ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2014, Volume 7 | Page 9

I imagine it's not just Arizona cowboys that are like that. We were met and greeted by
the owners, Mo and Zee and made to feel welcome. Mo explained the eclectic decor was
provided by the patrons that visited The Hitching Post, and I could feel the connection to
the community and their way of showing support for his and his wife's dream of having a
great music venue in their area. I'll explore this dynamic business venture later in an
upcoming "Venue on The Menu".
Ashley's set consisted of mostly original songs, with her spin on a couple of covers that
were as well done as the original artist. The Band Perry's
"Little White Church" was exceptionally performed by all
members of the band--that includes Nicholas Sanderson on
Drums, Donny Grubb on Electric Guitar, Bryan Kuban on
Bass, and Heide Hille on Fiddle. Their version of Charlie
Daniels' "Devil went Down to Georgia" had the house hootin'
and hollerin' with the superb skills of Ms. Hille on the fiddle.
The original songs are not what you would expect from a 16
year old songwriter. Her original composition, "Family
Business", is a song about turning corn into gold by means of a
still, says COUNTRY in a "barefoot-cornfield-on-both-sidesof-the-road" unmistakable way. And the song "Revenge is
Calling" sounds like it could have been written by a 38 year old
woman that had just knocked the windows out of her man’s
pickup truck she found in some Honky Tonk parking lot. They
show a level of depth and maturity that is often only found in
writers much older and with much more life experiences. "Hell on Heels" brings to mind
Reba McEntire's songwriting ability to manifest through that unique woman
perspective. Perhaps that is one aspect that makes Ashley all that more appealing to
Country fans—that, and the fact that she's just plain "cute as a speckled pup".
Ashley's hard work continues to pay off, as she was named in 2013 as the very first
"Alvarez Breakthrough Artist" by the famous guitar maker. Quite a long way from her
13th birthday when her father gifted her some studio time as a birthday present. Her
recording "Red, White, and Blue", a tribute to the men and women in the military,
racked up an impressive 50,000 views on her YouTube channel, in which Ashley
decided to donate the proceeds to various military veteran charities.
I asked Ashley a few questions and below are those questions and answers.