those roots still run through the music she makes today, even as Dariann continues developing a sound and identity entirely her own.

Building It the Hard Way

There’s confidence behind Dariann now, but it didn’t arrive overnight.

She talks about the years spent chasing opportunities, performing and continuing to build her career even when there was no guarantee of where any of it would lead.

That persistence has taken her from singing along to those radios in Minnesota to building her own audience and taking the stage herself.

Dariann Leigh discusses her Minnesota roots, upcoming music and journey through country music.

CMA Fest represents another piece of that journey — and another chance to see just how much ground she’s covered.

So... Where’s the Album?

Of course, we had to ask.

With more music on the way, the obvious question is whether Dariann is finally building toward a larger project.

A debut EP? An album?

Dariann opens up about the new music she’s been working on and what could be coming next.

We’re not spoiling her answer here.

You’ll have to watch the interview for that one.

Watch Dariann Leigh on Heart of the Gulch

Watch the full Dariann Leigh interview from CMA Fest 2025 as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss her upcoming music, growing up in Karlstad, Minnesota, chasing a country music career and whether fans can finally expect a debut EP or album.

Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, singer-songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.