We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a new series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.
Ask country artist Ashley Cooke how the last 12 months have been and she’ll tell you “it’s been a year.” Not only is that the title of her latest smash single, it’s also an accurate reflection of a non-stop year filled with a whole career’s worth of music milestones. Playing more than 100 shows across venues like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, signing a record deal, amassing more than 20 million streams of her hit song “Never Til Now” with Brett Young (not to mention performing it on The Bachelorette!), and joining CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2023, it’s no wonder Ashley has built such a fast-growing and fiercely loyal following.
Ashley has joined her friends The Reklaws and Griffen Palmer for a string of Canadian tour stops, including a show at Toronto’s HISTORY. Backstage just hours before her set, I sat down with the rising country star to break down her whirlwind year, preview what’s ahead (including a just-announced tour with Luke Bryan this summer) and steal her self-care secrets while on the road.
Last year marked a return to touring for a lot of artists, yourself included. How has it felt being back on the road with Cole Swindell, The Reklaws, and soon Brett Young and Luke Bryan?
It’s so much fun. I’m working on my debut album and we’re teasing some songs for the first time, so it’s been fun to see people’s reactions. These are my first shows ever outside of the States and I thought there was no way anyone would know who I am, but people are singing along to every single word. It’s great to get to see a whole new fan base, and I’m excited for what’s to come.
Do you have any tour bus must-haves that help you protect your peace—and your voice—while on the road?
Throat coat tea is my saviour, but a weird thing I love is essential oils. My voice coach gave me this blend that I describe as Icy Hot for your throat. You rub some in your palm, breathe it deep into your chest, and it really opens your throat. I can’t play a show without it because it makes me feel so awake mentally but also really makes my throat feel relaxed and ready to sing.
At what point did Brett hop on “Never Til Now” and what unique vibe do you think he brings to the single?
I wrote the song as a manifestation for the kind of love that I want to have at some point down the road. I put it out as a solo version still independent, posted it on social media, and it went viral. My producer and I were then talking about how to bring some new life to it. I’ve always heard this song as a potential duet because it tells a story so deeply and of course there’s two people in a relationship. So, my producer called Brett and he said, I love this song, please let me do it. I think he was the perfect voice for the song, and he has been the best mentor too having been in the industry for so long.
Like many creatives, you grew your audience over the pandemic with incredible covers and original music on TikTok. What advice would you give to aspiring artists in this age of social media?
I’ll find myself sitting after I make a video and overthinking it like, oh, that one note sounds weird, or my face looks weird. I have to remind myself nobody gives a sh-t. For example, with that first “Never Til Now” video that went viral, I had no expectations. It was a random Monday in my kitchen and I decided to do a “maintenance video” as I call it—like just post a video to post a video kind of thing. Two-point-something million views later, you just never know what can happen. I think I had to get rid of the word “maintenance” in my head. Every video is important, and every video is cool. Don’t think too much about it; just post it.
My manager actually found me and reached out to me on TikTok. The two videos she watched were two cover songs that I debated even posting, and they got sent to her because it was artists that she worked with. So, because of that, my entire team is now my team.
For fans who will be seeing you for the first time this year, how would you describe your live show?
In 25 minutes, I hope people can really get to know me and the full scope of what I do and my sounds and influences without me having to blatantly say it. I’ve been told a lot of times that people who watch my show feel like they know me or like they’re my friend, and I just hope people can continue to feel that way regardless of what happens and where I go in my career.
Do you have a favourite song to bring to life on stage?
We just added “it’s been a year” into the set. I put it out right before New Year’s and it was one of the top 10 most used songs on Instagram, which is wild. I’m used to running around the stage and this is the first time that I’m on a mic stand without a guitar, so it’s a really empowering, cool moment.
This series is called Love at First Listen, so please shout out any of your country peers who you’ve loved at first listen!
One of my labelmates and friends, MacKenzie Porter, is unreal. Josh Ross is another one of my best friends. He has some really good songs. “First Taste of Gone” — big fan of that one. So many great people come to mind… The Reklaws (obviously) and Shania Twain were the first Canadian artists I was obsessed with!
