Singer/songwriter Ashley Ray is releasing her third album, Pauline, Aug. 14 on Soundly Music. Ray kicked off 2020 by receiving a Grammy nom for Best Country Group Performance for Little Big Town’s “The Daughters” — a Top 40 hit she co-wrote with Sean McConnell and Karen Fairchild.
Produced by McConnell, Ray’s Pauline is an autobiographical album rooted in experiences from the Kansas native’s own life. Raised by working-class parents, she left town after high school and relocated to Nashville, where she established herself not only as a solo artist, but also as a versatile songwriter. Pauline focuses on the lessons Ray learned back home in Kansas, with songs that tell true stories about life and love in Middle America.
“This record came to life by putting memories to music. I have my family to thank for their will to keep the ones we’ve lost alive through stories,” says Ray. “There’s not a BBQ, get-together, or holiday where we don’t talk about ‘the good ole days’ and the people we’ve lost. This record is my love letter to them, the ones still here, and the ones gone that we’ll see on down the road.”
Ray debuts the heart-wrenching new single “Just A House” on Friday, July 10. Inspired by the death of her father and the ensuing agony of watching her widowed mother attempt to maintain their family home on her own, “Just A House” is a daughter’s desperate plea in the aftermath of shattering loss.
“When I started playing the record for people, ‘Just A House’ was the song that people seemed to really relate to. It was like they saw themselves and could acknowledge their own stories in mine,” Ray says. “As a writer, that’s the ultimate gift and compliment. It blows me away that a plea, and a story about a loss so personal to me and my family, can inspire someone to tell me all about their own story of loss. No life is parallel with any other, but we all share the sadness of losing someone and not wanting to let them go.”
Pauline Track Listing:
1. Pauline
2. Lawrence, KS
3. Dirty Work
4. St. Patrick’s Day
5. Slurry
6. Warm Body
7. Just A House
8. Off The Wagon Again
9. Waiting
10. Rock N Roll
About the Author
Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at [email protected]View Author Profile
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