[tps_title] 10. Ashland Craft – Travelin’ Kind [/tps_title]

Ashland Craft’s debut album Travelin’ Kind was a tour de force of a record, showcasing her impeccable, raspy vocal infused with a hefty country-rock production.

Read our full review here.

Stand-out Track: Your Momma Still Does

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[tps_title] Country [/tps_title]

Abbey Cone – Big Machine artist Abbey Cone released her new single ‘Rhinestone Ring’ this year that is just the start of her musical journey that promises so much more.

Alana Springsteen – Independent artist Alana Springsteen has released a slew of singles this year that have continued to push the boundaries of her sound, ‘California‘ was an easy stand-out this year, fusing country and pop sounds with ease.

Ashland Craft – Having released her debut album this year, the sky seems to be the limit for Ashland Craft in 2022, showcasing her signature gritty country twang sound. Plus, ‘Highway Like Me’ was one of our early standout tracks of 2021.

Conner Smith – Conner Smith was born to be a songwriter and has been honing his craft since he was 6 years old. 2022 is set to be a mammoth year for the singer-songwriter, having mastered his craft as showcased in the singles he released this year.

Madeline Edwards – In her music, Madeline Edwards fuses jazz, Southern soul and country elements together. ‘The Road’ was a phenomenal single that heralded a new era in Edwards’ music leading into the new year.

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Big Loud recording artist Ashland Craft will release her debut album – Travelin’ Kind – tomorrow that is poised to be one of the breakthrough albums of the year, if not one of the albums of the year, positioning Craft as a formidable vocalist and storyteller, one who can not be boxed into a single genre. The record is a story of an independent woman finding her place in the world, a woman who is many things, at once a hopeless romantic and an independent rolling stone.

As soon as the meaty instrumentation opens ‘Travelin’ Kind,’ Craft invites the listener to buckle in for a unique Southern-rock, powerful gritty country ride. Singleton’s layered instrumentation is a masterstroke creating a lush and verdant for this sonorous track, as Craft sings about being a rolling stone, ‘I wasn’t made for the settlin’ down.. I guess I’ll always be the travelin’ kind.’ It’s an idea brought back on later track ‘Leavin You Again’ layered with a majestic fiddle part. From the off, Craft indulges in her gypsy spirit and the grit that she employs in her vocal is deeply enticing and compelling carried through into following track ‘Your Mama Still Does.’ Here, Craft sings about a mom apologising for the way that her son acted in ending a relationship. ‘You don’t even think about pickin’ up the phone / You don’t even think about sayin’ you were wrong / You don’t even miss what me and you had / Yeah, I bet you don’t even think about that / You don’t even call me sayin’ you’re sorry / And you messed up / But your mama still does.’ It’s a free-flowing melody that is intoxicating, not least through the power of Craft’s vocal in simultaneously showing vulnerability and power. It is a mark of Craft’s own sense of her own artistry that this was one of the only external cuts on the record (Jenna LaMaster and Jonathan Singleton) fitting seamlessly in the fabric of the rest of the project.

Elsewhere, Craft reveals a softer side to her Southern-rock sound, not least on ‘Make It Past Georgia.’ It’s a more emotional track, about the ease of moving on from some relationships but not others. The power of Craft’s vocal is its ability to reveal a real intimacy even in tracks like these that bear a meaty Southern rock production, she is capable of real nuance of emotion, showing vulnerability and power in equal measure. Nowhere is this more evident than in the slower track ‘Highway Like Me’ featuring Marcus King, an intoxicating ballad about her free spirit and on ‘Day By Day,’ an emotional track about the long process of healing a broken heart.

Of course, Craft is also capable of big, bombastic, boot-stomping tracks, not least on ‘Last 20 Dollars,’ where she sings about living larger than life. ‘Here’s to the letting gos and going broke.’ It’s a bewitchingly fun track that again shows her versatility as an artist, as she does again on the heavier track ‘Come Down’ that features a heavier rock beat and on final track ‘That’s The Kinda Place.’

Craft’s sweet spot seems to be somewhere between the two – between boot-stomping and emotional ballad – as she shows on ‘Letcha Fly,’ a track about letting go of a love that feels real. It’s tender, but not despondent, moving with a powerful instrumentation that sums up the essence of Craft’s artistry. The story she weaves on the record is compelling, particularly given its delivery through her powerful, gritty vocal that is as capable of breathing emotion into every lyric as Connie Smith or Dolly Parton. If there is any justice in the world, Travelin’ Kind will do for Ashland Craft what Girl Goin’ Nowhere did for Ashley McBryde, for the record showcases an artist with a real handle of her own voice and artistry.

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Hi, Ashland – it’s the final countdown to the album release, how are you feeling?

Oh, my goodness, every time I think about it, I’m just getting anxious. There’s all the good feelings, all the things that I could have ever imagined feeling when I’m about to release my first album.

It’s such a strong project. I think it’s going to really take off. It’s such a huge sound, can you talk about creating that during lockdown when you didn’t always have your band around?

Right. I think all the songs kind of fell into their own little place on the record. Thankfully, I wanted it to be super dynamic, in a sense of just keeping you interested the whole time, where you keep wondering what the next song is going to be. I felt like everything kind of had its own pocket, I felt some songs were very appropriate – being edgy and hard and in your face – but then I also had the ones where I felt like I really wanted to get back to my roots and back to that really traditional country sound, like ‘Leaving You Again’ which is one of my top favourite songs and ‘Highway Like Me.’

I loved that last one. I know you collaborated with Marcus King on that one – how did he come to be a part of that one? I feel like he really added something special to it.

Absolutely. I’m so thankful he wanted to be a part of it. We were actually talking about who could be good to feature on a song. I knew I wanted it to be somebody soulful. I knew I wanted it to be somebody that could really, really tell the story and that sense of longing that you feel on the road. Somebody mentioned Marcus King and I thought that was so funny, because him and I are literally from the same area. We both grew up in a small town in South Carolina and we went to the same rival high schools, it’s insane. I didn’t know all this actually – I knew that he was in our music circuit back in the Carolinas, but once we actually got together and he was tracking that song and we got to meet, we started going over all the things from back home. I didn’t realise we were literally from the same place, so that made it even more special to have somebody who was from home. It’s kind of a little piece of home on the project, and I’m just so thankful he wanted to be a part of it.

Going back to just how strong this project is. You worked with Jonathan Singleton, who is obviously an icon in Nashville. What did he give to the project and what did he bring out of you? 

Jonathan Singleton first is an amazing songwriter and amazing person and musician. I was introduced to him when I first moved to town through a guy named Bradley Jordan with Peachtree entertainment. I didn’t know what to expect out of the whole interaction, I also didn’t realise that he had written a lot of my favourite songs on the radio – I wasn’t one that dove into a lot of the songwriting stuff before I moved, because I didn’t really consider myself a songwriter. I thought I was very mediocre at this. When I first came to town and met him, it was just an amazing thing, because I really didn’t know what to expect moving here and getting into the songwriting process. I was like ‘Okay, how does this whole thing work?’ He was amazing, he walked me through the whole thing as best as he could every time we wrote. More importantly, he just let me be myself, he really was focused on ‘Okay, what do you want to say in this? We could say this, but what would you say?’ I think that was probably the most important thing for me, because it really gave me a sense of who I was and what I wanted to say, and being confident in that. I’m thankful that I’ve had amazing mentors like Jonathan. He helped me produce the whole album and his ideas are just amazing. In that process, he is very communicative and he’s got very good ideas. He will also throw his ideas out there, and we’ll find a healthy balance.

I guess he brings out your true essence rather than imprinting himself on your sound. I was looking through the tracklist and you’ve penned all the tracks apart from two. It was interesting because those two tracks are from incredibly talented but slightly lesser-known songwriters, so how did those come to you?

So I met Jenna at 50 Egg Music, which is my publishing company but is also where Jonathan is. When I started writing, she was there –  me and her are the only two females over there that are writing – so, it was natural that we became two of the best friends. I believe it was one of the first times for Jonathan and Jenna writing, if not the first time and they wrote ‘Your Momma Still Does’ and I believe we were all in the pub house that day and they were like, ‘Hey, do you want to listen to this song that we just wrote? We’re curious if you would want to cut it.’ Of course, I said absolutely because that song has such a cool angle that I’d never heard before.

The other two songwriters on ‘Day By Day’ – which is the other track that’s an outside cut – they’re actually two of my very best friends that I met back in 2017 when I did The Voice, and we met through the whole audition process. They are two very talented singer songwriters – Tori Allen, one of the girls, that’s a songwriter on it, she played the song live and it just was stuck in my head. She’s her own artist as well, so I was waiting to feel out what she was planning on doing with it. She threw it out there that it wasn’t really in the books for her her current project, so I said ‘I really am obsessed with this song and I would love to cut it’ – taking something day by day is literally what I say every single day of my life. It’s what I live by. Even though this was about a relationship, I think, overall, it’s a message that I wanted to get out there, if not for anybody else, even just for myself – a reminder that life is tough and sometimes you just got to take one step at a time. So, both of those scenarios were very unexpected, but I’m so grateful. I felt like they added so much to the project.

They fit seamlessly into the project, which is testament to the fact that you clearly knew from the offset what kind of artist you wanted to be – that’s quite rare for a debut album. Obviously it’s been a few years since The Voice, so are you happy that it’s all happened now, you’ve had some time to figure out what your sound is what you kind of want to put out.

I know, that’s the crazy thing. I will say I’m fortunate enough to feel like all of these songs kind of felt right. As we were moving forward in this process, I didn’t know ‘Travelin’ Kind’ was necessarily going to be the title track, but for some reason, in my gut, I had a gut feeling that it could be. The more we continued to write over the next two years, everything just seemed to lend a hand to that. Honestly, when it came down to picking songs in the tracklist, it was not hard. I think in my heart I knew already what was meant to go on the first album. I was excited to share it, I think this is definitely where I have been in life and where I’m at now and where I will be probably for the next couple years – travelling on the road – I hope so anyway. This is what I love to do and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do and what I live for, so I felt like it was only appropriate to have that as the title. Even though it’s not necessarily a concept album, I definitely wanted all the songs to have a flow and dynamic, whether that’s in the story or in the melody or lyrically, I wanted there to be some kind of flow, where it took you on a little bit of a journey.

That’s definitely the case, I feel like I listen to the project and you can find out exactly who you are in terms of your artistry, but also in terms of who you are as person and what you’re about. I guess now it’s just about getting back on the road and getting this project out. How excited are you to tour and actually have it out and see the live response?

We’ve gotten to play a lot of the songs from the record. We’ve played a lot of the ones that we released early on, but then some that aren’t necessarily out yet. It’s been cool to kind of gauge the audience and see how they react and hear people’s stories afterwards and how they connect to the song specifically. It does make me feel like I’m moving in the right direction at least speaking to people that hopefully can relate to me. I’m thankful that I’m getting to show who I am as a person. I think that’s first and foremost for me.

100%,  well, I’m really excited for you and congratulations again.

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Big Loud Records’ Ashland Craft is returning to her roots in ‘That’s The Kinda Place’, available now. Bursting with hometown pride, the take-me-back anthem is off her 11-track debut, TRAVELIN’ KIND, with Craft credited as a co-writer alongside Rodney Clawson and album producer Jonathan Singleton. It’s a startling track that continues the consistently strong trajectory of Craft’s recent releases that have garnered critical acclaim.

“I remember being 18 and ready to take off to see everything the world had to offer,” Craft recalls. “But I never knew how much I’d miss home after I actually left. We always made the best of any situation growing up, and I believe my small town made the girl you see today. I’ll always be proud of that!”

Chock-full of homegrown memories, the Piedmont, SC-native reminisces on the glory days of what used to be: “We were back road barbed wire fence row runners / Dancing to the beat of that small town drummer / Singing through the radio static / We didn’t know how good we had it / We were Texaco parking lot street light dreaming / Bout 18 heading where the grass gets greener / The place you fall out and back in love with / That’s the kinda place I grew up in.”

Launching her four-part “Rockin’ Lil’ Band Sessions” video series with ‘That’s The Kinda Place’ today (20/8), fans can keep watch for the live clips as they’re rolled out in anticipation of Craft’s album drop on September 3rd. “My band fam is such a key piece of who I am as a musician,” adds Craft. “I wanted the chance to get to introduce them a little bit more and thought this ‘Rockin’ Lil’ Band Sessions’ video series was the best way for everyone to get a taste of what our live shows are like.

WATCH THE “THAT’S THE KINDA PLACE” (ROCKIN’ LIL’ BAND SESSIONS) VIDEO

Introducing already-released album cuts ‘Make It Past Georgia‘ and ‘Your Momma Still Does‘ to the stage, Craft is back on the road this weekend supporting Zac Brown Band’s THE COMEBACK TOUR 2021. Appearing at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, last night (19/8), she’ll next perform at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, tonight (20/8) and Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA, tomorrow (21/8). Find all upcoming tour dates here.

Follow Ashland Craft: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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Ashland Craft has reclaimed the open road in debut album, TRAVELIN’ KIND, out September 3.  “I think it was important for me to start the story from the beginning, until now. And so it was only appropriate to name it Travelin’ Kind. In my head, that was an ideal title because that’s me right now. It’s what I’m doing and what I will be [doing] for a while,” Craft shared exclusively with American Songwriter. “I’m proud of the fact that it’s organic and a little more old school than the modern Country in the way we produced it. We didn’t use any tracks or extra things. We just let the music speak for itself. And, I feel like it turned out to represent me very well and who I am, and I’m excited for people to get to hear it and connect to it.”

Capturing the true heart-and-hustle of a 17 miles-per-gallon lifestyle, TRAVELIN’ KIND is an 11-track introduction to Craft and her ramblin’ way of life with “surefooted styling and brazen vocals” (American Songwriter). Roaming free and easy with all songs intersecting, the anticipated project represents Craft’s one-way ticket to Nashville and all the tour stops, truck stops, and broken hearts in-between, after relocating from her hometown of Piedmont, SC, in 2019. Fresh off a Top 10 stint on NBC’s The Voice and signing a record deal smack-dab in the middle of a pandemic, she’s spent the last year counting down the days until touring again.

“I wasn’t made for the settlin’ down / In a white picket fence water tank town / I got a soul like a black crow flyin’ / I guess I always been the travelin’ kind,” she sings in the bold title track and wild-at-heart manifesto. As one of nine songs all co-penned by Craft, the Jonathan Singleton-produced collection features a heavy-hitting, GRAMMY-nominated songwriting crew including Singleton, Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon, Rodney Clawson, and Wyatt Beasley Durrette, III, alongside her close friends and rising talents like Faren Rachels, Rob Snyder, Lee Starr, Willie Morrison, Reid Isbell, and Jenna LaMaster. “In sharing her innermost vulnerabilities, Craft puts forth something universally resonant as an ambassador of country music,” hails American Songwriter.

Ashland Craft’s TRAVELIN’ KIND Track List:

1. “Travelin’ Kind” (Ashland Craft, Erik Dylan)
2. “Your Momma Still Does” (Jenna LaMaster, Jonathan Singleton)
3. “Leavin’ You Again” (Ashland Craft, Jenna LaMaster, Faren Rachels)
4. “Make It Past Georgia” (Ashland Craft, Reid Isbell, Willie Morrison)
5. “Last 20 Dollars” (Ashland Craft, Wyatt Beasley Durrette, III, Jonathan Singleton)
6. “Highway Like Me (feat. Marcus King)” (Ashland Craft, Jessi Alexander, Reid Isbell)
7. “Mimosas In The Morning” (Ashland Craft, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jonathan Singleton)
8. “Day By Day” (Tori Allen, Corey Grogan)
9. “Letcha Fly” (Ashland Craft, Willie Morrison, Lee Starr)
10. “Come Down” (Ashland Craft, Adam Hood, Rob Snyder)
11. “That’s The Kinda Place” (Ashland Craft, Rodney Clawson, Jonathan Singleton)

All Songs Produced by Jonathan Singleton

KEEP UP WITH ASHLAND CRAFT: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

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Over the weekend, CMT shared their next class of Next Women of Country 2021 in a three-hour special, that saw CMT alumnae including Lindsay Ell, Ashley McBryde and Carly Pearce welcome the talented and diverse class of women. Over the next year, the new class will receive support for their music and videos across CMT and CMT associated channels. ‘We’re thrilled to welcome the newest class of CMT’s Next Women of Country. These artists represent the best of fresh new talent and the diversity of styles that country music has to offer,’ says Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President, Music & Talent, CMT. A new introduction this year will be that the women will be featured in music video rotation on the newly permanent ‘CMT Equal Play’ channel on Pluto TV, along with access to independent media training, photography consultations and artist advocacy opportunities designed to assist them in supporting charitable causes and social issues.

Watch the full announcement here.

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Ashland Craft

Ashland Craft’s music delivers a straight up no bullshit approach to songwriting and country music. Having made her debut in the spotlight in 2017 on The Voice, she was signed to Big Loud Records (and is featured on label mate HARDY’s debut record). Her latest track ‘Two Wildflowers and a Box of Wine’ is the best exemplification of her rock/country sound and stunning, unique vocal.

For Fans of: Miranda Lambert

Brittney Spencer

We dare you not to be moved by the majesty of Spencer’s voice that contains more emotion in one breath than most can put into an entire speech. Her voice and songwriting have an almost unearthly capacity to move, ignore her at your peril.

For Fans Of: Carly Pearce / Mickey Guyton

Chase Martin

Chase Martin’s in good hands, now managed by Ash Bowers (Jimmie Allen, Matt Stell). Her explosive new single ‘Levi, Denim’ has earned her a name already – a sassy, empowering track that establishes her sound and brand from the off.

For Fans Of: Kelsea Ballerini

Church of Roswell

Candi Carpenter’s new band formed this year offers a folk-y, whimsical take on country music. The sound is as magical and alternative as the band’s branding (genius) and Church of Roswell are sure to be your next indie ‘I knew them before they were famous’ band.

For Fans Of: Jason Isbell

Emma & Jolie

Emma & Jolie exploded into the UK country consciousness with their debut single ‘I Don’t Need A Man’ and since then the duo have gone from strength to strength in their songwriting – just listen to their stunning sophomore single ‘Cry For You.’ 

For Fans Of: Maren Morris

Gabrielle Mooney

Gabrielle Mooney – sister of Shay Mooney – offers a stunning rock-punk-edged twist on country music, complete with layers of traditional production. Above all, her vocal rises sublime and is deeply engaging.

For Fans Of: Shania Twain

Halle Kearns

Toward the tail end of 2020, Kearns released her EP ‘Finally’ that was rammed with heart-felt range. Her vocal is effortless and songwriting insightful, suffice to say we can’t wait to see what’s next for Kearns.

For Fans Of: Carrie Underwood / Lee Ann Womack

Joey Hendricks

Although he has only released one track so far, it is clear that Sony artist Joey Hendricks is set for an immensely bright 2021 with his brand of indie-infused country music that seems to be right on trend for the current moment.

For Fans Of: Michael Ray / Josh Kerr

Kalie Shorr

Shorr has already earned a huge amount of critical acclaim with her debut record Open Book, but now with the backing of a label, the sky seems to be the limit for Song Suffragette Kalie Shorr.

For Fans Of: Tenille Arts / Kassi Ashton 

Kameron Marlowe

Since earning his name on The Voice, Marlowe was quickly snapped up by Sony, releasing his self-titled EP at the later end of this year that shows just how deep and broad his range is, with a sound that is universally appealing. Marlowe is one whose success will doubtless explode with the rebirth of live music.

For Fans Of: Ryan Hurd / Matt Stell

Kären McCormick 

Kären McCormick has an unusual background for country music – born in Congo and raised in Washington state – and it is this kind of fresh take on the genre that is needed to give it life. McCormick’s vocal is warm and instantly likeable coupled with tender, thoughtful lyrics. In 2020, her debut EP showcased her stunning vocals in whimsical tracks that hit the right note for the year. A follow-up release is expected in 2021 and we’re counting the days.

For Fans Of: Kree Harrison / Madison Kozak

Kylie Morgan

Whenever we hear a track from Morgan we instantly want more, this year has seen her release a handful of singles, each better than the last. Having been taken under the wing of Shane MacAnally at SMACK, her songwriting career is in good hands. Coupled with a stunning and unique vocal, her path to success seems clear.

For Fans Of: Tenille Townes

Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson has been grafting for years and the work is all paying off throughout 2019-20 and so, 2021 seems to be the year her career explodes with the hopeful promise of an album. Lainey’s signature and thick Southern vocal alone makes her likeable, but couple that with empowering, witty and clever lyrics and rip-roaring production and something magic happens.

For Fans Of: Ashley McBryde

Laine Hardy

Since his time on Idol, Laine Hardy has earned a legion of fans to his cause and with a host more promised releases in his future, he is set to lead out in 2021.

For Fans Of: Scotty McCreery

Manny Blu

Manny Blu’s sound has definitely changed in 2020, he has moved toward a more authentic sound that shines through. With the release of a new EP under his belt, all we have to do is wait for live music to return and Manny Blu to make his mark.

For Fans Of: Jason Aldean

Parker McCollum

Earning his first #1 with single ‘Pretty Heart,’ it is clear that McCollum has captured something pretty special already. With a 90s rock-esque vocal, coupled with humble and authentic country songwriting, McCollum is nothing if not likeable and it is perhaps this that has caused the spotlight to turn in his direction already.

For Fans Of: Dustin Lynch / Ryan Hurd

Priscilla Block

Having shot to fame on TikTok with her single ‘Thick Thighs,’ Block has pivoted to more heartfelt lyrics with every release she has put out. With her easy charisma and sunshine-y personality, 2021 may be her year.

For Fans Of: Rae Lynn

Restless Road

Restless Road have excelled in a challenging year – recently featured in Billboard, Music Row, Country Now and in CMT’s “Off The Road” digital docu-series with Kane Brown. Having released their debut EP earlier this year, the trio’s tight harmonies and modern sound combine to provide a much-needed fresh take on the country genre, whilst staying true to their roots. 

For Fans Of: Kane Brown

Shy Carter

Having already earned a legion of hits in pop and hip hop (Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor, Nelly), Carter brings positivity to the country genre – penning hits already for Brown and Urban. Now, taking his turn in the spotlight, Carter brings a joyous take on the genre with his modern country soul sound combined with hints of RnB.

For Fans Of: Kane Brown

Tiera

Tiera is one of country’s most promising emerging talents – her songwriting range is enormous from odes to her fiancee to more upbeat new single ‘Shut It Down’ – Tiera really can do it all.

For Fans Of: Hailey Whitters / Mickey Guyton

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