Signature Series
Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway Bring their Bluegrass to Kentucky
Through the rolling hills of Tennessee comes Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway to the Bluegrass State! Graham, lead singer and mandolin player, is joined by her newly-formed band Appalachian Highway, featuring Jason Fraley (acoustic guitar), Matt Ledbetter (dobro) and bluegrass jack of all trades Steve Wilson (banjo) on Nov. 6 at 7 pm at the Newport Branch for an intimate concert. Join us at this celebration of bluegrass music from one of its rising stars!
Growing up in a family of musicians, Graham's house had every type of bluegrass instrument one could need; guitar, mandolin, banjo, you name it. It wasn't until assisting her mother with mandolin lessons that she picked up the instrument that would be her signature. "One afternoon I picked it up and started tinkering with it and thought, well, I'd kind of like to give this a try," said Graham.
At the age of 9, Graham began attending mandolin lessons with bluegrass figurehead Alan Bobby, who happened to be her neighbor. After performing in a family band until the age of 15, Graham began to venture into singing, a skill that was still intimidating to the shy, young girl Graham characterized herself as. "I was afraid to sing," she said. "I was too bashful."
Graham started out slow by learning harmony, which she did by listening to Joel Lawson's voice and matching the pitch to how he sang. Graham's confidence began to grow after performing lead vocals at beauty pageants by age 17, which she says helped break her out of her shell. Graham says, "My mom used to say, 'You need to smile when you're on stage, you look so angry,'" she continues, clarifying, "I wasn't angry. I was just scared to death."
Engaging in community theater was what broke Graham's bashful shell completely. From that point forward, she forged her own bluegrass sound. Graham states,"The theater helped me develop a softer side to my voice where I wasn't singing everything like a hard-driving bluegrass song."
After taking an extended break from music to focus on marriage and motherhood, Graham was ready to get back into the life of a musician. However, there was a large obstacle blocking the highway to Appalachia: the absence of a band. "I had lost contact with a lot of folks that I'd played with previously [over the years],," Graham said. "Being that I was ready to go out on tour, I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I need to find a band. Where do I start?'"
Comparing the structure of a band to the likes of 'herding cats,' the alignment of Appalachian Highway is still under constant reinvention. Longstanding member Steve Wilson was recruited after Graham began working with his wife Melanie of Wilson Pickins Promotions. Jason Farley joined after having played with Wilson in their wildly successful band "Deeper Shade of Blue." Graham says an additional member of the band, a bass player, will be joining them soon, but adds, "I'm not going to tell you who that is yet; we'll keep that one!"
Graham credits the current lineup of Appalachian Highway for curating the classic bluegrass sound heard on "Pinewood Prison" and "Who We Were Back Then," saying "That's what we've been searching for, and we found it."
The act's appearance at CCPL in November will be the second time the group has performed in the bluegrass state. In an intimate room of 250 people, Graham hopes the performance will give the crowd "an hour or so of relief from the outside world" and says that can be accomplished easier with a smaller crowd. "That's our purpose and motivation," she says.
When not on tour or creating new music, Graham shares what she's been reading lately, courtesy of her daughter: the Powerless series, The Hunger Games and of course, the Twilight Saga. Graham also hints at the release of an album sometime next year, with two new songs making their debut at the Signature Series event.
With a dynamic new album on the horizon and a 2026–27 tour already generating serious buzz, Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway are redefining what a live bluegrass experience can be—fusing precision musicianship with raw, emotional power and undeniable stage presence. Momentum is building fast, and fans everywhere are racing to see what all the excitement is about.
Signature Series Attendee Information
We are excited to bring Ashleigh Graham & Appalachian Highway to Campbell County and can’t wait to see you on Friday, Nov. 6! In order to make this Signature Series event as enjoyable as possible, please review the following information.
Location
The Newport Branch is located at 901 East 6th Street Newport, KY 41071
Arrival Time
The concert begins at 7 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. Please arrive promptly to prevent interruptions during the performance.
Parking
Free parking is available at the Newport Branch, including street parking.
Entrance
Enter using the main entrance of the library.
If you have any questions about this program, including accommodations, please contact Amy at csprograms@cc-pl.org.
Thank you to the Friends of the Campbell County Public Library for making Signature Series possible.
Friends of the Campbell County Public Library help by volunteering for a number of tasks from hosting library events to assisting staff with special projects. They seek to create public support for the library by keeping the community informed about library services.