Tiffany Ashton

Barely Controlled Radio's Jeff Reed with
Country Star Tiffany Ashton

When I was 17 years old, I attempted my first live field goal, obviously meaning this involves a sport that somewhat defines my name today. I had no idea where my life was going. I was a great student and a great athlete, but I had no clear idea of my calling. My guest today, on the other hand, has performed publicly since the age of six. This 17-year-old is Tiffany Ashton. I was intrigued when a buddy of mine said, “Do you want to have my friend Tiffany as a guest on BCR?” I said, “Well you kind of have to be a big deal to be on my show.” Haha! After realizing who he was talking about, I jumped on this opportunity to interact with such a young star on the rise, not only as a country music performer with a little “pop” in her game but also as a passionate songwriter. Is Tiffany your typical 17-year-old? How important is time management in her situation as she strives to reach goals in multiple aspects of her life? She is human by the way. She has her struggles. Find out right here - The Jeff Reed Show- former Pittsburgh Steelers placekicker

I first met Tiffany Ashton when she was playing at The Inlet on South Hutchinson Island. She was warm, friendly and let me snap a picture with her. I had been taking photos and videos of her while she was performing and posting it to social media. Her voice was fantastic and crisp considering the noon day heat she was battling. The following day, I received a call from Tiffany’s mom(Cindy), asking if I would be interested in being behind the scenes of the making her daughter’s new video. She told me the video would be shot on North Hutchinson Island and along the Treasure coast. The music titled “Paradise You and Me”, is from a song that Tiffany wrote herself about being in Fort Pierce and debuts on her “Southern Sweetheart” CD. I met the crew at the beach on a cloudy evening. The bugs were biting and it was a humid summer evening, but Tiffany and her friends never complained. I met the cast of teen surfers like Maddy Maizia, who is from Stuart, Florida. She has the title of Surfer America 2015 (Nags Head), Elliot Zirwas, Stephanie Rall, Keelan Marshal, Hunter Riggers and Norman Hamilton, the videographer.

Tiffany and her family are originally from North Carolina and over the years visited Fort Pierce each Summer. She learned how to surf and loved the area so much that she wrote the song “Paradise You and Me.” While she was visiting Fort Pierce at about the age of 13 she preformed at a local hangout and was noticed by a musician who encouraged her to make a recording in his studio. She had sung in Churches and public places, but after hearing her voice recorded, she decided to pressure her dream. So, even though Tiffany does not live here full-time, her heart is here and her discovery really came when she was visiting Fort Pierce. It was a privilege to be a part of this and I later interviewed her for “Living the Life with Plythe” Show. Enjoy the video below. - Treasures of Fort Pierce - Plythe Gibbons

Tiffany Ashton – Southern Sweetheart EP Review

June 11, 2015

Graham Barnes

Young Singer songwriter Tiffany Ashton follows up her first EP Adrenaline Crush recorded in 2012 with this six track Ep Southern Sweetheart. The talented North Carolina based artist is clearly another one of country`s rising starlets her EP contains well written contemporary songs.

Southern Sweetheart the title track opens the EP with a gentle guitar strums this is a catchy tune which reminds me a little of early Taylor Swift songs. Southern Sweetheart certainly sets the bar high for the following tracks. A well written pleasing country pop song.

“She`s a Southern Sweetheart when she walks in the room, just a Georgia peach girl from country roots”



Back Away a real country intro on this one soon launches into a different style of song with a rocky undertone. Back Away is a real departure from the rest of the songs on the EP and shows that Tiffany can rock it up with the best of them.



Paradise You And Me after the rocky predecessor this track is back to the more familiar catchy country pop. This one is perfect single materiel it flows along with a gentle beat. A fresh sounding song taking you away to the seaside “Beach blonde hair blowing on ocean breeze, sun kissed pure bliss in a bikini.” Just the song for summer.




The Only Guy Tiffany displays her great vocal tones on this song. Another well written catchy fast up tempo song The Only Guy is about longing to be with someone unobtainable wishing them to be with you instead of the person they are with.



Who`s Laughing Now once again Tiffany has produced a gem of a country pop song she excels with this style of song once again this would make a fine single. There is a certain satisfaction with having the last laugh and this song tells of that feeling brilliantly.



The final track Reckless is a beautiful country ballad showing a different side to Tiffany`s vocals. The mellow beautifully toned verses combining excellently with the faster elements of the chorus. Reckless is a fitting end to a great EP and is my stand out track it has many pleasing aspects and Tiffany`s vocals are faultless.



A nice set of songs make up this EP the varying styles giving clear indication that there is a lot more to come from Tiffany Ashton. Shortly embarking on a tour in America to promote the EP Tiffany is definitely one artist to listen out for here in the UK and now Taylor Swift has departed country for pure pop Tiffany Ashton could well fill the gap she has left.

Check out Tiffany`s website http://tiffanyashtonmusic.com/

http://www.djpetecountry.com/#!Tiffany-Ashton-%E2%80%93-Southern-Sweetheart-EP-Review/c5u1/55792bcd0cf219f17735aa18 - Peter Englefield

Kathy Norcross Watts/Special Correspondent

Tiffany Ashton, a teenage singer-songwriter, hasn’t wavered in her drive to pursue her passion for music, while balancing the realities of high school that include AP courses, sports and the glee club.

"For me, music is a creative outlet, an instinct and a passion,” Ashton, 16, said. “Since I was 6, I’ve been sharing my music with others, and I can honestly say that there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t sing. I couldn’t imagine life without music.”

"Creatively, I continually strive to improve my work, whether it’s melodies, lyrics or guitar techniques. I’m always trying to exceed my own expectations. There is always a way to connect deeper with listeners and always another way to help them see the world in a different viewpoint.”

In early 2013 Ashton began spending one Friday a month in Atlanta at Jan Smith Studios, known for working with Usher, The Band Perry, Justin Bieber, Sugarland and others. The monthly Friday sessions enable out-of-town clients to receive training and performance coaching, and that worked well for Ashton, who is a sophomore at Atkins High School.

"They are overall-performance coaches,” Ashton said. “It’s singing, it’s performing, it’s getting your name out there.”

One of the vocal coaches connected her with Jason Hoard, a touring member of the Grammy Award-winning band Third Day and owner of Black Cat Studios in Atlanta. Hoard has “definitely been an inspiration on staying true to yourself and your Christian values, despite the many things the music industry oftentimes throws at you,” Ashton said.

She’s focusing on her country songs for now, and she envisions incorporating her faith within her music, citing the music of Rascal Flatts as an example. This summer she performed in venues across southeast Florida in her 2013 Tiffany Ashton Summer Music Tour.

"My area of biggest growth this year as an artist and as a performer is definitely in my level of confidence.… My dream is to sing on stage at the Grammys before I am 21, and having professionals of such renown guiding and supporting me throughout this journey is absolutely incredible.”

Her CD, “Adrenaline Crush,” produced and recorded by Hoard, will be released later this fall. It was a defining moment for her when the two co-wrote a song called “Tonight,” which is a duet that will be on the CD. The first single, “Adrenaline Crush,” is currently playing in rotation at WildHorseRadio.com before its official release

"I absolutely love both sharing and creating songs, but I enjoy writing lyrics to a new song the most,” Ashton said. “My mind is in constant motion, piecing together concepts for new songs, whether I am writing about a personal experience, or an experience I’ve seen someone else go through. Finding a way to convey a familiar situation from another viewpoint or in a new light is always exciting. For the most part, writing the lyrics is the last step in the songwriting process for me — and the step that takes the longest to complete. But honestly, sometimes the toiling and frustration to find the perfect line is the most rewarding in the end because when the song finally comes together after so much hard work, you often say, ‘Wow, that’s got to be my favorite line!’”

She chose to attend Atkins, where she’s currently ranked first in her class, because it’s a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school, and it offers engineering courses that appeal to her. Balancing schoolwork and her music requires planning, and even with a schedule, it can be challenging at times because her 14-year-old brother is both autistic and epileptic, “so our house is rarely quiet,” she said. “At the end of the day, I make certain I’ve completed what needed to be done, and although I’m often pressed for time, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

"The most challenging obstacle for me as a singer-songwriter would have to be the late nights of songwriting. It never fails that the best song ideas pop into my mind at 2 in the morning … on a school night.”

Through this process, Ashton said that she’s learning “to always stay true to the person I am, both creatively and personally….”

"When someone listens to my music, I truly hope they are able to relate to the story and emotions I am trying to convey. Whether or not the story relates to them personally, I believe music has the unique ability to emotionally connect to listeners, place them in someone else’s shoes or to help them see their own situation in a different light. I honestly hope that listeners do exactly that when they listen to my music.”

Follow Ashton on Twitter and Instagram @TiffanyAshton3, Facebook/TiffanyAshtonMusic or her website, TiffanyAshtonMusic.com. See Page 12 in Relish for a story on this year’s air show.

Kathy Norcross Watts writes about artists of all stripes — visual, musical, literary and more — weekly in relish. Send your story ideas to winterberrybooks@bellsouth. - Relish

Local Vocals: Tiffany Ashton

Carolyn Peterson

“Our talents are the gift that God gives to us...what we make of our talents is our gift back to God” and for Tiffany Ashton, a 16-year-old from King, NC, her talent for singing is something she is uses every day as a gift back to God, and to all who hear her perform.

Since the age of 3, Tiffany has sung solos in church and at the age of 6, sang the ‘National Anthem’ at sporting events – she even opened for a performance of Sly and The Family Stone when she was 9. “I began writing my own music at age 13,” said Tiffany, “releasing my first CD, ‘Crossroads,’ in 2011, followed by ‘Adrenaline Crush’ and the release this September of ‘Southern Sweetheart.’ Performing, singing and songwriting for me is a creative outlet, an instinct and a passion. I don’t think a day has gone by that I haven’t sung; life for me without music would be colorless. There is no better feeling than playing my original songs to an audience and having them smile back at me, mouthing the lyrics. That says it all...music has spoken to them in a way nothing else can.” And judging by the number of performances she has scheduled up and down the east coast into late fall 2014, it seem that Tiffany's music is speaking to many.

120-LocalVocalsTiffanyAshton-SFW“I perform contemporary country music with a hint of pop,” noted Tiffany. “I aspire to take my talents much further in the future, currently pursuing music as a full time career. In September, my producer, Jason Hoard, has scheduled meetings in Atlanta and Nashville with record labels. Jason is a touring member of the Grammy-award winning band Third Day, and has been an inspiration to me. He has shown me how important it is to stay true to yourself and your Christian values, despite the many things the music industry throws at you.”

As well as inspiration, hard work and experience are keys to Tiffany’s success. “For the past two years I have been working with the renowned performance coaches at Jan Smith Studios in Atlanta, who also coach The Band Perry, Usher, Drake, Sugarland and other artists,” said Tiffany. “And I was invited last October to accompany several up and coming singer/songwriters on the Alabama and Friends Cruise, giving me the opportunity to spend time with national artists like Diamond Rio, Craig Morgan and Alabama. I gained invaluable insight on the music industry and it was a blessing to have that experience.”

But Tiffany’s life is not all about music. As a rising junior at Atkins Academic and Technology High School, she is ranked first in her class. This past July, she competed at the National level of TSA (Technology Student Association, a middle and high school engineering organization) where she placed first in the nation for her entry in the ‘Essays on Technology’ competition. “My hobbies outside of songwriting and performing include rocketry, engineering and surfing, which comes from the summers I have spent in Ft. Pierce, FL, but music is my passion,” commented Tiffany.

In addition to music and school, Tiffany’s family plays a key role in her life. “When at home, my life is a little bit different than most, as my little brother, Tristan, has autism and severe epilepsy. Although our lives can be challenging at times, Tristan is such a blessing to my family. He has taught me perseverance is the key to overcoming obstacles, no matter how big they seem. God has truly blessed me with an amazingly supportive family,” Tiffany stated. - Forsyth Woman Magazine