With a quarter of a million plays on Spotify Ashton York's music has always been the type to pull on your emotions, and his latest single "Awful Time" is yet another acoustic gem.
Even though his name is comprised of an English town and an English city he actually resides far from the UK, he's from the Bay Area of San Francisco. You'd honestly be forgiven for thinking he's from the South of England with his emotive vocals and incredibly atmospheric strings sounding something like Ben Howard or Benjamin Francis Leftwich would create.
However, being based on the West Coast of the USA does expose Ashton to some incredible weather, and that is reflected in this song, the multiple layers of guitar all are shining brightly on their own, and the soft strings act as 'backing vocals' for him all the while reminding me of hazy summer evenings by the beach with a few cans of cider.
Speaking about the track Ashton mentions - " ... "Awful Time" was written at one of the lowest points in my adult life. It was a way to express the remorse, regret, and shame I was dealing with at the time, while acknowledging the pain I had caused some folks I loved dearly."
Having now been through a low point, he has now burst through the other side and now has a track that he can be genuinely proud of. It's an acoustic gem that can rival any of the best singer-songwriters out there, so be sure to give it a listen asap!