The Sound Of Dissent: What Today’s Protest Anthems Tell Us About This Movement
“Strange Fruit.” “Fortunate Son.” “What’s Going On.” Protest songs are part of the American story.
Ashley Sofia grew up in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, just a quarter mile from her grandparents’ apple orchard in Upstate New York. Her mother collected books and antiques, and her father—a former merchant marine—taught her the art of storytelling and folk songs on the same guitar he traveled the world with. Drawing heavily from her surrounding landscape and leaning into the isolation that living in a state park afforded her, Sofia began a prolific career in songwriting at the age of 17.
Sofia released her debut record, Love and Fury, in 2014, with critical acclaim heralding her as the “21st-century reincarnation of the Laurel Canyon folk-rock sound.” After the success of Love and Fury, Sofia ventured outside the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park and began a new chapter in Nashville, where she still lives and makes music.
Enlisting the help of her closest friends in the business and some of the best musicians in Nashville, Sofia co-produced her sophomore album, Shades of Blue — she also holds the sole songwriting credit on every track, making this record a singular vision of things she has felt and seen while navigating her twenties and traveling across America. Her uncompromising take on both the struggles and victories that connect us all is accentuated by a 1970s-inspired sound, complete with organ and sitar, along with unmistakably rich vocals.
Get a signed copy of Ashley Sofia's sophomore album, Shades of Blue, when you order from her online store.