Nashville, Tennessee, is heavily populated with talented artists, scraping by, hoping for that little bit of good fortune to launch their careers. They’re serving tables, working in bars and stacking supermarket shelves to cover the rent, hanging on by their fingernails in the hope that the relocation to Music City will eventually pay dividends. Many left their rural homes, families and friends to follow their dream. The fortunate few do eventually get the breaks, but for every Miranda Lambert and Margo Price, there are a string of artists, conceivably with equal talent, who continue to follow their dream.
Ashley Ray was raised on her parent’s farm in Lawrence, Kansas, and having finished school enrolled in Belmont University, Nashville to earn a business degree. This was seen as a stepping stone and part of her plan to pursue her ambitions to make a living as a country singer-songwriter. She did eventually find work as a songwriter at both Sony ATV and BMG Nashville, writing songs that were picked up by Lori McKenna, Little Big Town, Caroline Spence and Wade Brown. Survival also demanded that she worked long shifts for tips, waiting tables at local restaurants. She released her self-titled album in 2010 and has since shared stages with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert, as well as a 40-city tour with Eric Church. She has also graced the stage at The Grand Ole Opry.
With those experiences under her belt, you would have expected Ray to follow the ‘music by numbers’ writing formula for her recently released album PAULINE. Instead of predictable and bland compositions concerning fictional characters and mundane occurrences, Ray bravely chose to frame the album around her own life journey, from a young girl growing up in a regular, hard-working blue-collar family. The songs trace her journey from childhood through to the present day and are, effectively, her life story. The title of the album is in honour of her grandmother, who passed away before Ray was born. Ray is immensely and justifiably proud of the album, regardless of whether it sells hundreds or thousands of copies, as she detailed when we spoke with her recently.
At what stage did you decide to devote the album to your grandmother and family, rather than travel the conventional Music Row formulaic writing path?
I decided to name the album PAULINE pretty early on. Pauline is my middle name, and a huge part of my identity and character, so I kind of went into the record knowing I was going to write a song for her. It felt like the right call to honour her by making the album title her name.
How important was it to you personally to research, write and record the project?
It was very important. In my family we always talk about her and the people we’ve lost, so I feel like I already know her on some level, but that’s how we got my mom’s voice on the record. I called her and put her on speaker phone, my producer Sean McConnell set up a microphone when she started talking and we caught the whole conversation of my mom talking about her mom. It’s one of the greatest gifts and honours of my life.
What drew you towards Sean McConnell to work on PAULINE with you?
Sean is a long time and dear friend. What drew me to him producing was I knew I could be myself. I wasn’t delivering this album to a label. I was delivering it to myself. I could get comfortable, I could cry, I could walk downstairs hug his wife and make a sandwich. Sean is so talented, especially when working with artists, because he is an artist himself. I felt like he pushed me in the gentlest way to say the things I might’ve held back on. We just sat in a room, I talked about my families’ stories and we put memories to music.
How long were you working on the songs?
Sean and I wrote the song Rock ‘n’ Roll almost three years ago and when we finished, we knew it was the beginning of a record. It was just too personal to be pitched to anyone else. Fast forward, and about a month ago, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, an incredible blues artist and guitar player, recorded his own version of the song and it’s incredible. Anyway, some time passed between Rock ‘n’ Roll and the rest of the songs, but when we went back in, it happened fast, the songs just flew out.
The videos that accompany the songs from the album are particularly striking. Was it your intention to film them prior to the lockdown?
It was my intention to do a lot of things before the lockdown since we never saw it coming. Fortunately, I was able to give my childhood home videos to one of my best friends, Stephen Kinigopoulos. He edited them into that magic video that is, St Patrick’s Day. I cried. Ha-ha. I was able to shoot Waiting by myself on my iPhone and then for Dirty Work we all social distanced and shot it at a friend’s farm and my backyard. Then, of course, for Pauline, I did it alone with the help of my team. I’m grateful to have them as friends who know me so well, that they helped me recreate all of it.
Were you tempted to delay the release date given the pandemic?
Yes, I was tempted to delay the release, thank God my team was not. They asked me what I thought would get me through quarantine and a pandemic and I said “records and cooking.” I knew I wanted to release the song St. Patrick’s Day on St Patrick’s Day to honour my Dad, along with my Popo, who filmed all of the home videos that are edited into the video for that song. So, they encouraged me to release it then and we just kept going.
You were understandably quite emotional when you performed the songs live on social media a few weeks ago and gave invaluable background to the songs prior to playing them. What has been the reaction from your family to the album?
My family’s reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive. Their approval in what I share and write about our life is really important to me. I never want to make them relive any of the past trauma we’ve been through, which is why I think I couldn’t write this record until 10 years after losing my Dad. I played Mom the track Pauline when it was just her my sister and me in the car and it made her cry. I said: “Mom, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry.” She said “Ash, I haven’t thought about my mom that way in so long, you’re telling our families story, I’m proud of you.”
The album embodies classic country together with rockier material and classic singer- songwriter songs. What musical direction do you see yourself heading next or have you even had time to think that far ahead?
Wow, those are my three favourite things, country, rock ‘n’ roll, and classic singer/songwriter. I haven’t really thought of a direction, I just want to remain honest, and chase the best songs within. It’d be fun to get a little more rock ‘n’ roll on the next one, but I’m just going to see where the songs take us and shape it from there.
Have you ambitions to tour the album when things do get back to normal or stay closer to Nashville for live shows and how difficult is it to get a band on the road to tour?
Yes. I cannot wait to tour the album, I am missing live music and performing so much. I would love to take it everywhere. I’m part Irish and have never been to Ireland. Will you show me all the cool places if we make it there? I think all we’ll have to do is book the shows and the band will be packed in the van and ready to go. We’re all ready to get back out there.
You arrived in Nashville, like so many others, with stars in your eyes. How difficult was it coming from a more rural background?
It was very difficult. The first six months living away from home, I’d cry almost every day. I missed my family so much. I’m still such a homebody and I remember as a little girl thinking I wanted to have a career in music and knowing I’d have to travel, but never thought I could do it because I didn’t want to be away from home. I eventually adjusted to living in a big city, but I still breathe deeper when I go home or to friends’ houses in the country.
I believe your father was responsible for getting you on stage in Broadway on the first occasion.
Yes, yes, he was. We walked into a dive bar called The Wheel and he threw a 20 in the woman’s tip jar and told her “my daughter sings” the next thing I knew I was on stage singing every cover song she knew.
You’ve survived those difficult early years and are still in Nashville. Was that determination and work ethic passed down to you from your mother and grandmother?
Yes, I think my work ethic comes from my entire family. I come from hard-working, blue-collar people who work outside in the hottest days of summer and the coldest winters. My Mom, Dad, Popo and Mamal (Pauline) all started out in factories and then Popo and Dad worked construction. Dad would work a full day and come home and try to chop a load of wood before the sun went day. He worked hard. Mamal packed ammunition and my mom was a UPS driver where she was hauling packages that weighed more than her every day. They all worked hard. They all persevered because their family was counting on them. That’s how I was raised.
How difficult is it to survive in an overcrowded market in Nashville when talent alone is no guarantee to success?
Have you heard my song Waiting? Ha-ha. It’s extremely difficult. It takes loving music more than anything and a lot of people who support you and will pick you up when you fall.
You have written and co-written for some household names like Lori McKenna, Little Big Town, Wade Brown and Charles Kelly. Is your preference for writing for others or for songs to be performed by yourself?
Wow, what a question! I think it depends on the idea and the song. I get really excited about both.
Is your preference to write alone or co-write and which comes easier to you?
I like to start ideas alone and then if I feel like someone can offer more to the song, which is true most times, then I think about who would resonate with the idea and take it there. I definitely have to have my reading and writing time alone to fill the well back up.
I’m interested to hear if you set targets for yourself and if so where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I do. I’m always setting goals. I make vision boards. Wow. In five years, I would like to buy a house in the country: maybe my sis will have moved to Nashville by then. Adopt two more dogs. Start a family, have the ability to bring them out on the road. Have a couple more records in the can, have travelled those, maybe sell out some shows along the way, play the Ryman and write a hundred more songs that I’m completely proud of.
Interview by Declan Culliton