Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashleigh Flynn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashleigh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

For me as an older musician, one challenging part has been weathering the shift into all things digital. Streaming and social media feel like a both a blessing and a curse. One the one hand, our music is easily accessible with far less waste…but on the other hand we, like other independent artists, are under the thumb of the algorithm and in an unmoored information environment which is pretty scary and can feel disempowering… We had our social media account hacked in 2021, and it was incredibly destabilizing to have put so much energy into rebuilding the connections that had been fostered largely on the road.

Ashleigh, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Dropping our bio in here – as it was written for just this purpose:
Recently hailed as one of Portland’s most iconic bands of the last 50 years by Willamette Week, and with what Pop Matters describes as “tenacious swagger,” acclaimed troubadour Ashleigh Flynn, from Portland, OR, recently dialed up the volume and debuted an all-female rock band as a nod to the “Rosie the Riveter” archetype from WWII.
Flynn grew up in Kentucky and cut her teeth on local bluegrass music and Motown. A prolific songwriter and performer, Flynn arrived on the Americana scene in 2008 with the release of her third LP, American Dream, a poetic lament to the elusiveness of that national ethos. “A Million Stars” followed in 2013 – a rollicking journey celebrating the women pioneers of the American West.
Ashleigh Flynn & The Riveters’ inaugural LP hit the streets in late 2018 featuring a sound that hearkens back to early Stones, ‘70s psychedelic country rock, and alternately charms like a Sunday afternoon front porch session. Produced by her longtime musical collaborator, Chris Funk of the Decemberists, the 10 original tracks feature Flynn’s soulful vocals and compelling brand of songwriting, amped-up and virtuously enveloped by the electric guitar work of Nancy Luca, who honed her style and skill playing with Tom Petty and Bo Diddley, along with one of Portland’s most in demand bass players – Carmen Paradise.
In 2024, Ashleigh Flynn & the Riveters (AF&TR) remain a musical homage to “Rosie the Riveter,” whose brand inspired a social movement for women to work in America. While the COVID19 pandemic shut down the live music industry throughout 2020-2021, AF & the Riveters persevered with the release of a live album in 2021, followed by more glowing reviews and multiple major West Coast festival plays.
AF & the Riveters continue to break boundaries – like the Rosie’s of the World War II production era. With a batch of new songs in their arsenal, the band embarked on the production of their second studio album, Good Morning, Sunshine, with a queer female producer (their very own Nancy Luca) and engineer at the helm. While the band itself is making regional waves in a genre underrepresented by female and queer bands (Americana/Country/Rock); queer female engineers and producers are an anomaly in this genre (with the major exception of Brandi Carlile).
​AF & the Riveters will release their second studio album, Good Morning, in March of 2025 on Blackbird Record Label and are poised to take the no prisoners, but to set out hopefully, on the march to spread joy among legions of new frands!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

YES! Our mission is to represent that women are just as creative and able to construct and deliver well craft songs rife with rock and roll soul and licks; and to crack the glass ceiling that is alive and well in the music business and beyond for women, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities, and particularly in the world of Americana music. In 2024, less than 25% of the musicians on stage at major US music festivals are women. The statistics are even more dismal with regard to female producers and engineers. Our motto is simply “Songs Assembled Here,” and by that motto we stand.

The Riveters began their journey in 2016, as an homage to Rosie the Riveter with the intention of spreading hope and joy by sharing our craft…and here we find ourselves again. The band’s aim remains to reclaim and provide evidence of Rosie’s message – ‘We can do it!” All members have faced the forces of sexism, homophobia, and ageism that permeate the music industry in America; and intend to continue to do so squarely by molding into an infectious blend of well-crafted Americana music that speaks to our common history and humanity – songs about love and loss, the forces of good and evil…and love and loss, good and evil are just that – regardless of whether you are young or old, gay or straight, man or woman…

AF&TR second record, Good Morning, Sunshine, will be released in March 2025 on Blackbird Record Label. The album was produced by musicians and engineer who identify as female, nonbinary queer, respectively. The record is a testament to the resilience of our band, who are all virtuous at their craft, and who all who happen to be women and feminists and despite the many obstacles laid bare by the many “isms” that are presenting themselves rife in America.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The live show is the thing for me…playing for folks, communing through our original homespun music and watching folks elevate, watching them share in the joys and sorrows of the sound and feel of the stories we weave…I am deeply grateful for this reality in my life. Moving through this life in the world as a musician is truly a blessing in this way…

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleighflynnandtheriveters.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleighflynnandtheriveters/
• Youtube: https://www.ashleighflynnandtheriveters.com/video
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3X10mCuD0xLXSslMtQhvlz

Image Credits

1st photo – Norm Eder

4 photos (second upload) – Cindy Doktor