Last night belonged to Ashley Arrison as she performed to a sold out crowd at Nashville’s 12th & Porter. The party served a duel function, to celebrate the release of Hearts on Parade, her first full-length album, as well to celebrate her very own birthday.
The bill included the who’s who of Nashville’s young singer-songwriters club including the incredibly talented Shane McAnally, who co-wrote numerous songs with Ms. Arrison for Hearts on Parade, the ultra cool bass-wielding Rachel Loy, and the peppy Jill and Kate, who double as background singers for Kelly Clarkson.
Ms. Arrison made the songs from Hearts on Parade come to life backed by a full band which included the album’s producers Chad Copeland and Aben Eubanks. The singer kicked off her set with “Winter” followed by “Favorite Thing,” a solid 1-2 punch to warm up the crowd. She then sang “You’re Gone,” one of my favorite songs off her EP Talking Circles, while concluding the song with a little mashup of Justin Timberlake’s “Dead and Gone.”
About midway through her performance, Ms. Arrison dismissed her band and launched into a beautiful acoustic set, which truly showcased her vocals. This type of intimate setting where she’s only backed by an acoustic guitar suits her best as she projected confidence and poise with just enough vulnerability while she connected with her audience. She must’ve felt the love in the room as an impromptu sing-a-long occurred thanks to her cover of Oasis’ “Wonderwall.” (more…)
Back with this week’s Mini Millah Mix and, let me tell you, this one is definitely a keeper. Don’t be scared off by a few unrecognizable names, cos I guarantee you’ll love every track. For example, I knew the second I heard Magic Kids‘ beautiful and aptly titled “Summer” (two weeks ago, via Gorilla vs Bear) that I had to share with y’all. Same goes for TRT fan favorite (and our first ever March Madness winner, natch!) Ashley Arrison’s “California”. Arrison’s flawless Nashville-lite delivery and the ivory tickling counter melody speak to me like few songs have in a while, making it a fantastic nugget of pop with staying power. Then there’s “Made Of”, the new track from The Teenagers, which they’ve decided to release after you promote it on Twitter. Also included is another seemingly-random-yet-incredibly-excellent reinterpretation of a little-known indie folk song, by late night TV’s best backing band, The Roots. The Millah Mix from a few weeks back included Monsters of Folk’s “Dear God [2.0]“, but this time we have a ‘remix’ of an even deeper cut from Joanna Newsom’s debut album: “[The Book of] Right On” off Milk-Eyed Mender. And maybe I know very little of Murder Mystery, but the Human League-ness of “I Am (If You Are)” makes me want to know it all.
If those descriptions don’t sound promising to you, a) you’re crazy and b) check out the other tracks, cos here’s the latest Mini Millah Mix!
What do we say about Ashley Arrison that we haven’t already said in the last 12 months? All the talk, all the promise, all the hype we’ve fed you has led to this moment – the release of her debut full-length album Hearts on Parade. And she delivers, captivating her audience from the album opener, “Trying To Help You Out,” featuring Kelly Clarkson on background vocals, to its lullaby-esque closer, “Breathing.”
Hearts on Parade plays like a musical journal thanks to mixture of autobiographical elements and imaginative lyrics in each song that are representative of the ups and downs Ms. Arrison has faced in life, making the album truly authentic and easy to relate to on multiple levels.
Neither hell nor high water…nay…a crashed MacBook, could keep us from writing about Ashley Arrison’s first official music video for “Trying To Help You Out” the lead single from her forthcoming debut album Hearts on Parade. (July 1).
The video was directed by Chris Callister (“Happy Birthday, Guadalupe” The Killers) and features Ms. Arrison prepping for a night out on the town with her love interest played by the gorgeous Andrew Lander. As the video unfolds, you get the sense that something just isn’t quite right between the two as flashes of the couple in happier times frolicking on the beach are interspersed with sequences of Ms. Arrison re-enacting those tender moments by her lonesome.
Impressive first video for the singer who is quite convincing as both the lovable girl-next-door and heart-breaker. While the song features superstar Kelly Clarkson on background vocals, she does not make a guest appearance in the video. Give it a watch below. And remember when Ms. Arrison blows up, keep in mind who put you on to her, that would your friends at TRT.
“Trying to Help You Out” is full of heartbreaking pop goodness — a cautionary tale to a loved one that pursuit will result in imminent heartbreak. Ms. Arrison enlists good friend Kelly Clarkson for the song, who has co-writer credits and lends background vocals to the song. There’s beauty in restraint as Ms. Clarkson harnesses her trademark vocals creating more of a haunting effect, allowing Ms. Arrison to stand out (rightly so).
The song also features world-renowned drummer, Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple) and the uber-talented producer, songwriter and musician Aben Eubanks (Kelly Clarkson, Matt Nathanson), who was instrumental to the entire album process by performing on all of the tracks. Not too shabby for an unsigned artist huh?
Faithful readers of TRT know we’re pretty stoked about Ms. Arrison’s potential and only see tremendous success coming her way in the very near future. And it’s safe to say, music fans do too, given how many votes she was able to rack up during our March Music Madness competition to take the inaugural title.
Now, we’ve just finished listening to the full album and can tell you this, Ms. Arrison delivers all around. It was her heartfelt, honest lyrics that initially drew us to her music and Hearts On Parade stays true to that formula with its brilliant blend of well-crafted country lyrics and pop melodies. We’re already addicted.
Check out the full album track-list after the cut. Hearts on Parade is available for purchase starting July 1st on iTunes. Stay tuned, we’ll have more from Ms. Arrison soon — including her first music video for “Trying to Help You Out.”
It’s been a while since we’ve plugged singer-songwriter Ashley Arrisonon this site. And it’s time we end that drought since, after all, she is the reigning TRT March Music Madness Champion. A new behind-the-scenes video of Ms. Arrison’s album photoshoot has just hit the interwebs and we’re in love with it for a few reasons.
First, it features Ms. Arrison looking beautiful and model-esque, which we kinda hate her for — you know making it look easy and all. Second, the footage was captured around Manhattan, a city near and dear to our hearts. Is there any place better than Manhattan? Stunning architecture, history, culture, music, entertainment and crazy tourist encounters. All of which are highlighted in this video, including the crazy tourist encounters, which Ms. Arrison experiences for herself around the :22 second mark. Two words: FREAKIN’ PRICELESS. She handles the situation like the consummate pro – but still we get a kick out of it. Watch it for yourself.
Debut album set for July 1 release — TRT is trekking to Nashville for her album release party. So if you’re going to be there too — give us a shout, maybe we’ll buy you a drink for being a faithful reader.
Update: In case you were wondering who is behind this little piece of heaven, check the credits: Photographer: Karissa Olsen, Makeup: Gabrielle Carlino, Videographer: Chris Loupos
There was probably a time when this song made total sense. When you figure it out, please let us know.
Perhaps the Spice Girls did a better job at fooling us than we realized. At first, Wannabe just sounded like a pointless song with random lyrics. A second listen brought on a curious thought that maybe these girls were a little freaky. Then TRT friend Ashley Arrison was kind enough to let us know via Twitter that we weren’t the only ones confused by the lyrics.
“If you wannabe my lover, you gotta get with my friends. Make it last forever, friendship never ends.”
Thankfully, these girls are hardly relevant anymore, and with any luck, we won’t be forced to endure many more of their songs. On the other hand, they make for easy Bad Music Monday picks.
Our apologies. This song is apparently so bad that all embedding options were disabled for the official video. Instead, you get footage of a live performance in Paris.
In the last six months, singer-songwriter Ashley Arrison has become one of the most talked about indie artists at The Round Table, culminating in being crowned our first-ever March Music Madness Champion. Based on the sheer number of votes submitted, it’s apparent Ms. Arrison has made a lasting impression on music fans, not to mention she has won the hearts of some of the site’s toughest critics. All impressive accomplishments for an artist who has yet to release her first full-length album, which is slated for July 1st.
Ms. Arrison took time out from her busy recording schedule to chat with TRT. She was kind enough to give us some insight as to her musical influences, what fans can expect from her upcoming album, and her reaction to taking the March Music Madness title. And while Ms. Arrison takes her music very seriously, wasn’t afraid to let her guard down and let her personality shine through. She even indulged our desire to name-drop some of the industry’s greatest whom she calls her friends. Read our interview with Ashley Arrison below.
TRT: As the reigning champion of TRT’s first ever March Music Madness tournament voted on by the fans, can you tell us what it meant to you to have tremendous fan support pushing you through each round? Were you surprised at all?
AA: Are you kidding? So surprised. First, I thought it was cruel to pit me against Rhianna in the first round! After I won that round, I knew this was a battle of indies, so I was sure I didn’t have a chance against Tony Lucca, who I love! And then Matthew Mayfield started talking smack and the heat was turned up! But seriously, every single one of these artists have bigger fan bases than I do at this point, so it is a true testament to my fans that they rallied like they did. The re-tweets and mass emails were in effect!
After two weeks of intense head-to-head competition we’re stoked to crown Ashley Arrison as TRT’s first-ever March Music Madness Champion. This feat should not be taken lightly as Ms. Arrison pulled off the improbable, starting with a first-round upset over megastar Rihanna. Thanks to her loyal fans and grassroots efforts, she went on to set voting records in the subsequent rounds, knocking off Tegan & Sara, Tony Lucca, and Matthew Mayfield respectively.
Yesterday, Ms. Arrison found herself in the Championship showdown with Beat Radio, yet another indie project with a faithful following. When the final votes were tallied, it was Ms. Arrison who stood victorious on the shoulders’ of her determined legion of fans.
March Music Madness had a little of everything – fun, excitement, the unpredictable, trash-talking (shout to Sendrowitz fam!) and (thankfully) very little Lady Gaga. A big thank you to all the artists who made the competition a success! For the fans who diligently voted each day, we hope you’ll stick around TRT – there’s lots more to come from your favorite artists – starting with Ashley Arrison (hint…hint…).
Get your popcorn ready! It’s time for a battle between two virtual underdogs who fought their way through TRT Music Madness despite facing some of music’s biggest names on their way to the championship. Beat Radio and Ashley Arrison seemingly breezed through the tournament, helping draw a record number of visitors to The Round Table. They didn’t do it alone — it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of their respective fans. But other indie acts also helped make the first-ever TRT Music Madness an amazing success.
We started as a three friends having conversations about music during lunches together at the office. Since then we have expanded to seven members, including a Chi-town native, and the conversations have gotten bigger and better. The Round Table has grown into a casual setting where music aficionados can gather to discuss all things music. Topics include (but not limited to) artists and bands, new music releases, concerts, recording industry news and concerns, and the occasional nugget of entertainment gossip. We have tastes that cover the entire music spectrum and love to share them (and our opinions) with each other. We are The Round Table! Come join the conversation!
