by Isaac Davis Junior, BGS, MBA 

Now today she returns back to our online pages with the recently released sophomore CD titled “Liquid Words” wiser, matured, and sounder even better than before. Check out what transpired from our online meeting with Singer/Songwriter Ashley Jordan.

Isaac: Welcome back Ashley, I am happy to have you as a part of the magazine again. What have you been up to since the last time we spoken?

Ashley: Great to be talking with you again! Last time we spoke was right after the release of my first CD “Simple Love” – now I’ve just released my second album “Liquid Words” and I’m really excited to be sharing it with you and Junior’s Cave again. Just like old times haha! I just finished high school this year in June - - so getting my second album completed over the last year was totally rewarding and pretty crazy.

The new album was released on Oct. 3rd, and on Oct. 9th I had a CD release concert at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, MA. It was so amazing to be on the stage where people like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez got their starts! I had an incredible band playing with me for my show - -including Steve Beckwith on lead guitar, John Loud on drums, Steve Latanisian on fiddle, mandolin and banjo, Don Hooper on bass, Adam Bergeron on piano, Karen Sarkisian on pedal steel and Kim Jennings doing harmonies.

It was really a great night to play many of the new songs that are on my CD. And playing with a full band behind me is a new experience . . . so I learned a lot!

Isaac: What are you hoping to gain/achieve with the released of your second cd "Liquid Words" on Oct. 3rd?

Ashley: Well –I’m a songwriter and 12 of the 14 songs on my new CD were written by me. So I want to get out there in the music world not only as a performer (vocals and guitar), but also as a songwriter. This new CD is about me maturing a bit—I’m a bit older, my voice has matured and I’ve gone for a bigger sound than my first CD which was mostly just me and my guitar. Also –I’m trying to ease into the country genre and I wanted this CD to be my stepping out with this new sound. In the past I was more of a singer-songwriter, which I still am in many ways, but if you hear my new CD you will sense a country/pop/folk-rock attitude (I hope!) that I was trying to achieve.

Isaac: Are you excited about the new things going on with your music right now?

Ashley: Definitely. It has been a big change and I have been working with producer Don Hooper of Juke Village Records who is an amazing musician, sound engineer, producer and friend! Don was the creative vision for many of the arrangements in the songs - -bringing in musicians from Boston to Nashville to achieve the sound we were looking for. It has definitely been a different ride than my last CD and I am really appreciative of all the hard work and creativity involved.

Isaac: What type of feedback have you received about your last CD?

Ashley: I’ve gotten some great feedback and reviews so far- -but I only released the CD a few weeks ago so I’m hoping to get more reviews in the next month. 

Isaac: What has been the biggest high point about your career so far that you can recall?

Ashley: Well - -there have been so many – and probably not the kinds of things you’d expect. Everything feels like a high point when you experience it for the first time - so every radio show, every new venue, working with new musicians, etc becomes unforgettable! One high point was meeting my producer last summer, Don Hooper, who has been so amazing and supportive. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet someone like him who believes so much in my music!

Another really cool thing that happened sort of links my first CD to my newest one. On my CD Simple Love that I released two years ago, I included a cover song that was made famous by Michael Jackson called “You Are Not Alone”. Somehow, out in the big world-wide web, two songwriters from Belgium (who had written the melody for You Are Not Alone) heard my version of their song and loved it . . . so they decided to write a song with my vocals in mind called “It’s That Smile”. So after about a year of working back and forth with them in Belgium, I came up with a version of “It’s That Smile” that everyone was happy with and it’s now on my newest CD “Liquid Words”. It has been a very fulfilling experience and so incredible to collaborate with such amazing people.

Isaac: Why do you feel people love your music?

Ashley: Well – I’m hearing that people like my music because it is honest storytelling and they can relate to what I’m singing about. I try to keep it real! The bigger sound of a full band is fun to listen to too — - so hopefully it’s a full package. I also included a song by my all-time favorite artist – Lori McKenna (who has written songs for Faith Hill) and I’m hearing that people really like my version of the song. So that’s wonderful to hear!

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to expand your music to being played as a featured song for TV shows like shows on The CW Network and others would you and why?

Ashley: Oh definitely yes! I would love to have my music featured on programs – I thoroughly LOVE hearing new songs on shows and seeing how they become such an integral part to the feeling of the program. It would be amazing. One of my songs was selected a couple of years ago to be part of an independent feature film set out in Seattle, WA – but the film didn’t get the funding it needed and hasn’t happened yet and I’ve always been disappointed about that. So yes - - it would be amazing!!

Isaac: Your prediction about your music for 2012...

Ashley: I want to be out performing my music at bigger venues and get some opening acts with some incredible musicians like Lori McKenna, Ellis Paul and Randy Montana. So that’s what I’m setting my sights on!

Isaac: Final thoughts for Ashley Jordan...

Ashley: Well - - songwriting is what I love to do more than anything. It’s the creative force that drives me to keep going and right now I’m excited to explore some new songs that I’m in the process of writing. Before I released my second album, I had already started writing several songs that I wished had been completed in time for the CD. 

So I guess I’m starting to look forward to the future and my next CD! I have sort of “explosions” of songwriting - - and it’s fun to just have things come to you like that. For me, it’s not about sitting down and writing a song because someone has asked me to do it. The songs come out in a flurry and I just lock myself away and let it happen. I really love that part of the creative process. 

First Interview with Junior's Cave:

http://juniorscave.com/Ashley-Jordan.html