Introducing… Lauren Ashley
We recently caught up with singer/songwriter Lauren Ashley to chat about her inspirations, her budding country music career, her latest single, and more. Get to know the singer below…
CMIL: What inspired you to pursue a career in country music?
LA: I’ve always had a love for music, singing, performing, etc. But, I think it really hit me years ago at my first concert EVER- Kenny Chesney! I looked around the arena and then at the stage and imagined how amazing it would be to be on stage looking out to thousands upon thousands of fans screaming and singing your songs. At that moment, I knew that I wanted to be a country music singer, songwriter, and entertainer. So.. here I am!
CMIL: What’s the story behind your single, “Stirred Not Shaken?”
LA: “Stirred, Not Shaken” was written in reference to my journey as an artist. I took the idea to my co-writer, Adriene Smith, and we both sat down to talk about the concept of the song and what we wanted to get across. Basically, it talks about going through ups and downs in my career (also in life in general) but not giving up. One of my favorite lyrics is, “I’m bruised, but I a’int broken.” This is so true in my own life but I know it relates to everyone. We all go through experiences in life that are hard and troubling, but finding the strength to overcome these things makes us stronger. This song is empowering and I can only hope that it will possibly change someones life and/or perspective on life!
CMIL: You recently shot a music video for the song. What was that experience like?
LA: It was an absolutely amazing experience. This was my first video shoot, and I cannot be more thankful for the cast and crew, Skydive Films, for making it so easy and enjoyable for me. We shot the video in different locations in the Nashville area so it was cool to keep all of the scenes local. Overall, it was such a great time and the video turned out absolutely amazing. If you guys haven’t gotten a chance to check it out, hope ya’ll will do so!
CMIL: Which artist (or artists) inspire you and your music?
LA: There are many artists that I look up to, but Miranda Lambert and Steven Tyler top the list. Miranda has been a huge influence on my music in that she paved the way for strong, independent women in the country music industry. Steven Tyler is known for his amazing stage presence and uniqueness. My favorite part of what I do is performing, and his performance level is out of this world. He inspires me to be better and be different.
CMIL: If you could tour with any country artist who would it be and why?
LA: There are many artists that I would absolutely be thrilled to open for, but I would have to say Eric Church. I don’t know if you’ve ever been to one of his shows, but the guy is one of the most enthusiastic and amazing entertainers I have ever seen. His passion for what he does shows clearly at his shows and you can tell that the entire roster for the tour is having a great time because of that. Also, I think our music style, fan base, and entertainment value would complement each other extremely well and it’d be a show no one could forget!
CMIL: What’s next for you?
LA: You can expect me to keep touring, new music to be released in the future, and well… the rest is just up in the air! I don’t like to put a map of my future together because you never know what the man upstairs has in store for you! But I can assure everyone that I will keep moving forward, making new music, playing that music, and getting myself out to the world as much as possible! It’s just the beginning and that’s exciting for me!
Fans can keep up with Lauren Ashley on Facebook and Twitter. Check out Lauren Ashley’s YouTube to listen to some of her music. To purchase “Stirred, Not Shaken” on iTunes, click HERE.
Check out the “Stirred, Not Shaken” music video below…
