There’s magic to be found in every corner of the USA, and Appalachian singer-songwriter Ashley Best is just one such discovery. Sitting on his tractor as he tends to his family farm, in Cadiz, Ohio, Ashley can be found singing his songs, with a voice that needs the space of the great outdoors to truly show what it’s capable of. It’s there he transforms his experiences into expression, with the pleasant countryside of the Ohio River Valley area the perfect backdrop.
Growing up in a musical family of coal miners, Ashley Best from an early age was absorbing the sounds of Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, and Marty Stuart, all storytellers with that Bakersfield sound that feels like home. He started writing songs from the age of 16, and then, at the age of 28, his life took a sudden turn with the death of his first wife, causing his songwriting to become more of a therapy for him. Struggles with addiction took him deep down into a place where it seemed unlikely he’d ever write music again, but after rehabilation, and hard work on the farm, as well as getting married again, Ashley Best is now in a much better place, where he is able to write songs with the same gentleness he had at 16, but with an added wisdom that comes from a life filled with experiences.
In 2022, Ashley Best released his album, ‘Something’, and now has taken on the task of sharing his back catalogue of songs, as well as new tracks he’s been inspired to write while atop his tractor.
Ashley Best’s single, ‘You Make Me’, is his most recent, and it comes from ‘Something’. It tugs at the heartstrings, as he opens up this ballad devoted to his wife, with a huge guitar riff as big as all outdoors, and Best’s voice a warm hug as he sings of his love for his lady. Everything about it is sweet and loving; and the track is just enough for you to want to hit replay immediately after it reaches the end of its four minutes. The accompanying music video, directed by Zak Neese of Brass Lens Media, is set in Best’s Ohio River Valley homeland, where he captures a truly golden hour shared between Best and his wife. The sunlight fades behind them, but the light in their eyes grows brighter than ever.
Check out the gorgeous music video for ‘You Make Me’ below, and find out more about Ashley Best and his music online on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Be sure to also read our interview with Ashley Best here.
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