About Stephen Ashbrook

Biography / History / Press Release

"Stephen Ashbrook is a Portland, Oregon-based singer songwriter. Ashbrook rose to fame in the mid-1990's in his home state of Arizona, riding the wave of the Tempe music scene while performing with his band Satellite. Many bands, including the Gin Blossoms, The Refreshments and Dead Hot Workshop found success with this guitar-driven rock music. Ashbrook has toured with the Peacemakers, among others." - Wikipedia

Discography: click the album cover to learn more...

Press Release

With most records, it’s all about the endpoint; Stephen Ashbrook’s latest release is all about the journey. The path to White Balloons took Ashbrook through multiple states—and states of mind. At the time of Ashbrook’s last studio album, 2002’s American B Sides, the singer-songwriter had been a star of the Tempe, Arizona scene, with sold-out shows, major label attention, and even a request from President Clinton for a personal performance. But Ashbrook had grown restless in his environs, and he traded in the dry desert landscape for the vibrant green of the Pacific Northwest.
Immersing himself in the burgeoning Portland, Oregon music scene, Ashbrook distinguished himself from the town’s hordes of indie rockers with a unique blend of pop, rock, country and folk, drawing packed crowds to his weekly residency. He slowed his touring schedule after the post-B Sides birth of his first child and used the time to reflect on the changes in his life, channeling those thoughts into songs like “First Time,” a direct response to his son’s birth. When demos of the new tracks made their way into the hands of acclaimed producer and songwriter Pete Droge (a member of songwriting supergroup the Thorns), the beginnings of White Balloons were born.
The journey then led Ashbrook to Droge’s Puget Sound retreat on Vashon Island, a forested oasis removed from the grind of the music industry Ashbrook had felt pressure to appeal to. Working in collaboration with Droge, Ashbrook opened up the arrangements in a way that allowed the songs to breathe with a new energy. Gone was the straightforwardness of Ashbrook’s previous recordings—the rock solos and steady backbeat—replaced instead with a lush, textured sound that mirrored his sylvan settings. For the next few months, Ashbrook would drive north every few weeks, board a ferry, and spend weeks in Droge’s Puzzle Tree Studios, taking breaks to explore the expansive property and sometimes camping out in a teepee. Ashbrook and Droge became close friends as the record progressed, and as they grew closer, the record became an imprint of their relationship, the perfect coupling of Ashbrook’s introspective folk-inflected songwriting married to Droge’s spacey, warm arrangements.
The album’s title track showcases the collaboration perfectly, with a steady acoustic guitar blending with swirling electric tracks and atmospheric synths, all supporting Ashbrook’s resonant voice. “Barstar” ups the ante as an anthem of Ashbrook’s success, chugging keyboards tempered by an echoing vocal that reflects Ashbrook’s tempered vision of his younger days, while “21 Young” explodes with a hook that’s pure pop perfection.
But it wasn’t all easygoing—a polyp on Ashbrook’s vocal chords threatened the record’s completion by forcing throat surgery and a three-month hiatus for recovery. When it came time to choose the album’s opener, another potential throat surgery threatened more than just the record. “Pete vowed he’d drive down to Portland and slit my throat if I didn’t open the record with ‘Carelessly,’” says Ashbrook with a laugh. Like every decision made with Droge’s support, the resigned rebuke to a heartless lover opens the record with just the right mix of sly sentiment.And while the journey to make White Balloons—a trek into the northwest wilderness that expanded Ashbrook’s artistic sensibilities—felt Odyssean at times in its wanderings and hardships, the record shows that Ashbrook’s journey is one any music fan will be happy to join.

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History

"If the Tempe music scene had a hall of fame, Stephen Ashbrook surely would have been inducted.”
–The Arizona Republic

Ashbrook's voice - a rolling bass profundo punctuated by a chilling falsetto- delivers tales of quiet strength and authenticity. A deeply centered stage persona coupled with remarkable song writing make this Southwest roots purveyor a talent to not to miss!

Stephen Ashbrook career was launched out of Tempe , AZ where he won the Phoenix Tribune's Best Acoustic Performer 1998 & 2000. The talent of this artist became so widely recognized, that in the summer of 2000, Ashbrook delivered a command performance for President Bill Clinton, at the request of the White House.

In Arizona , Stephen recorded American B-Sides with friends from Gin Blossoms, The Pistoleros and Dead Hot Workshop. After relocating to Oregon , Stephen Ashbrook launched his promotional campaign for American B Sides from his new home town of Portland . The incredible response to this Southwestern Singer/Songwriter was swift as press and music industry watched a national cult following for Ashbrook come alive. Within weeks, the first single “Rock –n- Roll” was added to regular rotation in both Southern California and Arizona markets, and earned a First Place prize in the international “Makeastar.com” songwriters contest. The Phoenix, Arizona New Times dubbed him "Pop tunesmith-extraordinaire," and credited “Rock –n- Roll” as a “bona fide classic!” With the 2004 release of the long anticipated live two disc set, Double Live @ Long Wong’s, the magic of Ashbrook’s live performance is evident. Stephen continues to tour across the nation and in Europe acquiring a broad fan base across markets.

Stephen Ashbrook recently completed 10 new tracks with the respected Seattle musician and producer Pete Droge, who has experienced global fame, both as a solo artist and with The Thorns. “I knew right away after listening to his demo I wanted to work with him,” claimed Droge in a recent article. As producer and co-writer on a few songs, Pete Droge pushed Ashbrook’s music to bold new levels.

What people are saying:

"The Best Acoustic Performer of 1998/2000".
-Phoenix Tribune's "Get Out Magazine"

"Ashbrook's songs create scenes, glimpses into his life. His music, cured in the Tempe rock scene, is guitar-based led by his ever smooth voice."
-Folkwax.com

"Stephen delivers a command performance for President Bill Clinton at the Request of The White House."
-Summer of 2000

" Stephen Ashbrook 's stand out song writing, has captured the attention of many new fans."
-Synthesis, Chico California

"Ashbrook's voice - a rolling bass profundo punctuated by a chilling falsetto - delivers tales of quiet strength and authenticity. A deeply centered stage persona coupled with remarkable song writing make this Southwest roots purveyor a talent to watch."
-The Bite Festival, Portland OR

"Singer Stephen Ashbrook glides effortlessly between a deepness and a fine falsetto."
-The Willamette Week's pick of the week. Willamette Week, Portland Oregon

"Pop tunesmith extraordinaire"
-New Times, Phoenix Arizona

"A King in his Court!"
-The Oregonian, Portland Oregon

"I've found myself unable to remove his CD from my player. The man gets under your skin people!"
-Glen Starkey, New Times, San Luis Obispo , Ca