The Musical Adventures of Ashleigh Caudill

Tracking a demo at the Tree House Studio!

2012-02-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

I don't have a whole lot of time to write, so this one will be mostly pictures and a tune!

I went into the studio the other day with some incredible people who also happen to be killer musicians to record a demo of a tune that I wrote a while back with my good friend, Jodi Palmer. The tune is called Polly Andrey.

We had Tim Carter, of the awesome Tree House Studio and the Carter Brothers, running all the fancy recording gear and playing the banjo:

The oh so talented, Brad Folk, playing guitar:

Of course Ruby was there to supervise:

Myself on bass:

Brad Folk, singin:

Chris Henry tearing it up on mandolin, a guitar break and the harmony vocals:

And now, you can listen to what we came up with here:

Stay posted for more adventures in the future!

First full week in Nashville...

2012-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

So far, so good. There is so much going on all the time. I think I've been out almost every single night since I've been here... save for the night I snuck away to the State Park to spend a little time in the woods.

First official gig as a Nashville resident... also first official gig of February: I'll be playing this Thursday (Feb 2nd) at Bootleggers on Broadway at 6pm with a fella named Tyson Alteri and a handful of other folks (Aaron Till, John Tomlin, Robert Trapp). There will be lots of other awesome bands after that too, so if you live in the Nashville area, come make a night of it!

Driving across the country on the way here was beautiful as usual, and it was nice to break up the drive by stopping by a few radio stations on the way. A big thanks to Ida Jane and Jake in Missouri! On top of that, I got to visit the Bluegrass Museum in Owensboro Kentucky! Now that place has a lot of awesome stuff in it! If you haven't been there, I strongly suggest that you go.

Finally, I'll finish up with some pictures I took of signs along the way.

I think taking pictures of signs along the way will become a fun activity for long drives. If you have any themes you'd like to recommend for certain parts of the country, just shoot me a message on facebook!

Hope everyone has a great week and a wonderful February!

Ashleigh

almost on the road again

2012-01-17T14:43:00.000-08:00

Blog update number two for 2012!

I'm still in Loveland Colorado trying to get my act together to get out of here and on to Nashville. I'm also contacting a few radio stations across the country to see about stopping in and saying "hey!"

I just finished up a great workshop at Swallow Hill in Denver Colorado with a great group of students. They were a fun and very creative bunch and such a joy to work with!

Also, here are some pictures of my van updates for all my driving shavannaghans... huh huh.

I'm sure that Ruby and Lump are eager to get going as well. We'll miss the family, and the dog family, but Lump is excited to have Ruby all to herself again.

Wish us luck and I'll write again from the road!

-Ashleigh, Ruby and sometimes Lump

hello 2012

2012-01-09T18:38:00.002-08:00

I'm sitting in the living room at my brother's house in Loveland Colorado, looking at my little niece, Kenna, sitting on the top of a pile of dogs in the middle of the floor.

I've been making plans and getting organized. 1012 is gonna be a pretty exciting year for me. I've packed up my van and after a great long holiday with my family I'm getting ready to relocate to Nashville Tennessee. I know that I'll miss Asheville, just like I miss all the awesome places I've lived before, but I'm super excited for my next adventure!

I want to start 2012 by wishing you all the very best year ever!

Kennas Song by ashleighcaudillmusic

I've made many new years resolutions this year, we'll see how many of them I keep. In fact, I've already broken a few of them, but I'll just keep trying until next year.

I'll be teaching a songwriting workshop at Swallow Hill in Denver this weekend (January 14th and 15th) and then I'll be reluctantly leaving Colorado once again, watching the mountains shrink in the rear view mirror, that is if I can even see out of it...

Thanks for reading! Merry merry happy happy new year!

Ashleigh

Catching up...

2011-11-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time. With that said I welcome you back to my oh so sporadic blog. Where to start? I guess I'll start with a quick catch up.

I had the best IBMA I think I've ever had. I wrangled up a great group of musicians at the last min to join me for my songwriters spot in the Acoustic Trail Suite! A great big thank you to Courtney Hartman, Joe Walsh, Jodi Boyce, Seth Rhinehart, and all the folks who came out and listened!

After that, I was off to Colorado to teach a workshop in Montrose. I had a great group of students and such a great time!

It didn't hurt that I got to spend some time with my niece, Kenna... oh and the rest of my family too.

I've been playing some awesome shows with Nikki Talley lately. I even got to go to Florida in October! Swam in the river... didn't get eaten by alligators... didn't get to eat any alligators... saw some great music!

I guess the biggest news I have to share is that I'll be moving to Nashville in January. I'm planning on staying for at least a year. I'm going to miss the mountains, I'm going to miss North Carolina, but I'm excited to give Nashville a try. I've been threatening to do it for years, so thats right folks, you heard me right... Nashville Tennessee.

Well, I hope to update sooner than later, but we'll see if that happens or not. So just in case, have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Ashleigh

Where did the summer go?

2011-08-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Where did the summer go? Temperatures have been soaring all summer long, but its finally starting to cool off at night... almost cold enough for a sweatshirt, and the other day while I was walking through the woods I found the most perfect fall leaf! This summer, like most summers just flew by. I'm excited about the fall. I'm always excited about the fall, but I'm not ready for Winter and unfortunately it usually comes right after fall.

So, I've been seriously slacking off on this blog lately, but I guess that is almost as sure a thing as Winter following Autumn. That said:

I went to my very first fiddler's convention in Galax and it was awesome! I was only able to be there for Monday and Tuesday so I missed seeing a lot of friends that showed up later in the week. Next time I plan on staying for the whole week, camping and all, and maybe dragging my parents and a few friends along.

My Grandma Caudill at Galax watching the fiddle contest:

Last time I blogged I had just gotten back from a little trip with Rorey Carroll down to the coast. Since then I've taken a band down to Georgia to play at Sawnee Mountain Music in Cumming (where the odometer in the van rolled over 200,000!),

taken a few day hikes, and played the most awesome show with Nikki Talley at the Porter Center in Brevard.

On my way home from Galax, I stopped at the Linville Caverns and took the cave tour. Now I want to book an entire tour where we play everywhere there is a cave tour... I'll call it the Ashleigh Caudill Cave Tour!

Anyway, Nikki called me while I was in Virginia for the fiddler's convention and left me half a dozen voicemails (I don't get cell service there, or hardly anywhere, thanks to Sprint, but thats a different story) to see if I was available to play with her that Saturday. I was, and boy am I glad!

The show was at the Porter Center in Brevard, probably the biggest venue I've played at in a while, and it was a benefit for SAFE , a program that provides help and services to victims of domestic violence. Songwmith Gathering features four very talented songwriters, Julie Lee, Nikki Talley, Shannon Whitworth and Beth Wood, with a big awesome finale at the end.

When we first walked in the door I met Julie Lee who was sitting in the green room playing the cutest little 4-string banjo that I have ever seen, and about five minutes later she was teaching me one of her tunes, a super awesome haunting tune called Plague of Blood, which she had Shannon and I back her up on at the end of her set.

I love last minute collaborations!

Everyone else filtered in, sound checks happened, I met the rest of the musicians (everyone seemed to know each other pretty well from the last year) and then we ate. We ate the most delicious food I think most of us had eaten in a long time. Not only is it awesome to get to play a great venue for a great cause with great people but on top of everything to get fed gourmet food before hand! Above and beyond!

The show was great, the turnout was awesome and the finale wasn't bad either. It was fun to get to play with such a large group of musicians. Seven people doesn't quite compare to an actual big band, or even Lyle Lovett's large band, but I'll take it!

So, now on to upcoming things... I've got more shows with Nikki coming up, I've also got a few with Matt Purinton and Charles Hedgepath... check out my schedule for more information on those and all AC&NG shows. This fall and winter I'll be doing quite a few solo shows, and some duo shows as well. I'll also be teaching a few songwriting workshops!

The first workshop will be in Montrose Colorado on October 8th and 9th. There might be one on the Front Range too, but I'll keep you posted on that.

IBMA is also coming up and I might, just might, make an appearance at Folk Alliance in Memphis this year... We'll see...

I think thats all I have time for now... Thanks for reading!

A few days in Charleston SC

2011-07-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Yesterday it was so hot and humid that you could see the moisture hanging in the air over the city. Today we were lucky enough to be cooled down significantly by a couple thunder storms.
We're getting ready to play our last show in the Charleston area. We're fortunate that we get to play the same bar two nights in a row! We're also fortunate that we met some truly interesting people on this trip... most of them musicians. The other night after we finished playing on James' Island and the crowd dwindled a little there was still a large handful of people lingering... come to find out, almost all of them are musicians!

Last night I broke an E string. Thats probably the third time in my life that has ever happened. I thought it might be a good idea to auction it off at the show, but that didn't work out very well... the only reason I can think of is because I'm not a very good auctioneer. I'll try again tonight, but this time I'm gonna try marketing it as a key chain to up its commercial value. Everyone likes a key ring!

I have yet to buy another camera charger, so I don't have a whole lot of pictures, but we did have quiet a few talented photographers stop by various shows and they captured some pretty cool shots. Here are some of my favorites:

Rorey as a Zombie:

Band shot at Home Team BBQ:

Playing a little banjo at The Tucker Fountain:

Today we wandered around Charleston, looked a lot of historic buildings, and checked out the wares on Market Street. Ruby made friends with a couple of draft mules that were working down town. They were almost entirely disinterested in her but she was fascinated with them. I'm sure they've seen quiet a few dogs in their time... and they were the first draft mules she had ever met.

Well, as much as I'm looking forward to tonight's show, I'm also really looking forward to getting back to Asheville and having a little bit of down time.

Colorado and back then to the beach!

2011-07-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday America! I know thats a little late, but I'm usually late on birthday wishes...

I flew out to Colorado after being back in Asheville for a little more than a week. I flew into Denver where my mom picked me up from the airport and promptly took me to meet my brand new niece, Kenna!

The week in Colorado was a whirlwind. I spent some more time in Lyons than I did on the last trip. I didn't even make it up to Fort Collins. The drive over to Montrose was beautiful as usual and it was good to spend a little time hanging out as well as playing music with some of my very favorite musicians, Jodi Boyce, Zebulon Bowles, and David Richey. The show went well, the weather held up and the fireworks were AWESOME! The trip was too short and before I knew it I was back on an airplane at 6am for a big fat layover in Texas. Top it off with the fact that I left my phone on the coffee table of my brother's house in Loveland. So I am feeling rather old fashioned in not having a cell phone for the week.

I'm currently in Charleston SC on tour with the Rorey Carroll Band. We're having a blast and trying to stay cool in the oppressive heat and humidity of the South Eastern Coast. I'll be sure to post some pictures a little later, right now I think its time for a little rehearsal.

Ah, Asheville, its good to be back!

2011-06-27T11:12:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I'm back in Asheville again, and it sure feels good to be here. Its been a whirlwind summer, and it doesn't look like its slowing down any time soon.

First things first, I am now officially "Aunt Ashleigh!" My brother Lucas, and his wife, Stephanie had their first child on June 23rd. Please welcome the newest addition to the Caudill clan, Kenna Marie Caudill!

Now, lets catch up on things musically related.

Thrusday I had the honor to play with the likes of Gary Mackey, Griff Martin, Jason Fournoy and Matt Purinton at a lovely private party in Unicoi TN. The setting was beautiful, and there were peacocks running around everywhere, even an all white one. Can't say that I've ever seen that before. Another first was getting a request for William White from a 9 (I think) year old girl. I think she would have to be our youngest fan, and one after my own heart, who loves the murder ballads!

Friday I was thrilled to be part of the Nikki Talley band at Jack of the Wood. The bar was full to the gills and Nikki rocked it as usual.

Saturday we were thrilled to be a part of the Where the Hills are Blue Concert Series at the White Horse in Black Mountain. The other band on the bill with us was Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition. I haven't had the chance to hear them before, but was glad I did this time! What a great show! After that we all slipped off for the after party pickin at the By Water in Asheville, where we got to catch up with a few hometown folks we haven't seen in a while.

Currently, I'm blogging while working on a few tunes on the banjo... I thought it was hard to play banjo to begin with, now typing and picking is becoming quite the challenge. So lets wrap this up...

I'll be in Montrose for the 4th of July for Fourth Fest. I can't wait to get to spend some quality Montrose time, and little more Colorado time before I run back to the South East to play a few shows with Rorey Carroll.

I"ll post some pictures soon!

Ashleigh

Colorado Springs... What a beautiful sight!

2011-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We are currently in Colorado Springs. I'm getting in some serious, computer work time in. I'd rather be romping around in the mountains. Its torture sitting here answering emails while the sun is beaming down, and a light breeze rustles the leaves outside. I guess I'll make this one as quick and through as I can.

Last I wrote we were in Wray before the first Colorado show. We are now about to play our second to last Colorado show for this month... I've really been slacking off!

The show at 4th & Main was awesome! Its always awesome to play in Wray, so we expected nothing less. It was the first time the four of us (Matt Purinton, David Richey, Zebulon Bowls and myself) had all played together at the same time. We've all picked in various configurations, but all four of us at the same time was even better than I had expected! We had a blast, and continued to have a blast into the early morning hours with the few stragglers who didn't want to go home yet.

Thursday, we all drove to the Front Range. I thought the drive across Kansas was long (and it was) but being so close yet so far out
on the plains... lets just say it was a longer drive than I had expected.

Matt and I arrived at my brother Lucas, and sister in law, Steph's house in the late afternoon, said hello to the pets and dropped Ruby off to play with her doggie cousin Kingston for the afternoon. Then we headed over to David's house for some more pickin, followed by catching a show at Avos. Funny thing is, the show we went to see was the Town Mountain show. Thats right, we drove from North Carolina to Colorado to hear a band from our home town. We never get to see them when we're in Asheville. I'm not really sure why, but the show was great and we tried not to stay out too late...

Early Friday morning we went up to play on the Radio in Fort Collins. KRFC is a great radio station, they play great music and they have bands play live every weekday from noon to 1pm! We lucked out and had an exceptional host, an awesome sound tech and a super fun time! After the radio show, we all split off... some to the river, some to the mountains, some for a nap... then we regrouped at the Bar SS in Laporte. The place is a lot different now that its not the Swing Station, but we adjusted pretty quickly. We played outside... it was colder than we expected, but we managed. It was great to see so many people out who heard us on the radio!

Saturday was another bright and early morning... taking off for Pueblo, to spend two days down by the river playing at Bluegrass on the River! One of my favorite festivals! We have a few videos up online... I'll see if I can figure out how to post them onto the blog... we'll see if I can remember how... Pueblo was a whirlwind. We saw so many friends, family, pickers, campers, tents, vendors... the list goes on. We had two main stage sets and one acoustic set, late night pickin, jumping in the river time, lounging in the sun time... too much fun!

Since then, Matt and I have been playing a plethora of duo shows. We were lucky enough to score some great afternoon concerts, that took us to beautiful places like Walden Colorado. If you don't know where that is, its in North Park. North Park is North of South Park. We drove there through the Poudre Canyon on a bright and sunny day... drove from sunny Fort Collins right up until the side of the road was covered with snow... but it was still sunny and warm. Thats Colorado for ya!

So much for making this a quick entry. I'll go ahead and remind you of a few shows we have coming up:

This Friday, June 17th, We'll be in Montrose for the Skylark Concert Series at Cobble Creek. We're also planning on dropping by an open mic on Thursday with my dad... I'm pretty sure that takes place at the Red Barn

On June 25th we'll be in Black Mountain NC at the White Horse along with Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition. That show starts at 8:00pm and it will be our first time at the White Horse, so if you're around we'd love to see you!

June 27th we'll be at the Mast Farm Inn! This will be another first for us. We've been trying to find a time to get out there to play and we finally worked it out. I'm really looking forward to this one. I hear its beautiful out there and I can't wait to see it!

July 4th, I'll be back in Colorado with a great group of guys for Fourth Fest in Montrose CO! We play right before the fireworks! I do love fireworks!!!

Well I hope your eyes aren't burning from staring at the computer screen for too long! Thanks for reading!

Colorado shows!

2011-06-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Hope to see any of you that dwell in Colorado in the next week.

Our first show is tonight in Wray. We're hanging out enjoying the nice weather until its time to play. The drive over went off without a hitch, but it was, as usual, a long drive. By the time we got a little more than half way through Kansas, we couldn't take it anymore and we had to stop. We ended up stopping in Salina Kansas and decided to have a beer. We ended up hanging out for a while and bringing our instruments and picking some. The plan was to sit in a corner and play a few tunes and be ignored, but the plan changed as soon as we started playing. Everyone in the bar came over and listened and were very excited to have live music. We played until close and then listened to the rain and thunder while we fell asleep, hoping that there would be no tornados.

The next day, after much driving, we stopped at a state park and swam, ran, walked, and lounged in the sunshine. Of all of us, I think that Ruby was the most excited to be there. She didn't stop zooming from the time she got out of the car until it was time to leave. Upon arriving to Wray we stopped into 4th & Main and had some of the best food we've had in a very long time, and hung out with our gracious host EJ and later with Briar playing a strange full body video game where you have to jump over things and pet cats and ride in boats.

That should catch you up on most of our adventures thus far, and we haven't even played a show yet!

I'm really looking forward to tonight. I couldn't have asked for a better group of musicians for this tour. We'll have Zebulon Bowles on fiddle, David Richey on guitar and dobro, Matt Purinton on Mandolin and of course, me playing bass!

Some pictures from the last couple of months

2011-05-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

A close up of my new banjo, photo by Sandi Purinton:

My CD's on sale at MerleFest! I can still hardly believe it!

Singing Row by Row at MerleFest!

A funny little duck that I lured to me with my banjo duck walk song:

Ruby's life is so hard!

Window art:
Playing in Isle of Palms with Nikki Talley:
A snapping turtle resting on a log:

I guess this one speaks for itself

My tour office in January:

Spanish Moss.

Ruby and Matt Jump over me in the snow:

There you go. Some highlights from the last couple months in photo form.

In New Jersey...

2011-05-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm in New Jersey and once again I'm sitting in my van using the McDonald's WiFi.

Very soon, any moment now, we'll start the drive up to East Wareham MA for Bluegrass on the Bogs. We don't play until Sunday, but who can resist hanging around a festival? Certainly not I.

The night before last we were in Fredericksburg, VA, where we waited out the hail in the van and then wandered around in the pouring rain until we stumbled upon a bar that had everything... There were pin ball machines, big buck hunt, a bean bag toss video game, live music, cheap beer, cheap pizza AND alligator tail! We ordered some beer, some alligator chunks and played pinball until we ran out of change. I haveto say that alligator is pretty tasty! I never expected to be eating alligator in Virginia. I guess that just goes to show that you really never can tell whats going to happen.

Yesterday we spent most of the afternoon driving through somepretty heavy rain and stopping for the night somewhere in New Jersey, where we still are. What I enjoyed most of all yesterday was getting a chance to listen to my friend, Rorey Carroll's CD, Roadside Lullabies. I've heard it before, but this was the first time I got to listen to it beginning to end, uninterrupted. If you don't have this CD yet, I highly recommend that you purchase it. My three favorite tracks are the first track, about heading to the south, the murder ballad (of course) and the fun and bouncy, Rhythm. I'm not going to tell you which tracks they are, you'll just have to get the CD and listen all the way through.

Oh, and don't forget that Rorey will be opening for us out in Colorado at Bar SS on Friday June 3rd.

Which reminds me: I am so excited to go to Colorado! It seemed like it was so far away, and now here it is, right in front of me! I'm also excited to get home to my sweet little Ruby dog, and Lump and spend some quality time before we hit the road again, this time, with Ruby along for the ride.

Alright, Here's a preview of one of our Colorado Tour posters!

See ya!

Stealing WiFi from McDonald's?

2011-05-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

I am currently sitting in the van outside of a McDonald's in Petersburg VA using the free WiFi. We're slowly making out way up to our final destination (for this trip anyway) Bluegrass on the Bogs in East Wareham Massachusetts.

We stared the whole trip off just outside of Wilmington NC, in Kure Beach, where Matt's grandparents live. Unfortunately I can't find the charger for my camera, so there aren't going to be too many pictures of this trip... unless I take them with my phone I guess. Anyway, we had a blast at the beach! Its hard not to have fun at the beach, but the climate was right for the perfect beach trip, the only thing that could have been better is if we got to stay longer.

The biggest highlight for me was getting to surf. I had a chance to learn in Mexico last summer but for some reason I chickened out. Either way, I finally tried it and it was awesome! I'm pretty lousy at it, but I was getting better and better, swallowing more and more water and then getting progressively worse. Its takes a lot more energy than one might think, and I ended up with a couple bruises that are about golf ball sized if not a little misshapen from loosing my grip on the board in the shallower water. I would say that it was worth it and Matt was a fine surf instructor and I will certainly try it again next time I get the chance.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to New England soon, but the trip is going to be so short that I don't think I'll get to see any of my old buddies in Boston, New Hampshire or Maine! Looks like I'll have to be planning another trip soon!

A video from Shakori Hills Festival

2011-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a video from the Shakori Hills Festival a few weeks back, so, here it is!

Thats Nikky Talley, with Lyndsay Pruett on fiddle and me on the bass!

MerleFest and summer shows!

2011-05-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

MerleFest was a blast! Matt and I got to go to MerleFest and perform Row by Row in the onsite Chris Austin Songwriting Contest! We had a blast and got the royal treatment. We played, we listened to the other contestants, we waited and results are in... Row by Row came in 2nd in the bluegrass category! We're thrilled!

Now, moving right along, Summer shows!

We'll be spending quite a bit of June in Colorado, but before then, Matt and I (the Narrow Gauge Duo) will head up to New England to play at Bluegrass on the Bogs in East Wareham MA! We'd love to see old friends and make new ones as well. This one looks like its going to be a lot of fun! Sunday May 22nd is the day we'll be playing.

Then we'll head west.

June 1st we'll be playing at 4th & Main in Wray Colorado. We played here last year and had so much fun that we just had to come back and do it again.

Friday June 3rd we'll be at Bar SS in Laporte Colorado (formerly the Swing Station). This will be our first time here, so come on out and join us! The wonderful and talented Rorey Carroll will be opening up the show and may be sitting in on a few throughout as well.

On Saturday & Sunday (June 4th &5th) we are pleased to be part of the great lineup for Bluegrass on the River in Pueblo Colorado. Its one of my favorites and it will be yours too if you decide to go!

After Pueblo, we'll cut half the band loose and head over to Montrose, where Matt and I will play as part of the Skylark Concert Series at Cobble Creek on June 17th. If you miss out on this concert, be sure to catch the full band on July 4th right before the fireworks, where we'll of course be sporting our best patriotic outfits!

Oh and how could I forget to let you know who the band is for this trip! I'm thrilled to be playing with such fine musicians as Matt Purinton, David Richey & Zebulon Bowles!

Thats all we have for our Colorado adventure, and I'll be sure to update you on the rest of the summer plans as we go. To find out where we'll be playing and when, be sure to check out our calender!

Hope to see you this summer!

Taking off on a little tour with Nikki Talley!

2011-04-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before. I'll be doing a lot of shows with Nikki Talley. We take off from Asheville tomorrow around noon and here is where we are going:

04-08 Morgan Creek Grill - Isle of Palms, SC - 6:30 pm
04-09 house concert - Charleston, SC - 7:00 pm
04-10 Lulu's Chocolate Bar - Savannah , GA 7:00 pm
04-11 The Casbah - Jacksonville, FL - 9:00 pm

For more information on the shows visit www.nikkitalley.com

I'll also try and upload pictures and stories as we go along... if not, I guess you'll just have to wait until I return to hear of all our wonderful adventures!

Have a wonderful day, week, and weekend!

Ashleigh

Welcome, spring!

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

Its beautiful here in Asheville! The grass is green, the sun is out, the flowers are blooming, and my kitty, Lump, is telling me that its time for her lunch.

With spring comes some exciting news, new shows and the season for travel!

I'll start with the shows. We've got some pretty exciting ones coming up. We'll be at one of my favorite festivals in Colorado, Bluegrass on the River in Pueblo. Unfortunately this is going to be the last year that their having it, although I am glad that we are going to be a part of it.
We'll also be playing a handful of full band shows on the Front Range (I'll post specifics later) and another handful of duo shows (featuring Matt Purinton, and myself). Be sure to check our schedule to find out about where we'll be.

In other news I'll be playing quite a bit with the lovely and talented, Nikki Talley. She's a great singer, guitarist, and songwriter from the Asheville area. I'll be posting the shows that I'll be joining her for in a bit. One that I'm particularly excited about is the Shakori Hills Spring Grassroots Festival.

And now for the very most exciting news: my tune, Row By Row, was selected as a finalist in the Bluegrass category of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest! What this means is that I will be traveling to Merlfest and performing my song (along with Matt Purinton) on the Chris Austin Stage in the final competition! I am very excited about it, and I feel so honored to have made it this far.

Thats all the news I have for you today. If you're free tonight, come to Black Mountain North Carolina and hang out with us at the Town Pump Tavern. I've got a great group of guys pickin with me tonight: Gary Mackey (fiddle), Matt Purinton (mandolin), Griff Martin (guitar), and maybe a few special guests!

Happy spring!
-Ashleigh

Warmin up the winter

2011-02-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

Hello and happy February!

Its been a cold winter so far. I think that goes for most of the country this year. While I was in Colorado for Christmas, I was thinking it was never going to get cold and snow. Well I guess I really asked for it. Its been cold in North Carolina. We had a great deal of snow in January, and now its cold (and I mean really cold) in Colorado, as well as everywhere else!

As cold as it is, we're going to try and warm up the winter, and I suggest you do the same. We've got some shows coming up and I think if we fill these places with as many bodies as possible we'll all be a little warmer. The food and drink might help, and hopefully the music will draw you out of any winter doldrums.

Here's the weekend schedule... starting on Thursday...

February 10th, we'll be at Smiley's Acoustic Cafe at 7pm. We'll be playing with the illustrious Charles Hedgepath (a fine guitar picker and great singer). Anyone who's ever been to Smiley's knows that they have great food, and an awesome selection of beverages, so bring your family and bring your friends!

February 11th, we'll be at Barley's in Spindale. Yet another great place to eat, drink, be merry, and hear some bluegrass!

February 12th, We'll be at the Mount Gilliad Music Barn! This is a dancing venue, so be sure to bring your dancing shoes and be prepared to be wowed by the regulars. Just watching them dance wears me out! This will also be the first 4 piece of the weekend. The lineup will be Matt Purinton, Myself, Charles Hedgepath and banjoist, Nick Coker.

Saint Valentine's Day is coming up, but I'm sure you all remembered that.

In case you didn't know February is also:
African American History Month
American Heart Month
Cat Health Month
Grapefruit Month
Library Lover's Month

and who could forget, Potato Lover's Month

So, get out there and celebrate, keep warm, and support live music!

-Ashleigh

Matt & Ashleigh fly south for the winter...

2011-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

Well... we didn't fly south... we drove... and we're not staying for the whole winter, just a little while.

When we left Asheville, it was a winter wonderland! I'm so happy that I got to spend some time in the snow this winter, and Asheville certainly looks lovely under a blanket of white. However, I'm glad we got the chance to go to the beach and hang out in the sunshine, while at the same time play a whole lot of music.

We've been playing a lot of private parties, and afternoon concerts. So far, we've been well received and we're having a blast! I wish we brought along a video camera, because I'd love to share some of our new arrangements and new tunes!

What I can give you for now is a little glimpse into our tour via some pictures:

Our porch when we left Asheville:

Ruby's first trip to the beach:

Still a little cold:

Collected a few shells:

Savannah (right after we were serenaded by a street performer singing, Georgia. It was pouring, but he kept on playing):

Last but not least, a beautiful sunset:

Its been a fun trip so far. I spent most of today taking pictures of all the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees here in Brunswick. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't more stew here, but I guess I'll get over it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

-Ashleigh

December Drawing winners!

2011-01-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our December Drawing winners!

Bernie Galus and Mike Singer!

Thanks to everyone who participated and better luck next time to everyone except for Bernie Galus and Mike Singer!

Stay tuned for more drawings in the future!!!

Nice review in Bluegrass Unlimited!

2011-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

2011 has already been good to me. Check out the latest Fruit of the Vine review in Bluegrass Unlimited!

ASHLEIGH CAUDILL
FRUIT OF THE VINE
No Label
AC0002

Usually promo quotes on album covers must be taken in context. In the case of Ashleigh Caudill’s new recording, they prove true. Ashleigh Caudill, as Claire Lynch writes, does indeed “have an undeniable gift for songwriting.”

While the themes of her 12 originals are the basic themes of poor but happy, hard times, wishing for love, working toward the promised land, murder, death and the joys of being in love, what raises them to a superior level is her creativity at blending contemporary touches with older traditional forms and rhythms. The insistent 3/4 pulse of “Toil & Shame,” for example, has a chorus that calls to mind the old folk tune “Wind And Rain,” but also has a short interlude that makes me think of The Band. “Fruit Of The Vine,” the title song, uses clawhammer banjo and mixes the oldtimey image of wishing to be an apple on a tree with the contemporary wordplay of “vying with the fruit of the vine,” while “Pluckin’ The Hen” is an original happy go lucky fiddle tune with words and is reminiscent of “Down The Road” or “Cumberland Gap.” Perhaps the most impressive example of her use of older forms is the ballad “William White.” Many have written murder ballads in bluegrass of late, but most of them sound forced. “William White” doesn’t suffer that fate. Caudill cloaks her tale in archaic form and language structure, making it sound like she found a lost notebook from Cecil Sharp.

All four of those are highlights, but there are many others, including the religious anthem “Row By Row,” the quickpaced, joie de vivre of “Saturday Afternoon Man” and the lilting and pensive waltz of “Sad Song.” Caudill renders them all in a voice that is smooth and light, at times skipping and playful, at times drifting and soulful. Such vocal skills and good arranging and good backing work go with her fine songwriting skills and result in an exceptional album. (Ashleigh Caudill, 426 Deaverview Rd., Asheville, NC 28806, www.ashleighcaudill.com.) BW

To read the same review on the Bluegrass Unlimited site, just click here!

I'm thrilled about the great review! I'm also thrilled to draw more names out of the hat for our December drawing. I'll have the results posted by tomorrow, so be sure to check and see if you're a winner!

Happy New Year!

-Ashleigh

COLORADO!

2010-12-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

Thats right, we are finally here in Colorado, the state that I love.

Well... we've actually been here a while, it just took a while to get to the Northern part of the state. We had a blast in Pueblo and Colorado Springs for the short while that we were there. We actually drove right past the Pueblo Nature Center, where one of my favorite festivals is held (Bluegrass on the River), so we decided to take a little stroll. It was a beautiful day, and Ruby was certainly glad to be out of the car for a while. After that we decided to find the local music shop. We found it and hung out there for a while. Of course we pick the day when Damian and Tom of Fireweed, had a day off. We had a good time none the less, before heading on our way to the next town.

Currently we are in Loveland, getting very excited for our show in Fort Collins this Thursday. We'll be opening up for Bonnie & the Clydes. They are a great band from the Longmont/Lyons area, one that you will surely enjoy. On top of that, they are a great bunch of people. Matt & I will be playing some duo stuff, and we'll have Aaron McCloskey sitting in on a few as well.

As for Loveland, we played at one of our favorite places in Loveland this past Saturday. The Mandolin Cafe is an awesome place to drink coffee, eat food, look at art... and... listen to great live music. If you live in the area and you've never been there, well you're really missing out and you need to go... immediately. Anyway, we had a great time playing to a great bunch of people... old and new friends, even family came out!

Well, today is a beautiful Colorado day, so I'm going to take myself out for a bike ride. Hope to see all you Front Range folks on Thursday!

-Ashleigh

Happy December!

2010-12-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hello! Happy December!

I'll start by letting you know about what we've got coming up this month!

On Saturday December 4th, the Duo (Ashleigh Caudill & Matt Purinton) will be playing at the Mandolin Cafe in Loveland Colorado. We should start around 6pm and we'd love to see you all there! Oh, and the food and drinks, in addition to the owners, staff and patrons, are awesome!

On Thursday December 9th, Matt & I will be opening up for Bonnie & the Clydes at Avos in Fort Collins.

On Friday December 17th, I'll be hosting an open mic in Lyons Colorado at the Stone Cup. If you live in the area, you should come, bring your friends, your instruments, talent, etc. Come play some songs and keep me company!

We're also doing another drawing to win T-shirts, CD's and Tote bags! All you have to do is send us an email with your name, address, and T-shirt size. We'll enter you in the drawing! Names will be drawn at the end of the month and you'll get an exciting belated Christmas present to yourself!

The last three days have been crazy! Matt and I embarked on our journey on Sunday night, patting ourselves on the back for leaving the house in more than enough time to get to our first show (which was this morning in Pueblo). As we were driving down the highway, with Asheville in the rear view mirror and Ruby and Lump sleeping peacefully on the back seat, we were talking about how we could actually take our time driving across the country this trip. We only had about 24 hours to go and three days to get there. We could stop, sleep, eat, see things, etc. Of course this couldn't hold true for long.

By the time we reached Nashville the van started acting up (Matt describes it as "puttering"). Thinking that it could have just been a dirty gas tank or fuel pump or something like that. We put in some fuel injector cleaner and some of that fancy expensive gas and went on our way. No sooner than we got back on the highway the "check engine" light came on, and only 5 hours into our trip we pulled over to stay the night.

The next morning (Monday morning) we drove to the nearest Auto Zone to get them to plug their fancy machine computer thing into the van to find out the problem. Well, luckily for us it wasn't a huge fix. Just needed a new spark plug. Easy enough, right? We decided to fix it ourselves in the Auto Zone parking lot. Thankfully, there was a very knowledgeable employee who was more than willing to help us. She talked us through the whole process, loaned us some tools and even came out on her lunch break to make sure we got everything right! We got out of Nashville later than we had planned, but we didn't have to go to the auto shop, and we learned how to change spark plugs. If it wasn't for the best Auto Zone employee we've ever met, Ashley Caldwell (interestingly enough), we might have been stuck in Tennessee forever!

The rest of the trip went off pretty smoothly and we made it to Pueblo last night, early enough to get to bed at a reasonable hour, eat free hotel breakfast, and get to our gig on time this morning.

Now we are just trying to get caught up on emails, phone calls, and enjoying the Colorado sunshine!

I'll try and keep you updated on the rest of the trip.

Have a wonderful holiday and I hope we see you soon!

Ashleigh

Skunk Fest, Good Ol Days and pumpkin carving!

2010-10-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little behind on my weekly blog... so lets catch up!

First of all, congratulations to the winners of our October Trick or Treat drawing! Be sure to sign up on our mailing list to hear about our next fun contest!

Albino Skunk Festival was awesome! There aren't many festivals left where you're aloud to bring your dog! We played a set on Friday evening, camped out and listened to a lot of great bands. On Saturday afternoon we took off to go play at a place called Good Ol' Days in Cumming Georgia with Billy Gilmore. I guess you could call it a short little Narrow Gauge Trio trip. It was sad to have to leave the festival early, but we were consoled by big beers, bratwurst & sauerkraut, as we were playing for an Oktoberfest celebration, and what a celebration it was! Not only did we get to play music for some fine folks, our friends, the Virginia Daredevils played earlier in the day and we got to have lots of musical guests up!

We got back to Asheville in just enough time to unpack and clean house before my college buddy, Jessy Dorsett, arrived for a visit! I haven't seen her in a long time... Well, I saw her last time I was in Maine... which was a while ago. Anyway, she was on a great journey from Austin Texas back to New England, by way of Asheville, which was fortunate for me! Jessy's visit was perfectly timed because I had already planned a housewarming fall festivities party! In between getting ready for the party, we got a chance to get out and enjoy the beautiful fall weather and see all the changing leaves. We got a little more than we bargained for when we ran into a bear in the woods. Thankfully, we didn't actually run into him, but he certainly let us know that we closer than he would have liked, so naturally, we let the bear have his way and headed back up the trail. The funny thing about the whole bear thing is that this is the second one I've run into in the last couple of weeks. I've lived in Asheville for almost 2 years now and haven't seen a bear until recently, when I've run into two in a very short period of time. We were thankful that we made it home safe and sound, so to celebrate, we watched youtube videos of bear attacks to see what could have happened to us under the worst circumstances. I'm still a little shaken up when I hear noises in the dark in
the back yard, but hopefully I'll get over it eventually...

Until next time, watch out for bears and enjoy some pictures of pumpkins!

Ashleigh

10 great radio programs!

2010-10-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Yesterday afternoon, we played in Roanoke, at a little place called Fork in the Alley. The lineup for this particular show was, Matt Purinton, Nic Coker, and myself. Anyway, during our first set break we realized that the date was 10/10/10! Now, that doesn't happen very often, and I was pretty thrilled to be playing a show on such a date! So, in celebration of 10/10/10 happening yesterday,
Here are 10 great radio programs where you can hear great bluegrass! Don't forget to call and request your favorite song off of Fruit of the Vine!

The Country Roads Bluegrass Show on Bluegrass Mix hosted by Roger Randolph. Bluegrass Mix has a lot a great shows, so you should probably check all of them out. This is a great online bluegrass radio program and there is always good music playing!
Rocky Mountain Breakdown on KRFC in Fort Collins hosted by Andrea Bradstreet. Listen locally at 88.9 or listen online! The show happens on Saturday from noon to 3pm.
The Ol' Hippie Bluegrass Hour on WQTE 95.3 in Adrian MI hosted by Jerry Eicher & Randy Shaffer. The show starts at 11pm on Saturday nights. I had the opportunity to meet these two at IBMA, and I can tell you that this show is going to have some great music and is also going to be a blast!
Bronzwound Bluegrass WERU in Orland, ME, hosted by Darwin Davidson. Tune in locally at 89.9 or listen online. Great bluegrass in Maine Every Thursday from 8pm - 10pm!
Strings and Things on Yellowstone Public Radio hosted by Doug Ezell on Saturday from 8 to 9pm. This program covers some pretty wide territory, so you'll have to check the website to find out where to turn your dial to if you're in Montana or Wyoming, but you can listen online!
This is Bluegrass on WMNF-FM in Tampa, Fl, hosted by Tom Henderson. The show airs on Mondays from 7 to 9pm. You don't want to miss this great program. If you live in the area tune into 88.5 if not, listen online!
Perscription Bluegrass Radio hosted by Brian McNeal. Do you have bluegrass fever? If you answered "yes" then you need to go to their website and see what they can do for you!
Blue Ridge Breakdown, WLFC Stereo 88 in Findlay, OH, hosted by Joe Steiner. Tune in on Mondays from 8 to 10pm!
Bluegrass Etc KCSN in L.A. CA, hosted by Frank Hoppe. The show airs on Sunday mornings from 6am to 10am. Here's a great program for all you early risers! You can also listen online while you lay in bed early Sunday morning if you don't feel like getting up!
Last but not least, Going Across the Mountain on WNCW in Spindale NC hosted by Dennis Jones and Brad Watson. This is the longest bluegrass show on the air that I know of, and its right close to where I live and one of my favorites! Tune in on Saturdays from 11am until 7pm and enjoy an entire day of bluegrass programing! In the Asheville area tune in at 88.9 or listen online!

In other news, its not too late to be entered into our October Trick or Treat Drawing. You could win a T-shirt, or a CD! We'll be drawing 3 names at the end of October. To participate send us an email (narrowgaugebluegrass@gmail.com) with your name, you address, and your t-shirt size. Don't miss out!

The Albino Skunk Festival is this weekend and I am very excited about it, so I'm gonna get off the computer and dig out all my camping stuff and set up my tent in the back yard to make sure I have everything ready!

See you there!

Ashleigh

Post IBMA... October is underway

2010-10-05T16:10:00.000-07:00

We have returned from yet another IBMA, and we have survived! We usually survive IBMA, but for whatever reason, every time I come home alive and well it still seems like a victory to me. Not only did we survive, but we had a great time! Our two Monday showcases went swimmingly, and the rest of the week was filled with music, fun and friends... not to mention the yearly ritual of me falling in love with another bass in the exhibit hall. As usual, I didn't actually come home with said bass, but I'll be thinking of him fondly, for a few months, then he will fade from my memory until it is yet again fall and I find myself in Nashville at the convention center, in the exhibit hall, swooning over another bass.

I know I told you the lineup for the showcases in the last blog, but we had a last minute addition to our group, and that was the ever so talented banjoist, Jim Rollins! He arrived in Nashville in just enough time to change into his nice clothes in the parking lot and join the rest of the lot for a quick rehearsal before showcase time began. We had a great showcase crowd and as you can see from the picture above, everyone had fun! A special thanks to Acoustic Trail Productions for having us in their showcase room. It was the most warm and inviting showcase room in the whole place, if I do say so myself, not to mention the fact that they had the best line up all week long! I'd also like to thank all of the talented musicians who played the showcases: Rebecca, Matt, Jim & Zeb. You couldn't ask for a better band!

While we were there, running around to all the showcases, We got to see other awesome musicians play. One of my favorites, and hands down the best solo act at the convention, was Jim Hurst. In addition to being an amazing producer he just so happens to be one of the best musicians in the business. It was good to hear him do his thing and he does it so well! I can't wait until he comes through Asheville and I'm actually home so I can go out and enjoy some virtuosic guitar playing and incredible singing.

Other than our yearly Nashville pilgrimage, the days have been filled with music, housework, getting caught up on emails, making quite a few song demos, hanging out with the animals, and doing some studio work for another great Asheville musician, Lyndsay Pruett's album. Matt and I both went in yesterday and played on a sort of funky bossa that she wrote, then I played some bass on a few more today. Its gonna be a great little recording, so you should go see Lyndsay play whenever the opportunity arises!

October brings some more fun musical adventures that I'm really looking forward to. One of those is the Albino Skunk Festival which takes place in Greer, South Carolina on October 15th & 16th. Its coming soon and the lineup is great as always, so be sure to get your tickets, pack your camping gear and bring some warm clothes, although they do a great job of keeping the campfires burning to keep everyone warm and happy.

Well, I think that's all I have for you this week. Hopefully we'll see you out at one of our upcoming shows!

-Ashleigh

IBMA and beyond!

2010-09-25T07:26:00.001-07:00

Happy September... and its almost over!

We have a busy little weekend before heading to Nasheville on Sunday night for The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Convention.

We have two exciting showcases on Monday night. The first one is in Suite 2004 at 10:45 for Acoustic Trail Productions. The second one is at 11:30 in room 108 for Patuxent Music.

The lineup for Ashleigh Caudill & Narrow Gauge for IBMA 2010:

Ashleigh Caudill, a Berklee College of Music alumni, was quickly accepted into the New England acoustic music scene, upon her arrival in 2003. While climbing the ranks of freelance bassists, she discovered her love of songwriting. Shortly after releasing her debut solo album, "I'm not Fallin," Bluegrass Unlimited declared her "a voice to be reckoned with." She has recently relocated to Asheville North Carolina where she was awarded first place in bass, and vocals in the North Carolina Mountain State Fair Bluegrass Competitions. Ashleigh has just released her sophomore album, Fruit of the Vine, produced by Jim Hurst, featuring performances by Claire Lynch, Mark Schatz, Jim Hurst and many more! "Ashleigh is not just a bass player keeping the beat, she is leading her band in a fresh, new, captivating and genuinely entertaining stage show." --Dick Pierle, Old Blue Sound.

Rebecca Frazier holds the honor of being the first-ever woman on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (September 2006). She has also been featured in Bluegrass Now (April 2006) for her flatpicking guitar and vocal accomplishments. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Rebecca has played guitar since she got a Yamaha dreadnought for Christmas at age 12. Since then, she has dedicated herself to the flatpick guitar and bluegrass music. Rebecca is a co-founder of award-winning Hit & Run Bluegrass and has toured festivals and venues across the U.S. and Canada. She was also a co-founder of the All Night Honky Tonk All Stars, a Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris influenced 70's alt-country band based in Colorado. She currently resides in Nashville, TN, where she does freelance studio and stage work and continues to perform with Hit & Run and Donna Hughes Band.

Growing up in Upstate South Carolina, Matt Purinton, was exposed to a ton of traditional music, and began touring all over the South East at a young age. Now a resident of Asheville North Carolina, he was awarded second place in mandolin in the North Carolina Mountain State fair Bluegrass Competitions in 2009. He was also an original member of the first place band at the Pickin at the Pavilion band contest in 2008. Matt's fiery mandolin playing can now be seen turning heads all over the country.

Zebulon Bowles has been playing music for over 26 years. He has had the pleasure of working with some of the world's finest players and continues to amaze music lovers every time he steps on stage. He has performed with a variety of talented people including Big and Rich, Gretchen Wilson, James Otto, Cowboy Troy, Randy Jackson, Jim Lauderdale, Blueground Undergrass, Benevento Russo Duo, Jackie Green, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, The Everyone Orchestra, Jeff Sipe, Ike Stubblefield, Robert Walter, Rushad Eggleston, Ivan Neville, George Porter Jr., Stanton Moore (Galactic), Kevin Ponton, Electric Codpiece, Stop Drop & Roll, Ralph Roddenbery Band, Donna Hopkins , Deep Blue Sun, and Kelly Zullo.

We're really looking forward to our showcases and the rest of the IBMA week! We hope to see some old friends and also make some new ones!

See you soon!

-Ashleigh

The rest of the Big Duo Tour of the North East

2010-09-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, lets see... I think I finished my last tour update on day 6, so now I'll be filling you in starting with day 7. Lets see how much I can remember from a few weeks ago.

Day 7

I think it was a Wednesday... a rainy Wednesday. We left my aunt's house in Maryland and headed north for NYC. When we got there we were greeted with more rain and of course, traffic. Not too much traffic, but more than we are used to! We managed to find our way with out too much trouble and played for some nice folks. After that we got to hang out with my favorite Emily and my favorite Todd.

Day 7

On Thursday, we explored New Jersey... Hoboken to be specific. The advantage to being in New Jersey is that you have a great view of the city, and fortunately the weather warmed up and we had a beautiful day for exploring!

Day 8

On Friday morning, we braved the City. We rode into town on the Path Train and walked all over NYC following a map drawn for us by my cousin, Emily. Nothing like a walking tour of a city guided by someone who lives there! We saw street vendors, statues, bridges, weird buildings, weird people, but the thing that stuck with me was this girl playing piano in a park. The piano was on wheels... so my guess is she rolled it from somewhere. I hope not somewhere far. I thought that carrying a bass around was a pain, but at least I don't have to roll a piano around New York City, or any other city for that matter. Later that night we met up with Emily & Todd again and went out on the town. The funny thing about New York is that places stay open a whole lot later than anywhere else. When you think to yourself, "man, I'm tired... Why am I so tired?" its because its 4 in the morning and you expected to be kicked out of the place two hours earlier!

Day 9

Needless to say, Saturday morning came earlier than anyone expected. Bright and early we drove straight through Manhattan to pick up Grace Van't Hof, banjo player for Della Mae, and drive up to Rhode Island where I was to sit in with the ladies of Della Mae. It was a long drive, but a beautiful one. It was a good festival for a good cause and a good time was had by all. And they had all sorts of awesome vendors. I thought we had lost Matt for a moment, but then found him where cheese is found. Leave it up to him to find the one and only booth at the entire festival that had cheese samples! Very sleepily, we headed back to New York that evening... very sleepy and Matt very cheesy.

Day 10

We got up late. Very late. Ate some breakfast and wandered around the neighborhood and before long, it was time to take the public transit to our gig. We played at a little place called the Parkside Lounge. It was a very cozy show with friendly faces and... Mrs PACKMAN!! we were sure to get a few games in before we took to the stage.

Day 11

This was the day we'd been waiting for for a long time... since we started the tour, to be exact. It was time to go to Boston! The drive flew by and we were there before we knew it. Met up with some awesome old friends, hung out on a porch and played some music. Couldn't have asked for a better welcome back.

Day 12

Cantab Tuesday! The Cantab Lounge is one of my vary favorite places to play. In fact I used to live across the street from it and hung out there every single Tuesday. In addition to getting to play at the Cantab, we got to play with the lovely and talented Courtney Hartman. We got together with her at her house a few hours before the show and picked some tunes, hopped in the van and drove over to Cambridge where we played for the usual rowdy Cantab crowd. We had such a great time, and the audience must have as well, because they wouldn't hardly let us off the stage! As is pretty normal for this gig, the picking went on until they kicked us out of the bar, and then relocated and went on until the wee hours.

Day 13, 14 & 15

We had some down time. Ran all around Boston, went to all my favorite places, and then left early Friday morning. Anytime I hear tell of a hurricane headed straight for where I am, I'm usually pretty eager to leave, even if the hurricane has a cute little old man name like Earl.

Day 16

Saturday very well could have been the highlight of the little tour. We picked up the two best guys we could have ever even imagined playing with us: Bill Keith, and his guitar player, Brian Hollander. What a show! and on top of that, some of the best food we've had in a long time. Getting to play with legends is always a good thing, but to top it all off, after the gig we caught the tail end of a concert at a barn in Woodstock, NY, that just so happens to be owned by the one and only Levon Helms. Not only that, but the band that was playing this particular night was the man himself, along with a full big band, guitars, pianos, a full horn section, and singers galore! This was particular high point for Matt. He's been talking about this place for as long as I've known him, and this was the first time he's gotten the chance to go.

Day 17

We got up. Got in the van and headed to Maryland, back to my aunt's house to sleep a little, and then we drove straight home. We drove through the night and ended up in Six Mile South Carolina picking up my furry little friends at eight in the morning. After a little nap, it was back in the car, back to my happy little home in Asheville.

Well, that was the trip. Consider yourself all caught up. Check back again, for more exciting stories and pictures of our silly little adventures.

-Ashleigh

Thank you to all the DJ's!

2010-09-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank all the DJ's who have been playing my new album, Fruit of the Vine, produced by Jim Hurst! These are just the stations and DJ's that I know of that are playing it:

Frank Hoppe, KCSN LA, CA
Tom Henderson, WMNF-FM Tampa, FL
Michael Chasse & T.C. Hirsch, KGPR Great Falls MT
Billy Meyers, WRFL Lexington KY
Badeye Carson Payne, WHAY, Emlyn KY
Al Shusterman, KCBL Fair Oaks, CA
Sky Powers, Pacifically Bluegrass, http://www.bluegrassmix.com/
Robyne Fawx, KDVS, University of California
Bob Mitchell WKWC-FM, Owensboro KY
Dave Bowman - KVNF, Paonia CO
Vita - KAFM, Grand Junction CO
Andrea Bradstreet, KRFC, Fort Collins CO
Echo Propp, WAMU, Washington, DC

Thanks guys!

If you've heard it on a program that I don't have listed, please let me know! All of these are awesome programs and you can listen to most of them online! Remember to support your local bluegrass radio programs!

-Ashleigh

AC & NG with Brian Hollander at the Rosendale Cafe!

2010-09-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I know I haven't updated in a while... I will. I promise I will fill you in, but I want to share with you an extra special exciting show.

We will be performing at the Rosendale Cafe on Saturday the 4th with Brian Hollander (of Bill Keith's Saturday Night Bluegrass Band) and perhaps another extra special guest! The show starts at 8:00pm and only costs $10!

Here's the address:
 
434 Main St. • PO Box 436 • Rosendale, NY 12472 • 845.658.9048
 
For more info visit:   http://www.rosendalecafe.com/

I really hope some of you can make it!

See you soon!

-Ashleigh

North East Tour day 6

2010-08-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Its day six of the tour and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. I'll start from the beginning.

Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Jamie could not join us for this tour. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kristina and Jamie.

This last minute change of plans has tossed us into the musically unexplored: a duo consisting of mostly bass and mandolin. Fortunately, Matt also contributes some guitar and I bring the banjo out of the closet and into the ear of the public. So far, this set up has been a success!

Day 1
We started off the tour by playing in Clemson, South Carolina for the Spitoono Festival. It was a hot day, but as always, they provided us with cold beverages and a shady place back stage to leave Ruby. The thought was nice, but Ruby just couldn't stand the thought of not being in the spotlight, so she wiggled herself up on stage and sat right in between Matt and I, next to the bucket of ice they placed up there for the beverages. Every time someone came up to take a picture, Ruby was sure to get right up to the edge of the stage and smile for the camera. Of course, it was her time to shine.

Day 2
After our first duo show ever, we were feeling a lot better about the whole situation, and so, after a little rest, we hopped in the van and headed North to Virginia. We played on Friday night at a bar called Fellini's #9 to a late night crowd. It was good to see some old friends, even if it was just briefly. We were also lucky enough to be joined by our good friend, Liza Bance. Liza got up and sang a few and joined us on guitar as well. After tearing down and packing up we went to see what was going on downtown. Since it was 2am, what was going on was bars closing down, so we went back to Liza's house for some more pickin.

Day 3
We didn't get to sleep until 5 am the night before, so naturally, we got a late start on the day. A little lazing around, a few more tunes, then back in the car for the short drive to Richmond VA... Well, actually, outside of Richmond in a little town called Powhatan, in a cute, not so little restaurant called the County Seat. We got there early, and were fed so much its a wonder we could get through the doors to the back room where they have music. We played to a very polite crowd... they clapped, they enjoyed, they were very quiet... after about an hour and a half, we took a break, and a lot of the people, being stuffed full to the brim I'm sure, decided to call it a night. Seeing as there weren't too many people left, we decided to play a few more and be on our way as well. After about 3 more songs, we got off stage and got ready to pack up. There was one guy in the corner, who we hadn't noticed yet and he ambled out of the corner to tell us how much he was enjoying our playing. We thanked him, thinking that was that, but he went on to say he liked it so much that he would be willing to write us a personal check, for a handsome amount, if we'd get back up and play a while longer. So... we did what any self respecting musician would do, and we played until the last remaining waitress had to sweep us out with the last of the dust and food crumbs.

Day 4
We were fortunate enough to get to spend the night at Liza's parents house in the country, so we woke up to the sounds of a farm. After a long walk through the woods, we spent the late morning on the porch playing some more music with Liza before we had to take off for the city.
We arrived at Legend Brewing and set up. We were excited to get to play outside by the river. I was sitting in the shade, writing a set list for the night when I looked up just in time to see a huge bolt of lightning split the quickly greying sky. We quickly grabbed all the sound and instruments and relocated indoors. As soon as Matt walked through the door with the last speaker in hand the sky opened up, and it proceeded to pour for the rest of the evening.

Day 5
We left Richmond in the morning for an easy drive to Williamsburg VA where we played for a room full of seniors at The Spring Arbor, a very nice retirement community. The residents and the staff all had a good time. Its always good to see people smiling, tapping toes, and singing along.
After that, we had to make a quick stop at Bluegrass Unlimited to drop off a few boxes of CD's and then off to Baltimore for the night. We decided to take the adventure rout and drove straight through DC and did some drive by sight seeing. We saw the Washington Monument, The White House, and XM Radio!
As we were driving through Baltimore, I was on the phone doing an interview for a radio show in Montana, while trying to help Matt with directions to where we were trying to go. It was the first radio phone interview I've ever done so hopefully I didn't giggle too much, but I guess I'm just lucky I didn't loose cell service!

Day 6
And here we are on day six. We stayed the night at my Aunt's house. I get spend some time with my cousins, get caught up on emails, take a walk down by the river and write this blog while Matt is down at the local swimming pool swimming laps.

Well, I feel like you're all caught up now. We're really looking forward to playing some full band shows up in Boston! Keep reading and I promise to try harder to keep up on the blog so you can all follow along with us!

See you soon!

-Ashleigh

2010-08-18T16:52:00.001-07:00

Hello!

We're in the final stages of getting ready to leave for our New England tour! We'll kick off our tour of the North East by playing in South Carolina - as odd as that sounds - at the Spitoono Festival! Its a good cause and we're really looking forward to being a part of it! After that we'll be headed to VA on Friday, and start making our way North. Be sure to check our schedule on our website so you don't miss out when we come to your area. If you don't live in our direct path, you can be included in the fun by following our tour right here on our blog!

We are really looking forward to playing as a trio for this tour. Here's the line-up:

Matt Purinton on mandolin, Jamie Davis on guitar (for the majority of the dates), and myself (Ashleigh Caudill ) on bass and vocals.

Narrow Gauge newcomer, Jamie Davis is originally from State College, Pennsylvania. He now calls Boulder, Colorado his home. During a short four years in Colorado, he has played lead guitar with one of the Front Range's favorite traditional bluegrass bands, The Stanleytones, and can be found playing driving rhythm and flatpick guitar at local jams and bluegrass festivals.

Growing up in upstate South Carolina, award winning mandolinist, Matt Purinton, is no stranger to the road, having toured nationally with countless bands spanning traditional bluegrass to the more progressive end of the spectrum. His firey mandolin style and baritone singing, are sure to delight and excite every crowd.

I'm thrilled to get to play with such fine musicians night after night!

Well, the van needs packed and the clothes need washed... so, see you down the road!

Don't forget to call your local bluegrass program and request something off of "Fruit of the Vine"

-Ashleigh

Colorado tour finished, new album released!

2010-07-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We are done with our big, grand Colorado tour! I can hardly believe that three months has come and gone and its now time to hit the road back to North Carolina!

We met so many wonderful people, saw so many old friends, and had such a good time. We finished up our big tour by attending Rocky Grass! After all the hard work it was good to listen to some amazing music, hang out in the sun, pick with friends and float down the river.

With this tour's ending, we've got some good news and some sad news as well. I'll start with the sad so I can lift your spirits with the good.

After a wonderful three months, Jessica and James have decided to move back to Colorado, settle down and pursue careers that are non music related. We're sad to see them go and they will be greatly missed!

You can look for AC & Narrow Gauge with such talented friends such as:

Multi-instrumentalist, Billy Gilmore has toured and played with groups such as The Hickory Project, The Grass is Dead, Stonehouse, Crazy Fingers, The Stains of Grass, and Aquaphonics. He has shared the stage with many incredible musicians such as Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements, Drew Emmit and many more

After stepping onto the Colorado music scene in 2003 as part of the award winning, Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, Jon Stickley, has been making waves through the bluegrass world. The Durham, NC native has since returned to his home state to play professionally with well known bands including, The Biscuit Burners, New Vintage, and The Colorado Playboys. His well rounded abilities and good nature have earned him a reputation as one of the best up and coming musicians in the buisness. Jon currently lives in Asheville, NC and plays with the Shannon Whitworth Band, The Colorado Playboys, New Vintage and The Time Bandits.

Courtney Hartman grew up in Norther Colorado. Her musicial journey started at 3, when she got her first fiddle. A few years later, she picked up the mandolin and joined Mandomonium, a mandolin orchestra. At 11, she found her love for bluegrass guitar when her daddy asked learn "Blackberry Blossom" on one so that she could teach it to him. That exercise inspired her, and within the next year she won two flatpick contests. She began writing her own music and performing throughout the U.S. with her siblings in their band, The Hartmans. Throughout high school, she continued to perform with the band and taught music lessons to more than 30 students. In 2008 she went to Slovakia with a bluegrass band to represent the U.S at an international folk festival.

... and last, but certainly not least, Ashleigh's new album, Fruit of the Vine, is available for purchase! If you'd like one, they will be available on CD Baby in a few days... if you just can't wait, send a check for $15 made out to Ashleigh Caudill to:

644 N 4th
Montrose CO
81401

We'll be back in North Carolina soon, and I can't wait to see those Blue Ridge Mountains!

See you soon!

-Ashleigh

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

I know I'm a little late...

We're back here in Loveland again. Tomorrow night we'll be playing at Cervavantes in Denver, and at Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins on Friday. Both of those shows will be with our friends, Britney Reilly & Brent Hopper, who are also from Asheville. It'll be good to see more North Carolina folks out this way.

Our 4th of July show with Bluegrass Etc was all that we could have hoped for, and more... especially if that more was playing though a raging wind storm. I never realized just how much a bass resembles a sail until that show. The wind was pretty steady throughout the show, occasionally a big gust would burst through, a few times actually picking my bass up off of the stage! Thankfully I had my new amp with me, so I could hear my bass through the wind, I suppose it could have also acted like a leash, tethering the bass to the stage if need be.

Everything has been a whirlwind lately, and I'm having a hard time keeping track of time, but I guess this big Colorado tour is almost over. I can hardly believe that we'll be headed back home before long. I'm just about ready. I'm starting to miss my little kitty, Lump, who is staying with Matt's parents, Brad & Debbie. I know she is in good hands, I just hope she remembers who I am when we get back... and hopefully she's not too mad at me for leaving for so long. Who knows, she might be having such a good time that she hasn't realized time has passed. Maybe I'll sit down and write a song for her this afternoon.

Speaking of this afternoon, I'm scheduled to go and do an interview with Jan Peterson for Colorado Bluegrass Music Society's newsletter, Pow'r Pickin. I'm hoping I don't say anything too dumb... I guess you can find out for yourself when the magazine comes out...

In other news, my album will be available for sale at our live shows in three days! That is, if all goes as planned. Its scheduled to be here by the 15th. I'm keeping my fingers crossed... which makes it very difficult to type and play bass... perhaps I should stick to crossing my ankles or something. Anyway, I've been pretty busy getting all the promotional material ready to send out with the album to radio stations and music reviewers. If you'd like to review it or know someone who would... or if you have a radio program or know someone who does, send us an email at: narrowgaugebluegrass@gmail.com. I'll send one your way!

Alright, enough of this babbling, I'm going to take advantage of a quiet house and work on some tunes!

Have a wonderful and happy weekend!

Ashleigh

2010-06-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Its almost the 4th of July... Which means, our three month tour is more than half way over... it also means that its almost time for us to open up for Bluegrass ETC!

We are currently in Loveland Colorado, resting up at Lucas & Steph's house. They have been doing renovations on their brand-new-to-them 1900 farm house in downtown Loveland. The place looks like an entirely different place since we left after Bluegrass on the River. Let's see... Where have we been since then?

Montrose, for Main in Motion. It was good to play in the old home town. We saw lots of old friends and had a blast hanging out with the folks. After that...

Salida, at the Salida Cafe, Where we had a blast, ate some awesome food and actually got to spend some time in a town that isn't too far from where I grew up. I can't believe I've never spent any time there. If you like rivers and art and music, you'd love Salida.The next day, we left our gracious host, Clark, and took off for just outside of Westcliff. Where we played at the Oak Creek Grade General Store.

Before our next show, we took some time to get rested, and caught up on some booking, promoting, picking, swimming, biking, and eating. We were lucky enough to spend some time with one of our favorite sound guys, Ron Dropcho. We spent a day and a half doing what we like to call, Camp Narrow Gauge (Sound Edition) with Professor Dropcho. We learned so much and will be forever thankful.

After Camp Narrow Gauge (Sound Edition with Professor Dropcho, we took one of the most beautiful hikes the area has to offer... Lower Blue Lakes. Straight up for a while, but well worth it.

Next, Ridgeway Colorado, at Smyths Chop House. A great place, with awesome people and delicious food. I highly recommend it!

We played once more in Montrose at the Montrose UMC for an evening concert. That room has the best acoustics in town! Needless to say, we had a blast, and it being hometown, saw even more old friends! Then we took off once more for...

Steamboat Springs, where we got to spend some time with our friend, Harry! Also, I got to sleep in a tee pee! The next day, our show at the Old Town Pub wasn't until 10pm which left us lots and lots of time to explore the town. We even rode the alpine slide and got a great view of the ski jump! On top of all that, the hotel they put us up in, it had the best water pressure that I have ever experienced! Seriously, I think the shower head was made for washing elephants! The crowd at the Old Town Pub was large, enthusiastic and oh so friendly, and the food was awesome!

The next day we had to get up way too early and drive all the way to Salida to play for the dedication of a greenhouse for Farm to Table, which is a great organization that does so much for their community and others! After that, we packed the car and took the long drive to Estes Park to stop off at my cousin, Brian's wedding reception.

Now here we are, back at the beginning of the post... here in Loveland, sitting at Lucas and Steph's kitchen table, looking forward to the 4th of July, where we get to open up for Bluegrass ETC!!!

See you soon!

Ashleigh

Bluegrass on the River... the Caudill sisters return!

2010-06-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since both Jess and I have played at Bluegrass on the River in Pueblo. It was so exciting to come and share our new project with the people who watched us grow up... both physically and musically.

We arrived late Friday afternoon, after making a last minute stop at Kinkos. We were fortunate to have so many supporters at our first Bluegrass festival of the season. My parents, Marcus & Kara, My brother, Lucas, and his wife, Steph, two of their friends, Morgan and Stephanie, were all there helping us out lugging our merchandise back and forth from camp to festival, as well as helping us manage our table.

After getting tents staked down, air mattresses blown up, and the van parked, we planned to roam the camp to find old friends and meet some new ones. The plan was foiled... Seeing as parking a van at a festival seems to be a group event... a loud one at that... with no less than 10 people (friends and strangers) shouting orders and directions, pretty much everyone we've ever met, was aware of our presence, and stopped by our camp to say hey and pick.

Our first set was at 2:45 on Saturday afternoon. If you've ever been to Bluegrass on the River, you know that the main stage is right on the bank of the Arkansas river, and if the river is high (which it was), it roars right under the stage. Needless to say, the setting is absolutely perfect! The crowd was attentive and lively, as usual, and we couldn't have asked for better weather. The only thing that was missing, was Alabama. Alabama, is a staple of Bluegrass on the River, (as you may know). He's always on the front row, with many an enthusiastic "HO!" I sure hope he returns next year.

We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon listening to all the other talented bands, loafing around the festival grounds, riding bikes and enjoying the river.

On Sunday we played two more sets. Playing on the acoustic stage is always a treat, it presents acoustic music as it was originally presented: acoustically. The crowd on that stage is always great, and the setting is so personal. Its like playing in your own living room. Our acoustic set was by far my favorite.

After packing up and saying our goodbyes and see-you-laters, we took off back North to pick up our dogs from the various pet sitters. Thanks to PJ & Jay, and Zach & Abby for keeping our dogs for the weekend!

Yesterday morning (well, actually afternoon) after we got the van repacked - which is always a challenge, especially when our stuff keeps growing - we started the beautiful drive over the mountains to the Western Slope. We're really looking forward to our next couple of shows, and debuting a few new songs, so be sure to visit our website for show dates near you, and we'll try and post some videos soon! (www.narrowgaugemusic.com)

-Ashleigh

So much fun at the Bertolin Barn last night!

2010-05-15T12:15:00.001-07:00

Hello!

As you may have heard, we did arrive safely on the Front Range. We played last night at the Bertolin Barn in Longmont Colorado, with our good friends, Lonesome Traveler.

If that weren't fun enough, we were also joined by, Aaron McCloskey, from such bands as, Steve Smith & Hard Road, Bonnie & the Cydes, and probably many more.

We saw so many old friends and made tons of new friends. The highlight of my night had to have been when we had, what I like to call, a double-bass-solo-extravaganza... where Even and I split a bass solo... accompanied by half of Lonesome Traveler and half of Narrow Gauge.

Every time we play a show (now I am aware that we've only played three shows thus far) I find myself saying "this is the best show of the tour!" Everywhere we've played, stayed, eaten, and/or visited, we've been met with such enthusiasm and hospitality. I, for one, feel very thankful for that.

I don't have too much time now before we take off for our next show somewhere around Palmer Lake. Be sure to visit our facebook to see some more fun photos, and check our website for where we'll be next!

-Ashleigh

Landing on the Front Range

2010-05-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

We have officially landed on the Front Range of Colorado!!! We have all once called this home so we are super excited to be playing some shows in our old stomping grounds.

We had a great time in Wray, CO and we made a lot of new friends and connections. We want to thank E.J. and his family for putting us up and being so hospitable. The turnout was great, and we had an awesome time.

Our next show is at the Bertolin Barn in Longmont, CO with the local favorite Lonesome Traveler. We are gearing up for a great show, and can not wait to get to the rest of Colorado!

-James

Road trips, Dogs and Vineyards... oh my?

2010-05-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it across most of the United States in about 20 hours and arrived last night in Eagle, Nebraska.

In travelling news, we were lucky enough to have the technological mind of Mr. Weatherly set up streaming radio so we could tune into KRFC in Fort Collins. The signal didn't last for long, but we were able to listen to our good friends, Lonesome Traveler on Live at Lunch while driving across Missouri.

Travelling across the country with 4 people, 3 dogs, 5 instruments and enough gear for 3 months can get a little tight in a van... so our arrival at the home and Vineyard of Bart & Nancy Holmquist was a welcome break from the tight quarters!

The band members have been sleeping, eating Nancy's fabulous cooking, (fresh mango salsa, anyone?) enjoying the great house wine, and catching up on sleep. The dogs, who got plenty of rest in the car for 2 days, have been running and playing with the other two family members in the house, Mazy and Hydro. I know that we have all made friends for life!

While we have enjoyed our relaxing morning, we are really looking forward to the first show of the tour in a couple of hours!

Check back again for updates tomorrow when we will be crossing the border into Colorado for shows in Wray, Longmont, Fort Collins, Denver, Loveland and beyond!

Don't forget to check out the pictures!

-Jess

Colorado Bound!

2010-05-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

...well...via Nebraska!

That's right, Ashleigh Caudill & Narrow Gauge is about to set off on a colossal tour taking us through Nebraska and Colorado for the next two and a half months!

James and I spent the day in Asheville packing, interspersed with picking and playing with the dogs while Ashleigh and Matt tried to rest up in South Carolina for the night driving shift. Now, here we are at 10:55pm eastern standard time and about to take off!

Check back for updates!!

Booking, Banking and more Booking

2010-04-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying our days off this week, but when we are not pickin' we are working hard at getting our Colorado tour booked up and starting on our New England tour this fall.

We are excited to announce we are playing with the Brittany Reilly Band on the Front Range at Cervantes in Denver, CO and Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins, CO.

We are also playing with Bluegrass ETC. in Dove Creek, CO on July 4th!! We are uber excited to play a show with these amazing musicians.

We had a fun 10 days running through Virginia and Maryland, and we can't wait to go back and tour this area again soon.

Narrow Gauge has Crabs!!!!!

2010-04-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

No, this is not an April fools joke. We got crabs yesterday, but the eatable kind. Ashleigh and Jess' family from Maryland gave us a crab feast for my birthday. It was a delicious experience, and a fun way to sit around and visit with family while eating dinner.

We are ending our Maryland portion of our tour this evening at "Le Village Restaurant and Club" in Beltsville, MD. We are playing from 9:45-10:45 pm, and we hope to see you out there!!

-James

Day off in Baltomore

2010-03-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Today was our first day off on this little tour. The plan was for everyone to go sightseeing in DC. Jess and James went, despite the rain. Matt and I bailed when we looked out the window.

Currently, we are waiting for their return and I can't wait to hear of their DC adventures. I'm sure their day was way more eventful than mine. I spent my time working on my ping pong skills with ping pong coach, Matt, and watching a show on National Geographic Channel, about people who get mauled by their pet tigers, panthers, and lions... almost as good as shark week.

I plan on spending the rest of the evening catching up on some work and then working on some bass etudes.

That's it for me today...

-Ashleigh

First Show on Tour

2010-03-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time at Shenandoah Pizza last night. The food was excellent, and the crowd was great!! We look forward to stopping by every time we go through Staunton, VA.

Check them out at http://www.shenandoahpizza.com/ and please stop by on your way through Virginia. They offer made from scratch ingredients as well as a Gluten Free selection.

We stopped off in Charlottesville, VA to stay with some friends for the evening, and we are off to Richmond, VA for our next show at Legend Brewery. The show starts at 8pm, and we look forward to playing some tunes and drinking some good beer.

-James

New Blog!!

2010-03-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Check out our new blog to keep updated on our adventures!!!!

We are excited to leave on our first tour starting in Staunton, Virginia at Shenandoah Pizza.

Check out our website www.narrowgaugemusic.com for more dates!

2010-03-21T17:58:00.001-07:00