Country Showcase 2016 | February 13th | Curb Event Center
kassi ashton
Showcase Winner
Kassi Ashton grew up in the rural town of California, Missouri. She attributes the person she is today to her childhood experience. Kassi’s parents separated when she was very young, thus she grew up in two very different households. However, it was during this time that Kassi learned to love music. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she found a passion for singing, and sharing musical tastes with her father, she grew up listening to the music of Hank Sr. and Jamey Johnson. Kassi’s music reflects both the nostalgia that her dad engrained within her, as well as the spirited sass and attitude that her mom projected while singing on Broadway. Kassi is now a senior Commercial Voice major with a Music Business minor at Belmont University. She calls her music “country soul,” and simply smirks when asked if that’s “even an actual genre.”
KAYLA WOODSON
Louisiana native and country-rock power vocalist Kayla Woodson started playing the Texas and Louisiana Opry circuits at age four and, by age ten, fronted her own band. After training at Italy’s Bocelli School of Music and placing second at the Golden Star Children’s International Talent Fest, she released her first album at age fifteen.
Kayla’s influences range from the iconic Dolly Parton to rock bands like Journey and Guns ‘N Roses, and modern country megastars like Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town. Combining her impressive vocal ability with her powerful and sassy stage presence, Kayla has begun to make her mark on Music City. Currently in the process of writing for her upcoming EP, she regularly performs at venues across Nashville and appears at festivals and events all over the country.
Hunter leath
Born and raised in the suburbs of Memphis, Tennessee, Hunter Leath grew up listening to a wide variety of songs. He credits his father as being “the one who got me interested in music.” Drawing influences from the bands of the 1970s, as well as songwriters of the 1990s and 2000s, he began to craft his style of writing around the age of thirteen. Already a pianist and percussionist, he learned to play the guitar during this time as well. As Hunter began to take his skills in songwriting and musicianship more seriously, he studied the lyrical styles of artists such as Don Henley, Phil Vassar, Mac McAnally, and Billy Joel. Hunter’s music tastefully blends the styles of country and pop with the modern style of acoustic singer-songwriter, forming a unique arrangement of music and melodies fit for a large variety of audiences.
taylor edwards
A California-born girl who grew up in the Sweet South, Taylor Edwards is a country and pop singer with stories to tell—and she'd prefer doing that with a guitar in her hand. After hitting a few million views on YouTube as a high schooler in Bentonville, Arkansas, Taylor made the move to Nashville in 2012 to further her artistry and study songwriting at Belmont University. In March of 2015, Taylor was featured on the season finale of the CW’s “Hart of Dixie” with her version of Sugarland’s “Little Miss.” In May of that same year, Taylor became the first winner of the Grammy U #SongwritingShowdown, earning her the opening spot at Nashville’s Grammy Block Party. The social media savvy 22 year old has found a sound of her own, and continues to share her music with her multitude of online “frans.”
