This past November, Illinois pop-rock group Ashland released “Over The Moon” via Rise Records, and let me tell you, this release will grow on you with each listen.
Ashland, while they have a touring band, primarily composes of Asia Marie on vocals and Aaron Wood on guitars. They are riding a serious wave of momentum as they opened for Our Last Night this past winter. With “Over The Moon”, they will make you fall head over heels for the band.
The arrangements and vocal prowess of Asia Marie are immediately evident in the opening cut “I Hate That”. The arrangements sound and feel like a sunny dreamscape over the horizon, then Aaron Wood comes in like a thief in the night and lays some of the most beautiful and stunning guitar licks I have ever heard in a pop song. From the inception, Ashland shows why Rise Records signed them, they bend genres and break generational barriers.
“Over The Moon” is a heartbreaking tale of chasing that love and the one of your dreams and the one of your dreams never responds. Asia Marie does a great job of telling the story in her voice balancing between sound naive for the one of her dreams and coming to the realization that he is never coming for her. Aaron Wood provides subtle guitar licks that add so much to the song.
“Motivation” is about rising up again after getting rejected. The lyrics are universally relatable because they can apply to any situation, whether it be not getting that job promotion, or being rejected, or in Asia Marie’s case maybe not being good enough for that producer or record label. “Just another door that somebody shut/But you can be sure I’m gonna open one up/It’s just another, another motivation(mmm,mmm, mmmm)” croons Asia Marie in a defiant voice.
What you get with Ashland is a world full of potential coupled with arrangements, vocals and lyrics that are absolutely meaningful, and that is a lethal package. Ashland is destined for stardom, it literally does not matter what kind of music you enjoy, they are good, I mean GOOD at what they do. All we need is for the stars to align properly and Ashland will be at the top of the mountain in no time. 10/10 stars for “Over The Moon” for Ashland! Check out the track listing below:
- I Hate That
- Over The Moon
- Motivation
- No Place
- Ghost
- Get To Know You
- OMG
- Think You Know Me
- I Don’t Mind
- Gotta Go
Check out the music video for “Over The Moon” below:
Fans can find Ashland at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/AshlandOfficial
www.twitter.com/ashlandofficial
www.instagram.com/ashlandofficial
