We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Chapman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

From the time I was a small child I knew I wanted to be a drummer and singer. I heard the band Hanson and thought it was so cool that their drummer Zac sang and played drums. My parents supported this and years later, after many lessons, I got a Mapex drum set and went on to play for years in bars in Michigan long before I was allowed to drink in them. Never once did I hear anything negative about my gender while playing music. It was just who I was, a drummer and singer.

Then I moved to Nashville. Suddenly, people were commenting on my clothes, my hair, my drumming capabilities (or lack there of in some opinions), singing capabilities, and more. I heard everything from “What a cute gimmick singing and playing like that” to “You should be upfront just singing. Let’s get you upfront to show you off”.

Though I believe some people did have their heart in the right place, it was almost exclusively negative feedback for the first 5-6 years I was here. Maybe it was the tribe of fellow musicians I found, maybe it was the fact that I also immersed myself into dog rescue so was too distracted to care about what others approved of, but I kept going.

When Nashville reopened after the pandemic, I was in a great place creatively and philanthropically. I had recorded ten songs during shutdown, found new musicians I loved playing with, and had fostered or adopted several dogs. It was time to combine my love of music with my advocacy for dog rescue. As the band started playing downtown Nashville all the time, the brand evolved. Heels were worn, drums were played, songs were sung, and crowds were supportive even if the industry wasn’t. I needed to combine all of this. Female equality, music, and dog rescue. Enter the name: Ashley Chapman & The Strays.

Ashley , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up on classic rock, almost exclusively. My parents were from the Detroit area which meant, we were rockers. I grew up singing and playing along to bands like The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, Electric Light Orchestra, anything Motown, and more. When I moved to Nashville I resisted country music until I discovered the women of country, especially Shania, Miranda, and Jennifer Nettles. Not only was the genre something I never really listened to, but I had missed out on these women’s incredible stories, some of which emulated mine and my struggles in a male dominated industry playing a male dominated instrument.

I buckled down and learned as much as I could. I started as a work for hire for other bands then after about a year, ended up playing at venues downtown as a front person. After years of drumming and learning a completely new setlist, this was finally where I felt most at home: singing and playing drums while fronting the band.

When we started playing at Miranda Lambert’s it gave me the opportunity to create the brand Ashley Chapman & The Strays. It had become more than the name. We were given a platform that supported female-fronted bands singing female empowered songs, or anything the audience enjoyed, to be honest. It was the first time I’d been given the opportunity to be upfront playing drums and singing and interacting with my audience. The best part of playing downtown as Ashley Chapman & The Strays is seeing parties enjoying themselves singing and dancing along, little girls coming in and seeing someone who looks like them doing something they hadn’t considered doing before that moment, bachelorettes coming up to me after and saying they love seeing a woman playing drums and running a band; all while wearing heels, and having people say “We loved the band, but when I saw that you rescue dogs and the strays has two meanings, I loved you even more”.

Our genuine approach, care for our audience, and honestly plain old love of animals, has gained us followers, repeat audience members, and tons of word of mouth recommendations.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I would love to stop seeing people be afraid of something they don’t understand or something they haven’t seen before. Madonna once said in regards to what she realized about the music industry, “Be what men want you to be. But more importantly, be what women feel comfortable with you being around other men.” I would love to see good people support good people and talented people get work because they’re talented and good to work with. And perhaps most importantly, both men and women colleagues understand that hard work, talent, and professionalism should matter the most, and that one person’s success does not equal another person’s failure so gender-based competition is a waste of time.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Other than enjoying the creative side to my journey, I want two things.

One, I want it to be easier for my hypothetical daughters if they decide to be musicians, especially if they decide to play a male dominated instrument. I want them to earn respect at the same pace of their male counterparts and not have their ability be doubted because of their gender. I want them to get hired at the same pace as their male counterparts for the same reasons as their male counterparts.

Two, I want a platform to promote animal adoption and advocacy and I want this platform to lead to more influence in animal rescue and the ability to financially support such efforts.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleychapmanandthestrays.com/
• Instagram: @ashleychapman.andthe.strays
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-chapman-4278a31a0/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTDcgMDU2ebO9WktR1kXJBg

Image Credits
Lauren Cannon