Biography

Why You Should Care: Since his arrival in Nashville in the early part of the century, Ashby Frank has served in a stunning variety of settings, ranging from the Special Consensus, the Marty Raybon Band, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Mashville Brigade and the Earls of Leicester to John Cowan’s HercuLeons, the Likely Culprits and his current main gig, Mountain Heart. He’s scored as a songwriter, too, penning songs for Junior Sisk, Amanda Cook, Dale Ann Bradley, Lindley Creek and more, and even taken on the world of comedy as a member of the Darrell Brothers. Yet even as he continues to burnish his reputation as one of Music City’s most valuable collaborators, Frank is taking the next step forward and releasing music himself. His first single for Mountain Home Music Company, “Midnight Highway” was No. 1 on August’s Bluegrass Today radio chart.
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Earlier this year, singer/songwriter/mandolinist Ashby Frank signed with Mountain Home Music Company and began releasing new music for the first time in 20 years. His first single for the label, “Midnight Highway,” quickly climbed in radio and reached number one on Bluegrass Today’s monthly chart in August.

Now, following a second single, “Jump On It,” Frank offers a third, “Make Your Mama Proud,” blending harmonic sophistication with an easygoing groove to serve up a bit of homespun philosophizing that listeners will find hard to resist.

The song’s mood is established immediately by guest fiddler Deanie Richardson (Sister Sadie), who kicks it off with a smooth, soulful line that hearkens back to a once-familiar country music sound before Frank digs into the lyric’s deceptively simple narrative. Written by Phillip White and Tony Haselden — “two of my favorite songwriters in Nashville,” the artist notes — ”Make Your Mama Proud” begins with a classic disclaimer before winding up in the first of three eminently singable choruses:

I don’t have a Ph.D.,
I’m a simple man but if you ask me
About my philosophy
All I’d have to tell you is….

Make your mama proud
Let your mama know
You’d be nowhere without her prayers, faith and hope
Make your mama smile
And know without a doubt
Everything works out
When you make your mama proud

Accompanied by a stellar cast — Richardson, banjo phenom Scott Vestal, percussionist Josh Hunt and Mountain Heart bandmates Seth Taylor (guitar) and Travis Anderson (bass), along with harmony vocalist Tina Adair — Frank navigates the song’s slinky melody and chord changes not only as a convincing vocalist, but with a deftly tuneful mandolin solo, too.

“When I went in to record this with some of my best friends, with whom I’ve spent so many days on the road and on stage, I wanted to make sure it had a modern acoustic groove but also maintained a down home sort of feel,” says Frank. “I’m really proud of what we were able to come up with. This song carries a warm but powerful message that I know will resonate with so many people.”

About Ashby Frank
North Carolina-raised, Nashville-based singer/songwriter/mandolinist Ashby Frank stands out from the crowd. Since his arrival in Nashville in the early part of the century, Frank has served in a stunning variety of settings, ranging from the Special Consensus, the Marty Raybon Band, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, the Mashville Brigade and the Earls of Leicester to John Cowan’s HercuLeons, the Likely Culprits and his current main gig, Mountain Heart. He’s scored as a songwriter, too, penning songs for Junior Sisk, Amanda Cook, Dale Ann Bradley, Lindley Creek and more, and even taken on the world of comedy as a member of the Darrell Brothers. Yet even as he continues to burnish his reputation as one of Music City’s most valuable collaborators, Frank is taking the next step forward and releasing music of his own with Mountain Home Music Company.