One of my favorite things to do here at Trail Mix is premiere songs. There is something about being out in front of the curve, offering up a tune from artist for the world to hear for the first time.
Today, it is my pleasure to bring you “Out To Sea,” the brand new track from Decatur, Illinois based singer/songwriter Ashley Riley.
Riley released her first record in 2008, about the same time she began hosting open mic nights in her home town. Since then, she has released two more records, drawn well warranted critical praise while earning comparisons to Americana icons like Patty Griffin and Stevie Nicks, and is readying herself for the release of her latest record, a project nearly two years in the making, next month.
“Out To Sea” is a song, says Riley, that had the songwriter a bit outside her comfort zone.
“It was a fun song to write. It was a reactionary song, actually, which is not my usual style, but it worked out. This time, anyway. I heard something negative that someone had said about what I was doing musically at the time and it irritated me. I love music and writing songs – that’s what I do – and I also believe that when people are hating on someone, it says more about them than the person they are talking about, and that’s the point of “Out To Sea.”
Perhaps we should thank whoever it was that got Ashley so riled up, because it’s apparent she writes some dandy tunes when her dander’s up.
For the first time ever, please take a listen to “Out To Sea.” Stay tuned for the brand new long player, Through The Thin, which drops on April 8th.
You can catch Ashley Riley live at The Black Sheep Cafe in Springfield, Illinois, on April 15th. You can bet she’ll be playing a host of tunes off of Through The Thin. For more information on Ashley Riley, the new record, and when she will be coming to your town, please check out her website.
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