The C2C Sit Down with Ashland Craft
It’s been three and half years since we last spoke to Ashland Craft and have eagerly been awaiting the Piedmont, South Carolina native to make the trip across the pond. Having recently released her sophomore album ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ and is in the process of sharing a number of reworked collaborations, her arrival in Europe is very timely. With one of the most distinct and powerful female voices in Nashville right now and a charismatic blend of being a badass with a warm and fun personality, she is sure to be one of your highlights of this year’s C2C: Country to Country festival in London. Before the British event, Ashland headed to Rotterdam and Berlin for the European sister festivals and we finally got to meet in person before everything got started in Germany.
Welcome to Europe, it's so lovely to have you here.
“Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to be here.”
It's really exciting because I think that people just really like seeing new people coming over so a lot of fans can’t wait for next weekend. I know you haven't played yet, but from walking around the site here, what are your impressions about how this compares to what you've seen at home?
“It's just honestly hard to compare, because they're two different places, but I love that it’s less hustle and bustle here in Berlin. Everybody's been so damn nice, I feel like on social media, everybody's been super excited to get here and play country music. There's just like a buzz in the air that I can't really explain.”
It must be crazy to that little girl from South Carolina that people so far away that don't even speak our language are listening to you and are really excited for you to play here?
“One hundred percent, I'm like, you're listening to my country bumpkin ass but no, I've talked to everybody and they have been so kind and I’m so looking forward to the live music, because I'm just ready to jam it out with them.”
Have you actually been to Europe at all before? Like even as a tourist or anything?
“Literally, the only time I've ever left the country was to go to Switzerland for about a week, so, I mean, I guess that counts, but this is my first official time getting to play for a crowd in Europe.”
Welcome to Europe, it's so lovely to have you here.
“Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to be here.”
It's really exciting because I think that people just really like seeing new people coming over so a lot of fans can’t wait for next weekend. I know you haven't played yet, but from walking around the site here, what are your impressions about how this compares to what you've seen at home?
“It's just honestly hard to compare, because they're two different places, but I love that it’s less hustle and bustle here in Berlin. Everybody's been so damn nice, I feel like on social media, everybody's been super excited to get here and play country music. There's just like a buzz in the air that I can't really explain.”
It must be crazy to that little girl from South Carolina that people so far away that don't even speak our language are listening to you and are really excited for you to play here?
“One hundred percent, I'm like, you're listening to my country bumpkin ass but no, I've talked to everybody and they have been so kind and I’m so looking forward to the live music, because I'm just ready to jam it out with them.”
Have you actually been to Europe at all before? Like even as a tourist or anything?
“Literally, the only time I've ever left the country was to go to Switzerland for about a week, so, I mean, I guess that counts, but this is my first official time getting to play for a crowd in Europe.”
I bet you’re excited to do some touristy stuff here and next week as well.
“One hundred percent, I've already got to walk around yesterday here and got to explore the paintings everywhere. This is my cup of tea, this place.”
What are you hoping to tick off on the bucket list in London? You got any stuff that you really want to do?
“Funny enough, since I was sixteen years old, I had this place on my Pinterest board but have you ever heard of anybody who wants to go to Gods Own Junk Yard? Have you ever been?”
No but tell me more.
“Okay, I found this place on Pinterest, when I was 16 years old and it is just slap full of neon signs, it’s like an art display, I think.”
Oh, I know where you mean, I’ve seen people post about it on Instagram.
“Yeah, it's been on my Pinterest board and my bucket list, so I'm finally getting to do that after all this time so I just want to go take some pictures. The neon signs are obviously right up my alley, so that's just something that's for a long time been on my bucket list but I want to experience everything I possibly can because we're going to be there for about almost a week, I want to say. We’re doing Rotterdam tomorrow and literally flight hopping and then we'll get to maybe take a little chill pill in London for a second.”
What about food? Are you gonna look out for some Indian food because that is always what everyone in the States gets excited about.
“I've definitely heard people say some of the best Indian food is over here, so it's on the list. I'm like such a foodie, I'm gonna try the fish and chips, I want to try the mushy peas, I want to try everything.”
In London, fish and chips is actually harder to find than you'd think it is. You’re best off going to a pub and having a pub lunch, or if you go on a Sunday as well, Sunday roasts are another token British thing. It would be kind of like our smaller version of a Thanksgiving dinner type thing.
“That's one good way to put me in a food coma.”
We have a thing called Yorkshire pudding with ours which is basically just batter but they are amazing and you have to try the full breakfasts too.
“I want to try it. I'm adventurous, so I feel like I’ve gotta try it if it's a staple here or in London.”
You’ve said you really wanted to get over so I guess the killer question is why has it taken so long?
“It’s not by my doing, I can say that much ha-ha. I mean, my journey with music has been seven years in the making in Nashville so far and when I did my release my first record, I don't really feel like I was given a chance to really twirl on it at all. So, finally, after my second record, we're getting the opportunity to come to C2C, so I'm living it up to the fullest extent and I’m just so happy we finally got to make it out here.”
Before we go much further with, I just want to talk about the tour that you did last year with the wonderful Meghan Patrick, who is an absolute queen! I met her here actually, in pretty much this exact same spot, this time last year. It was the most hilarious thing ever, because they decided to vacuum around our feet as we were talking and we just couldn't stop laughing all the way through it. She's just one of my favourite people and that Rollin’ Stoned Tour must have been really good fun.
“It's so refreshing, I think Meghan and I both for a while now, had been talking about touring together and just having a community in Nashville that is uplifting. We're obviously really great friends, but last year, we were kind of sitting around on her couch one night and I think it was in a bit of a slow season, where we were just like, why don't we just tour together? We have talked about it, all of the friend group have talked about it, but nobody's ever gotten to make it happen, so we felt like we both had killer shows to bring to people and it truly was one of the most fun tours I've been on. Then just to be able to spend time with her even more than I already have, it just grew our friendship even more.”
I just love her and her whole team.
“Yeah, like Randi is the best, just the salt to the earth, human being.”
Totally! Meg was just playing acoustic with Nick, I love Nick Ryan as well, he’s just one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in music and a killer guitarist.
“Yeah and just like the energy and smiles, he’s awesome.”
What about you on this trip? Are you just playing on your own?
“It's me and my bass player, actually. My bass player who is my longest standing band member currently and he also plays guitar, so he's gonna be playing guitar for me and doing some BGV.”
“One hundred percent, I've already got to walk around yesterday here and got to explore the paintings everywhere. This is my cup of tea, this place.”
What are you hoping to tick off on the bucket list in London? You got any stuff that you really want to do?
“Funny enough, since I was sixteen years old, I had this place on my Pinterest board but have you ever heard of anybody who wants to go to Gods Own Junk Yard? Have you ever been?”
No but tell me more.
“Okay, I found this place on Pinterest, when I was 16 years old and it is just slap full of neon signs, it’s like an art display, I think.”
Oh, I know where you mean, I’ve seen people post about it on Instagram.
“Yeah, it's been on my Pinterest board and my bucket list, so I'm finally getting to do that after all this time so I just want to go take some pictures. The neon signs are obviously right up my alley, so that's just something that's for a long time been on my bucket list but I want to experience everything I possibly can because we're going to be there for about almost a week, I want to say. We’re doing Rotterdam tomorrow and literally flight hopping and then we'll get to maybe take a little chill pill in London for a second.”
What about food? Are you gonna look out for some Indian food because that is always what everyone in the States gets excited about.
“I've definitely heard people say some of the best Indian food is over here, so it's on the list. I'm like such a foodie, I'm gonna try the fish and chips, I want to try the mushy peas, I want to try everything.”
In London, fish and chips is actually harder to find than you'd think it is. You’re best off going to a pub and having a pub lunch, or if you go on a Sunday as well, Sunday roasts are another token British thing. It would be kind of like our smaller version of a Thanksgiving dinner type thing.
“That's one good way to put me in a food coma.”
We have a thing called Yorkshire pudding with ours which is basically just batter but they are amazing and you have to try the full breakfasts too.
“I want to try it. I'm adventurous, so I feel like I’ve gotta try it if it's a staple here or in London.”
You’ve said you really wanted to get over so I guess the killer question is why has it taken so long?
“It’s not by my doing, I can say that much ha-ha. I mean, my journey with music has been seven years in the making in Nashville so far and when I did my release my first record, I don't really feel like I was given a chance to really twirl on it at all. So, finally, after my second record, we're getting the opportunity to come to C2C, so I'm living it up to the fullest extent and I’m just so happy we finally got to make it out here.”
Before we go much further with, I just want to talk about the tour that you did last year with the wonderful Meghan Patrick, who is an absolute queen! I met her here actually, in pretty much this exact same spot, this time last year. It was the most hilarious thing ever, because they decided to vacuum around our feet as we were talking and we just couldn't stop laughing all the way through it. She's just one of my favourite people and that Rollin’ Stoned Tour must have been really good fun.
“It's so refreshing, I think Meghan and I both for a while now, had been talking about touring together and just having a community in Nashville that is uplifting. We're obviously really great friends, but last year, we were kind of sitting around on her couch one night and I think it was in a bit of a slow season, where we were just like, why don't we just tour together? We have talked about it, all of the friend group have talked about it, but nobody's ever gotten to make it happen, so we felt like we both had killer shows to bring to people and it truly was one of the most fun tours I've been on. Then just to be able to spend time with her even more than I already have, it just grew our friendship even more.”
I just love her and her whole team.
“Yeah, like Randi is the best, just the salt to the earth, human being.”
Totally! Meg was just playing acoustic with Nick, I love Nick Ryan as well, he’s just one of the nicest guys you’ll meet in music and a killer guitarist.
“Yeah and just like the energy and smiles, he’s awesome.”
What about you on this trip? Are you just playing on your own?
“It's me and my bass player, actually. My bass player who is my longest standing band member currently and he also plays guitar, so he's gonna be playing guitar for me and doing some BGV.”
Luckily we’ve got a fairly new record to be playing over here too which I LOVE the title of!
“Thank you so much, through and through its inspired by true stories.”
‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was four years in the making which is quite a long time in the scheme of things, was everything on this record written post ‘Travellin’ Kind’ or were there any older songs that just took needed a home to really fit?
I mean, it's probably a mixed bag with the second record. Some of them were written even before ‘Travellin’ Kind’ came about, like ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ the title track, I wrote that when I was eighteen or nineteen years old and still working at a bar back home. Yeah, I think it just all kind of lined up to where they all fell into place perfectly, even though some of them were written before and some of them after, I think they helped complete a then to now story that needed to be told. I felt like ‘Travellin’ Kind’ was my who? Then ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was my what and why kind of in a little bit. I'm excited for whatever comes next, I think it's gonna go much deeper into the why.”
I think that's a good way to put it because your debut record is just sort of saying, hey, this is who I am while a sophomore project is what you’ve got to say because while people will know who you are, they may not know too much about you. Do you think there's an evolution in terms of sound and who you are that's shown between those two records over the four years?
“I would say an evolution but also like a familiarity, because I think, all in all, both albums are very much rooted in music that I love, that shaped me and inspired me. I think ‘Travellin’ Kind’ was a little bit more, I would say, rough around the edges and ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was a little bit, I hate the word polished, but just a little bit more vocal forward and just trying to paint the vocal in the best light I guess and not just have the music, all sitting on top of it. So, it was an evolution, but I definitely didn't want to stray too far.”
That's really interesting, the way you say it as not polished, but polished to an extent, because you co-produced the second record so you had the full creative control on it. You'd naturally think that it would sort of be the other way around, where the new one, is what you'd want to be a little bit rougher and leave those imperfections in.
“For sure, obviously, I'm trying so hard to hopefully break through mainstream radio right now and so I think it's also been a bit of experimentation. You know, seeing where I'm comfortable in pushing boundaries versus where I'm not, where I'm not willing to sacrifice certain things versus, like, okay, this song was great, but it could have been a little bit more interesting in this way. I think for me, it was just my first time getting to finally co produce, with a bit of a trial and error, but in the best way possible. I would not change anything about either record because I think they're very much proof of how far I've come so far.”
Was the production side something you've always been interested in?
“I've always, always loved production. I think even from a young age, I've just not only heard lyrics, not only her melodies, but I heard how the instruments complemented the songs that also helped tell the story. I think it's important dynamics of a song, because I think a little bit nowadays, it's almost like a vocal and then a wall of sound. There's not really a story necessarily being told in the music every time, but I'm just as much of vocals are just as important as instrumentations. I think it needs to be a healthy dose of both, you know.”
You’ve worked on a couple of things with Hardy, who is someone that's held equally in high regard as both an artist and producer, did you find that working with him taught you a lot from that standpoint where it really is possible to be able to succeed with both these things?
“Yeah, I think the people that you have around you during that journey are important and you don't have people that are gonna push you on with the other, it's truly a team effort. I think with this last record, I had two other producers on this, who are two of my closest friends and have been before they were even co writers in a sense, so they've known me the most and I think we just have this healthy flow of conversation around every single song. So, yeah, it's just all been trial and error for me, but I've always known I love production. It was just a matter of when somebody was gonna let me get my hands on something myself.”
“Thank you so much, through and through its inspired by true stories.”
‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was four years in the making which is quite a long time in the scheme of things, was everything on this record written post ‘Travellin’ Kind’ or were there any older songs that just took needed a home to really fit?
I mean, it's probably a mixed bag with the second record. Some of them were written even before ‘Travellin’ Kind’ came about, like ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ the title track, I wrote that when I was eighteen or nineteen years old and still working at a bar back home. Yeah, I think it just all kind of lined up to where they all fell into place perfectly, even though some of them were written before and some of them after, I think they helped complete a then to now story that needed to be told. I felt like ‘Travellin’ Kind’ was my who? Then ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was my what and why kind of in a little bit. I'm excited for whatever comes next, I think it's gonna go much deeper into the why.”
I think that's a good way to put it because your debut record is just sort of saying, hey, this is who I am while a sophomore project is what you’ve got to say because while people will know who you are, they may not know too much about you. Do you think there's an evolution in terms of sound and who you are that's shown between those two records over the four years?
“I would say an evolution but also like a familiarity, because I think, all in all, both albums are very much rooted in music that I love, that shaped me and inspired me. I think ‘Travellin’ Kind’ was a little bit more, I would say, rough around the edges and ‘Dive Bar Beauty Queen’ was a little bit, I hate the word polished, but just a little bit more vocal forward and just trying to paint the vocal in the best light I guess and not just have the music, all sitting on top of it. So, it was an evolution, but I definitely didn't want to stray too far.”
That's really interesting, the way you say it as not polished, but polished to an extent, because you co-produced the second record so you had the full creative control on it. You'd naturally think that it would sort of be the other way around, where the new one, is what you'd want to be a little bit rougher and leave those imperfections in.
“For sure, obviously, I'm trying so hard to hopefully break through mainstream radio right now and so I think it's also been a bit of experimentation. You know, seeing where I'm comfortable in pushing boundaries versus where I'm not, where I'm not willing to sacrifice certain things versus, like, okay, this song was great, but it could have been a little bit more interesting in this way. I think for me, it was just my first time getting to finally co produce, with a bit of a trial and error, but in the best way possible. I would not change anything about either record because I think they're very much proof of how far I've come so far.”
Was the production side something you've always been interested in?
“I've always, always loved production. I think even from a young age, I've just not only heard lyrics, not only her melodies, but I heard how the instruments complemented the songs that also helped tell the story. I think it's important dynamics of a song, because I think a little bit nowadays, it's almost like a vocal and then a wall of sound. There's not really a story necessarily being told in the music every time, but I'm just as much of vocals are just as important as instrumentations. I think it needs to be a healthy dose of both, you know.”
You’ve worked on a couple of things with Hardy, who is someone that's held equally in high regard as both an artist and producer, did you find that working with him taught you a lot from that standpoint where it really is possible to be able to succeed with both these things?
“Yeah, I think the people that you have around you during that journey are important and you don't have people that are gonna push you on with the other, it's truly a team effort. I think with this last record, I had two other producers on this, who are two of my closest friends and have been before they were even co writers in a sense, so they've known me the most and I think we just have this healthy flow of conversation around every single song. So, yeah, it's just all been trial and error for me, but I've always known I love production. It was just a matter of when somebody was gonna let me get my hands on something myself.”
Then post-record, we had a new version of a song last month, with Chase on it with you. How did he end up getting involved and why did you decide that Chase Rice was the right fit to pair with for that?
“This song ‘Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To’ was on the record but we at the end of the record, we’re like, I think we need to shed a little bit more light on this and also just expand the storyline a little bit more. There were no features on this record, so when talking about it again, for this song specifically, I wanted somebody who was amazing at storytelling, amazing at writing, I've known Chase from touring and just every time he plays, I feel like he has such a way of pulling you in with his storytelling and his music. I wanted a male perspective in the song as well and I don't know, it was just a weird thing. It just kind of popped in my head that Chase Rice would crush the song and he did. He kind of kicked off this whole four song rerelease project that we're doing right now.”
Awesome, I will let you get ready to do what you’re here for, it can’t all be fun as it is a work trip.
“It's okay, this week is so exciting because on Friday, we have another collab coming out. It's myself, Ashley McBryde and Mae Estes on ‘Yard Sale’ so it is gonna be awesome!”
I love that. I really hope Mae starts feeling better.
“I know, bless her heart. We were supposed to do some content, this whole trip, then I found out she was sick and I’m like, girl, if you need any medicine, let me know, I got you. She’s been on the go she's been working her ass off, so I hate that she got sick right when she got here, but fingers crossed, I know she’s gonna get better because people need to hear her.”
And people need to hear you too.
“I'm excited. I'm very thankful for the opportunity. It is finally here after freaking seven years.”
I really hope you enjoy it and you love it so much that you’ll keep coming back.
“I'm really obsessed already. Even if I'm not playing, I'm coming back. Period. It is so worth it to get to meet a whole different demographic of people, for me anyway, because I feel like I've toured so much in the US for the past seven years and I'm like, okay, I want to mix it up a little bit, so this came at the perfect time. It’s a nice little refresh, a nice little reminder of why we do this, you know? So, thank you for giving a crap.”
No, girl, thank you! It’s always fun to meet Zoom friends IRL and I knew we would have fun so if we don’t get the chance to drink to tequila this afternoon before you head to Rotterdam, we definitely will in London
“We're gonna shake on that and I can’t wait.”
Ashland Craft will play at C2C: Country to Country in London with performances on Saturday March 14th starting with The Bluebird Café with McCoy Moore & Emily Ann Roberts at 10:30 (separate ticket required) before playing herself at 15:50 on The Dutton Ranch Stage in The Paramount+ Town Square, then again on Sunday March 15th where you can catch her at 11:30 in The Saloon and finally at 13:50 on the BBC Radio 2 Stage. Full festival details and last minute ticket information for London are available on their WEBSITE or socials (INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK) whilst you can find more information on the Berlin event on their WEBSITE or can relive all of this year’s activity on their INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
The new collaboration “Yard Sale” from Ashland Craft, featuring Mae Estes and Ashley McBryde is out this week on Friday 13th March and available to pre-save HERE. To keep up to date with all that Ashland is up to, you can check out her WEBSITE and socials to follow along on INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK & TIKTOK.
“This song ‘Momma Don’t Pray Like She Used To’ was on the record but we at the end of the record, we’re like, I think we need to shed a little bit more light on this and also just expand the storyline a little bit more. There were no features on this record, so when talking about it again, for this song specifically, I wanted somebody who was amazing at storytelling, amazing at writing, I've known Chase from touring and just every time he plays, I feel like he has such a way of pulling you in with his storytelling and his music. I wanted a male perspective in the song as well and I don't know, it was just a weird thing. It just kind of popped in my head that Chase Rice would crush the song and he did. He kind of kicked off this whole four song rerelease project that we're doing right now.”
Awesome, I will let you get ready to do what you’re here for, it can’t all be fun as it is a work trip.
“It's okay, this week is so exciting because on Friday, we have another collab coming out. It's myself, Ashley McBryde and Mae Estes on ‘Yard Sale’ so it is gonna be awesome!”
I love that. I really hope Mae starts feeling better.
“I know, bless her heart. We were supposed to do some content, this whole trip, then I found out she was sick and I’m like, girl, if you need any medicine, let me know, I got you. She’s been on the go she's been working her ass off, so I hate that she got sick right when she got here, but fingers crossed, I know she’s gonna get better because people need to hear her.”
And people need to hear you too.
“I'm excited. I'm very thankful for the opportunity. It is finally here after freaking seven years.”
I really hope you enjoy it and you love it so much that you’ll keep coming back.
“I'm really obsessed already. Even if I'm not playing, I'm coming back. Period. It is so worth it to get to meet a whole different demographic of people, for me anyway, because I feel like I've toured so much in the US for the past seven years and I'm like, okay, I want to mix it up a little bit, so this came at the perfect time. It’s a nice little refresh, a nice little reminder of why we do this, you know? So, thank you for giving a crap.”
No, girl, thank you! It’s always fun to meet Zoom friends IRL and I knew we would have fun so if we don’t get the chance to drink to tequila this afternoon before you head to Rotterdam, we definitely will in London
“We're gonna shake on that and I can’t wait.”
Ashland Craft will play at C2C: Country to Country in London with performances on Saturday March 14th starting with The Bluebird Café with McCoy Moore & Emily Ann Roberts at 10:30 (separate ticket required) before playing herself at 15:50 on The Dutton Ranch Stage in The Paramount+ Town Square, then again on Sunday March 15th where you can catch her at 11:30 in The Saloon and finally at 13:50 on the BBC Radio 2 Stage. Full festival details and last minute ticket information for London are available on their WEBSITE or socials (INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK) whilst you can find more information on the Berlin event on their WEBSITE or can relive all of this year’s activity on their INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK.
The new collaboration “Yard Sale” from Ashland Craft, featuring Mae Estes and Ashley McBryde is out this week on Friday 13th March and available to pre-save HERE. To keep up to date with all that Ashland is up to, you can check out her WEBSITE and socials to follow along on INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK & TIKTOK.
