Biography

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Label Contacts

Mark Hodges - President mark@mountainfever.com
Missy Delgado -VP Marketing/Comm missy@mountainfever.com
Melody Cochran - Radio / office
540-789-7403 - radio@traviannarecords.com

Address:
Mountain Fever Music Group
1177 Alum Ridge Road NW
Willis, VA 24380

http://airplaydirect.com/MFMGroup/ Click here to go to Mountain Fever Music Group home page.

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Classically trained until they switched to bluegrass in 2010, the tight knit family group and versed musicians consists of father Allen on bass, daughter and powerhouse singer Nellie on fiddle, and three sons, Corey on guitar and vocals (also Producer of Generation Bluegrass documentaries, a video bluegrass project that is drawing a great deal of attention), Luke with his steady and polished style on banjo and Cajon, and Eli on vocals and mandolin, offering up a speed and finesse that belies his years. The band’s sound is distinctive, fresh, creative and mature.

The name ash breeze has great meaning to the family and is an old sailing term referring to the ability to row the rowboat yourself when there isn’t enough breeze to fill the sails (during a time when oars were made of ash wood). Sailing by ash breeze is a major theme in the book “Carry On Mr Bowditch,” a family favorite and the source of inspiration for the band’s name change.

It’s apparent that the band is heavily steered by their love of a variety of musical genres including folk, jazz, bluegrass, classical, blues and gospel influences. What you will hear is a distinctive sound strong on instrumentation and intertwined with tight, melodic family harmonies. "Our (music) is different," says patriarch Allen Smith. "It's really acoustic Americana with a 50% gospel influence. It could be played on Americana, Rock, Folk stations, as well as Christian and Bluegrass. I don't know what it is, but I think it's good music.''

Daughter Nellie is gaining a name for her distinctive and soulful singing style along with her smooth, melodic, and award winning fiddle playing that has been greatly influenced by greats like Stuart Duncan and Andy Leftwich. Her sound, both vocally and instrumentally, is unique and adds to the promising musical landscape of what Ash Breeze brings to the table.

Don't judge the group by their age, but by their identifiable sound that is fresh and sophisticated. Among other developments, the band recorded a segment for WUNC's nationally syndicated show Song of the Mountains on the same show as Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, that show will air in the spring of 2014.

The Road's Not Easy:

Nellie Grace Smith - Lead Vocals / Fiddle
Corey Smith - Harmony Vocals / Guitar
Luke Smith - Banjo
Eli Smith - Harmony Vocals / Mandolin
Aaron Ramsey - Bass

1. The Road (3:20)
Corey Smith and Allen Smith (Smith Family Music, BMI)
2. Ready For The Times To Get Better (3:17)
Allen Reynolds (Songs of Universal, Inc. OBO Aunt Polly's Pub. Co.)
3. Pins & Needles (3:21)
Ian D'Sa, Ben Kowalewicz, Jon Gallant, Aaron Solowoniuk(Sony/ATV Music)
4. I Brought You Flowers (5:11)
Nellie Grace Smith (Smith Family Music, BMI)
5. Apple Tree Shoals (4:11)
Corey Smith (Smith Family Music, BMI)
6. Where The Last Are Always First (3:43)
Allen Smith (Smith Family Music, BMI)
7. Mr. Sandman (3:18)
Pat Ballard (Kobalt Music Pub. America / OBO Edwin H. Morris & Co.)
8. Who Am I (4:18)
Corey Smith and Allen Smith (Smith Family Music, BMI)
9. I'll Never Shed Another Tear (3:39)
Lester Flatt (Peer International Corp)
10. Death In His Grave (3:37)
John Mark McMillan (Capitol CMG Genesis OBO Integrity's Hosannai Music)