There’s a Spotify playlist, Artists To Watch 2021 by Sounds like Nashville, that boasts a wealth of up and coming artists that are building momentum going into the new year. The list of forty-nine artists plays through in just under three hours and features artists with songs that share a familiar Nashville sound. The following three songs are our favorite picks and what we think about them.

Kylie Morgan – “Break Things” 2:52
Written By
Aaron Eshuis, James McNair, Kylie Morgan, Nicolette Hayford
Produced By
Ben Johnson, Shane McAnally
Source: EMI Nashville, SMACKSongs          

From Newcastle, OK, Kylie has been writing songs since she was twelve years old. Her single “Break Things” was released April 2020 and is one-part cautionary tale, one-part love song, and one-part personal anthem. It’s an upbeat song that exemplifies how we’ve all felt about our personal relationships at some point in our lives.
 
Kameron Marlowe – “Sober as a Drunk” 3:30
Written By
J.T. Harding, Justin Wilson, Marv Green
Produced by Brad Hill
Source: Columbia Nashville

North Carolina native Kameron Marlowe used his life experiences to boost his music. “I had things I wanted to say,” said Marlowe, and through weeks of writing and soul searching, he used his pain to create something amazing. Once featured on the hit tv-show “The Voice” Marlowe used the experience to boost his musical career and began committing himself to his craft. The oxymoron featured in his song “Sober as a Drunk” shows the dichotomy of emotions experienced during a breakup. It’s a feeling that we can all relate to.
 
Ian Munsick – “Me Against the Mountain” 3:20
Written By
Randy Montana, Ian Munsick, Jeremy Spillman
Produced By
Ian Munsick
Source: Warner Music Nashville, Warner Chappell Music         

Born in Wyoming, the Rocky Mountain musician offers a mix of traditional bluegrass and modern musical stylings through his songs. “Me Against the Mountain” automatically captivates with the simple strums of a banjo but the magic continues as he continues his story with deep visual cues.  

Last year was a tough year for all of us. Due to the pandemic, the studio made a tough decision to close its doors temporarily. Now that we’re back and open for business we’re looking forward to making some changes that will help us and our artists work towards creating some amazing music. One of the biggest things we are working on is how to make things easier for you, the artist, to record your music.

With a massive website redesign underway, we have created a way for musicians and artists to book sessions online from the comfort of their smartphone or computer. By using our online scheduling system, you will be able to book your recording sessions and make payments online through our website. To get started, all you have to do is go to www.ashcraftstudios.net/bookings. Scheduling is as easy as picking the date and time that you want, make a payment, and show up when it’s time. It’s just that easy.

Please note that due to studio policies, all guests will be screened before entry into the studio. The screening process will include a brief questionnaire and a temperature check. Failure to submit your answer to the questionnaire or a temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will result in rescheduling your session. While we recognize the inconvenience of the situation, these policies are in place to keep our staff and guests safe. For further information on how we are ensuring the safety of everyone at the studio, you may read our blog post “Ashcraft Studios is Open for Business.”
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That being said, Ashcraft is continually working to improve your experience here. From an ever-expanding lineup of unique and interesting instruments to an onsite personal audio engineer, gig player, and professional mentor on site we have everything you’ll need to bring your music to life.

What started as African American music, the R&B genre grew alongside the nation’s civil rights movement and fanned the flames that would eventually change the nation’s social and political views. Following World War I and World War II, African Americans began to move into urban communities and cultural pride boomed as the community worked to make strides in a turbulent political landscape.

With the increased population and increased access to economic resources, the communities need for entertainment grew. The commercial success of Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” helped pave the way for African American artists to make a meaningful impact within the music industry. Originally called “race records,” the category was created to show solidarity for the African American community and included various styles of music such as blues and gospel.

First coined in 1948, the term “rhythm and blues” was used by RCA Victor records to describe secular songs by African Americans. It was a term to replace “race music” and has gone on to describe various styles of music including variations of swing, jazz, and blues. Also known as R&B, rhythm and blues is often described as music that combines pop, blues, and jazz elements with a strong beat.     

As the nation fought for civil rights, R&B continued to develop as more and more people began to identify with the music. The Dixie Cups are attributed to bringing R&B into the mainstream. Their release of “Chapel of Love” in 1964 knocked the Beatles out of their number one spot in the pop charts and their rendition of “Iko Iko” originally released by James “Sugar Boy” Crawford as “Jack-A-Mo” garnered national attention and has been covered by the likes of music legends the Grateful Dead and Cyndi Lauper.
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In his most recent YouTube video “A Lil Rhythm & Blues” our resident artist Stanford Lee talks about R&B and how it has inspired his music. You can watch the Stanford Lee Show on YouTube and Rumble to see what else Stanford Lee has to say about music and musicology.

Songwriter Ed Bruce passed away in Clarksville, Tennessee passed away of natural causes on Friday, January 8, 2021. The 81-year-old country singer and songwriter held 35 Billboard spots and six Top 10 Hits. His hits include “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “You’re the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had,” and “See the Big Man Cry.”

Ed was born in Keiser, Arkansas on December 29, 1939. His first big break came when he was 17. Catching the eye of record producer Sam Phillips, of Sun Records, Bruce released his first song “Rock Boppin’ Baby.” Later in 1962, Bruce wrote, “Save Your Kisses” for Tommy Roe. The next year he earned his first Billboard spot n the Bubbling Under chart for “See the Big Man Cry” for Carlie Louvin. Other notable songs include “Walkers Woods,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Song for Jenny” and “Everybody Wants to Get to Heaven.

Country music star Blake Shelton spoke out on Twitter over the weekend regarding Bruce’s passing.

“Just hearing that Ed Bruce passed away… What a stand-alone voice he had. He’ll be remembered for his many talents including acting and maybe most important his songwriting… Rest In Peace cowboy. I’m not loving 2021 so far.”

In addition to a successful music career, Ed Bruce also enjoyed his time as an actor. He co-starred alongside James Garner in the TV series Bret Maverick, as well as made special appearances in Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Chisholms. He also played host to shows such as Truckin’ USA and American Sports Calvacade.
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Bruce was married twice, first to Patsy Bruce who cowrote “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” with him. They had three children together. The pair divorced in 1987 and Bruce remarried Judith Woodlee and had one child together.

​Well, 2020 sure was fun, said no one ever. Although 2020 was one heck of a year, we at Ashcraft Studios are looking forward to what 2021 can bring. But before we get into what our plans for the year are, let’s review.

A Look-Back

The past year had more than its shares of challenges. For months the city of Atlanta came to a screeching halt as the pandemic gripped the country in fear. Live music and social gatherings became a thing of the past and artists everywhere struggled to make the best of a terrible situation. For a brief period, the studio closed its doors for the safety of the Ashcraft family and its guests, but that doesn’t mean we gave up.
Over the course of the year, we continued to focus on what matters the most, music. Our chief audio engineer has been working hard in the studio trying new things, experimenting, and honing in his skills. Through our network of creatives, we also teamed up with Atlanta and Nashville based media production company Tessellation Media Productions to produce Stanford Lee’s flagship YouTube show the Stanford Lee Show.

With new policies in place to keep our staff and clients safe, the studio is open for business.   Pre-screening questionnaires and temperature checks are mandatory before entering the premises. Masks are required at all times, except when it impedes the artist’s ability to perform, and all equipment is deep cleaned and sanitized before and after every session.

Looking Forward

Now that the studio Is open for business, we are excited to invite artists to join the family. Still offering full-service recording and audio production services, we are looking forward to welcoming new musicians to the studio.

Did we mention there’s an app coming?

Last year we began the development of an app to help keep our clients connected with not only the studio, but it’s fans. The project was, unfortunately, put on hold during the pandemic season, but we are happy to report that we are back on track to its development. Make sure you subscribe to our email list so you can be one of the first to know when it officially releases.

Filming

As we mentioned earlier, Ashcraft Studios teamed up with Tessellation Media Productions to produce the Stanford Lee Show. Filming will continue throughout the year with the next film session slotted for this week. We’ll be releasing teaser clips as they become available and invite you to check out Tessellations’ media page to see what awesome projects they are working on.
 
So, we had a rough year, but all is not lost. We are here and we are determined to push for great music and the artists that create it.