Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Rivera.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I come from a musical family. My mom sang, my dad can play any instrument he touches (I’m so jealous of that), and my grandfather was a dobro player in bluegrass bands. As early as I can remember, music was central and creativity was encouraged. I started singing very early on and at about nine or ten was performing at local events- festivals, contests, anywhere they’d let me on stage. I started a country band as a teenager and we had a blast for about four years, traveling and just learning how to play out live.
The country band was important to me, but over time it became apparent that the songs I loved to write, the ones that felt most honest, were more rock-oriented and a bit darker than the material we had been putting out. The band eventually parted ways. Later, I recorded a solo record called “Danger Dreaming” with producer Scott Patton. It was a great learning experience; I was able to explore darker concepts in certain songs on the album while others had a more commercial country sensibility. It was a toe in the water, so to speak.
In the process of recording Danger Dreaming, Scott introduced me to guitarist David Rowe and encouraged me to work with him. We basically had a blind date writing appointment just to see what happened. I came to the session with an idea for a song called Milk and Honey. That song is a bit of a weird bird… it sounds happy and catchy while really saying some wretched things. I assumed that when I showed him the idea he might not “get it.” To my surprise, he took the idea and seemed to have this psychic vision of exactly what I wanted it to be. It freaked me out a little, actually. I felt completely understood. From then on, we worked together constantly and he ended up producing our full band record. That was the beginning of the band, Sister Moon.
We won the musical lottery by having Gary Stone and Lee Banks on board as drummer and bassist, respectively. They’re both fantastic songwriters and producers themselves and are absolutely crucial to the band’s sound, vibe, and output.
We’ve released four singles at this point and we’ll be releasing the whole album soon. We’re also beginning the writing process for future releases. I’m extremely excited to write as a group and see what creative portals are opened with the four of us writing together. Cliche as it is, I pinch myself often about getting to work with the people I work with and getting to do what I love for a living. It’s incredible!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Music is never a smooth road. I guess that’s a good thing because we wouldn’t have as much to write about if it was. There have been many obstacles along the way.
I think that any career based on creativity is met with a lot of judgment by people who don’t understand it. Family or friends who might mean well can cut you down by discouraging your choices. “When are you going to get a real job?”… things like that. My lifestyle is different from most of the people my age. My schedule is completely ridiculous, I’m not married, I don’t want to have children (I always say that my songs are my children). I’ve gotten a lot of flack and even ill-placed pity for that. So, that’s been a struggle, growing up in this business with a bit of a black sheep complex.
Other struggles have been working with people who don’t have your best interest in mind. Sometimes people have an idea of what you should be and don’t pay attention to what you are. I made a lot of missteps early on by listening to so-called professionals who wanted to change me into something I wasn’t.
Please tell us about Sister Moon.
I play acoustically around town with Gary Stone, normally four nights a week. Sister Moon is the original band and my primary focus, although we don’t play as often. We do moody rock material for the most part.
I could say that I’m proud of the talent in this band or what each member does. But honestly, I think I’m most proud of us as a unit. We’re all very close, and very protective of one another. Being in the studio for twelve hours or in a van for eight hours doesn’t really phase anyone, because, at the end of the day, we’re just all buddies who enjoy being together. I love that. It’s what I’m most proud of.
As far as what sets us apart, I think it’s somewhat rare for everyone in a band to be a songwriter. Each of us has a different bearing on a song because we’re all coming from that place as a writer.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Growing up, we had a farm. I think my favorite memory is going out to take care of the horses in the mornings. It was way too early, I didn’t want to get up. It was (as I remember it) ALWAYS cold outside at that hour. Many times, the water troughs were frozen over, so I’d go break them up with a hammer and then get to work giving the horses their breakfast. It wasn’t a glamorous job but for some reason, this sticks out to me as an almost meditative experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sistermoonmusic.com
- Email: sistermoonatl@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sistermoonatl
- Facebook: @sistermoonatl
- Twitter: @sistermoonatl
Image Credit:
Quinn Glover Photography, Denise Ellyson, Jessica Bailey Photography, Gary Stone
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