

There are many young artists carrying the torch for old-school country music, but few do so with the conviction or chops of Ashland Craft. The fiery South Carolina-bred singer-songwriter wears her passion for the genre on her sleeve across her debut album Travelin’ Kind, both in her spirited, often soulful vocal performances and in the detail-rich narratives she crafts in her lyrics. The Jonathan Singleton-produced project eschews modern genre conventions—you won’t hear any drum machines here—in favor of organic, almost rootsy arrangements, marrying Craft’s raspy twang with an appropriately analog sound. As its title suggests, Travelin’ Kind is the work of a wild, rambling spirit, one who, freewheeling nature be damned, should have serious staying power.