Ashley Cooke Discusses Debut Album 'shot in the dark'

Ashley Cooke is proving to be a singer-songwriter on the rise. With the help of social media and relatable lyricism, she has been able to garner a growing fan base of country music fans. Her recently released debut album, shot in the dark, is the largest female album this year with 24 songs. Cooke chatted with The Nash News about how this album reflects her artistry and how she got to where she is today.

Cooke is a Florida native, which isn't too surprising given her laid-back style. Her voice and her words have an effortless quality as if music is what comes most naturally to her. Cooke's own journey into songwriting comes from her love of journaling. "Getting to write songs felt like a release of some kind. It was a way to process life and what was going on," shares Cooke.

She ended up moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University. Cooke majored in marketing and communications, leaving songwriting and singing as a hobby. On a whim during her senior year, Cooke applied for the Country Showcase held at the school. Upon winning the showcase, it gave her the spark she needed to seriously pursue music as a career. "I'm gonna give this at least a year to see what happens. Now it's been three or four years since I've been out of school and we're still doing it," Cooke says with a laugh.

Photo by Robby Klein

Her tune "it's been a year" quite literally sums up what Cooke's life has been like in the past year. She signed a record deal with Big Loud, home of Morgan Wallen, HARDY, and Hailey Whitters to name a few. Her single "Never Til Now" featuring Brett Young became a favorite love song to many; Cooke and Young even got o perform on The Bachelorette. The singer also touched on the impact her social media following has played on her career. "Social media is the best tool for artists in any phase. If you want your music to be heard and seen and understood, why not post about it? It's another touch point for people to find music and to find you," she notes. Cooke admits that one of her favorite aspects of playing shows is having fans come up and say, "I feel like I already know you," given her presence on social media.

shot in the dark certainly draws upon Cooke's love of poetry and journaling. Sighting Ed Sheeran as a musical inspiration, the "back in the saddle" singer opens up about love and heartbreak through song. "moving on with grace" offers permission to get over one's ex, and "next to you" feels raw and honest. Cooke revealed why each of the 24 songs has to be included in the project to give a full picture of what she wanted to say. "I was just writing so much music. We recorded like 30 songs and widdled them down to 24. I listened to the full album and there was not a single song I wanted to take off," Cooke explains.

Cooke's debut record sees collaborations with Jackson Dean, Nate Smith, and Colbie Caillat. "When I was thinking about who to collaborate on this project I wanted to work with my friends who were crushing it. Jackson and Nate, their music is unreal and so good. They both have number one's under their belt. Just amazing artists and even better friends," shares the singer. The track with Dean, "what are you on fire about?" happens to be co-written by Lainey Wilson. "I was listening to outside songs that were pitched to me, and my team heard ["what are you on fire about?"] and we loved the idea. Me and Lainey are great friends, and we've never even talked about this song. She wrote it with a few other collaborators. She is one of the best writers you'll ever meet," says Cooke.

When asked what Cooke hopes fans will take away from her music she exclaims, "I hope they get to know me more. As a new artist, I think it's easy to fall into releasing a song and releasing another song, which can feel chaotic. I'm excited to get to have a full project for people to hear." Cooke's hope for there being a song for anyone to love on this record seems to have come true. She offers a new perspective and voice for young women of the genre to gravitate towards, which is always refreshing.

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