Ashley Davis writes music that lives between continents and speaks to two national traditions
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A native of Kansas and graduate of the University of Limerick\\u2019s World Music Centre, Ashley Davis writes music that lives between continents and speaks to two national traditions. Between her background in American roots and love of Celtic folk, Davis possesses a unique talent for conjoining ancient history with modern, intercultural interpretation. Ashley Davis\\u2019s latest venture, \\u201cWhen the Stars Went Out,\\u201d is perhaps her most creative and challenging yet. Under lockdown in her home state of Kansas, the singer set herself a new task: to write songs that leaned toward the country music tradition of her childhood. \\u201cIf you\\u2019re from a roots background,\\u201d Davis explains, \\u201cyou start to crave that space\\u2014the quiet and the purity of it.\\u201d To this endeavor she added a further challenge: recording collaboratively, yet apart, in isolation. Davis composed each of the songs in partnerships with her band members: Dave Curley, Colin Farrell, Will MacMorran, and Duncan Wickel. Ashley\\u2019s songwriting has long been inspired by the experiences of friends, but here, her musical colleagues became her co-writers, as well as her inspiration. From there, the album reached out to an even wider community: Davis is joined on tracks by Irish and American artists like Heidi Talbot, Tim O\\u2019Brien, Tony Furtado, John Doyle, Mick McAuley, Shane Hennessy, and Grammy-award winner Shawn Colvin.
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