Ashley Cooke kicks off a new era with the announcement of her self-titled sophomore album, ashley cooke, releasing August 14. In anticipation of her next chapter, Ashley’s new single “high school sweetheart” will be out this Friday.
“This record feels like a coming-of-age record disguised as a relationship album. I wrote a lot of it dead in the middle of real-life situations where I learned quite a bit about myself, so you’re getting the real, unpolished, recently-realized-truths in 15 tracks,” shares Cooke. “It’s messy, self-reflective, indecisive, filled with honesty, double entendres and emotional duality (I’m a Gemini, duh). Overall, it’s my perception of love and allllll the chaos it entails.”
Co-written alongside Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, and Ashley Gorley, the album came to life with esteemed producer Dann Huff and elite guitarist Ilya Toshinskiy. Fans can expect her raw, unfiltered storytelling and an un-soaked coastal country sound, a perfect echo of her beachside roots and deep affinity for ’90s-era effortless cool.
During the past couple weeks, Ashley began teasing the ashley cooke era on social media, posting photos with cryptic messages in the background, including “you catch more flies with honey,” “girl I’ll even give you a jar,” and “being petty ain’t gonna get you far.” She also teased a phone number to call (615-492-3374), which rings to a voicemail left by Ashley and a snippet of “high school sweetheart.”
ashley cooke features 15 tracks, includes fan favorites “baby blues,” “the hell you are,” “excuses,” and “xs.” See below for a partial tracklist to ashley cooke:
Cooke is set to co-host and perform at “ACM Next Wave: Country’s Beach Bash,” an Academy of Country Music Awards Week event slated for May 16 at Mandalay Bay Beach in Las Vegas, also featuring Flatland Cavalry, Tucker Wetmore, Braxton Keith, and more. This summer, she will also take the stage at festivals like Hoofbeat (June 27 in Cadott, WI), with more festivals and tour dates at ashleycooke.com.
