Brittain Ashford - Trotter (2023)

When Brittain Ashford’s father slipped away in the small hours of an October morning, she had little time to grieve. Contractually obligated to perform, it would be months before she would sleep in her own bed – and years before the weight of his loss would truly resonate. By the time it did, she believed that no one could understand. Adrift and consumed by grief she unceremoniously ended an engagement and found herself attempting to figure out what could possibly come next.

In 2023, few are strangers to this type of loss. An unblinking meditation on grief and regret with a touch of optimism, it's Ashford's hope that those listening will find comfort in the work.

Ashford herself has said that the album is centered around, “finality and making regrettable decisions” but singles “Could’ve Done You Better” and “Hold On Tight” approach these “regrettable” choices with bounce and ease. In “Hold On Tight” she rhetorically asks, “why couldn’t I say all of the trash I had swimming in my head?” then adding, “I know loving me wasn’t always easy” before guitarist Drew Cooper lends some tasteful guitar licks, à la War On Drugs, to the mix.

Trotter is half of Brittain Ashford’s given family name – her father’s name – and the name of her newest effort; he can be heard singing the folk song “Four Strong Winds” at the 4:36 mark on the solemn album closer, “Where Do We Go".

Having grown up in Seattle, Brittain Ashford now resides in Brooklyn.