Montana-born lead singer, Ashly Jane’s dynamic voice has a vintage country feel, but her music with Little Jane and the Pistol Whips travels across space and time. Her breadth of ballads to barn dance top tapping tunes has delighted audiences across the Big Sky and beyond. Inspired by the mountains and prairies of Montana, from the winding passes to lonely dusty roads, Little Jane’s new album, The Long Road Ahead, is a love letter to the state. These haunting lyrics earned the band a nod in the hit ABC show Big Sky, and a spot on PBS Montana.
In our interview, Jane tells us more about how the band seeks to share its love for Big Sky Country — and share more love within it.
Explain the title of your album.
The title track of Long Road Ahead is intended to impart a hopeful and reflective feeling to the listener. The song’s chorus, which repeats a handful of times throughout the song, states, “It is a long road ahead, and we don’t know where it ends. So, take it slow, dance with me, give me your hand; I promise I won’t leave you, my friend.” I hoped the listener would be comforted to know they are not alone; they may not have all of the answers or know where the road will go or end, but I (the music) will not leave them.
Does your album have an overarching theme?
The overarching theme of the album is how life on the road can get lonely, challenge your identity, and that there is no place like home. My hope with the project was that the music would take the listener on a road trip out of their home state to a whole new part of the country, then with the lessons learned from travel, back to their roots.
Have you changed your practices to ensure that your team is diverse?
As a master’s level social worker, in addition to being a musician, I am aware of the many benefits that come from crafting a diverse team. Currently, my team (band) comes from all different parts of the United States (and Sweden), with each member bringing their own unique experiences to our group. We have members from Boston, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Maryland, Sweden, and Montana. Each member brings something different to the table that blends well to create the sound we have crafted. Each of us also comes with our own family histories of mental health issues, substance abuse issues, and socio-economic issues that have shaped us as individuals.
What do you think you could do to make your music or shows more accessible to a more diverse audience?
After playing a LGBTQIA+ wedding in 2022, I plan on researching where I could submit our music to be considered for additional weddings in the area. Montana can be a tough place to find acceptance, whether you are LGBTQIA+ or from California. I want to change that vibe by showing Montana’s visitors the best time through our music!
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
I would be extremely excited to have one of my favorite songwriters (Neko Case, Darryl Scott, Gillian Welch) listen to and comment on one of my original songs. Better yet, cover one of my original songs! This indicates that my writing was good enough for one of these artists to give it their stamp of approval.
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