baileyhorsley

Asheville, NC, USA

Recorded in the invitation-only third-floor studio at Asheville’s Citizen Vinyl—the room where Bill Monroe first introduced bluegrass to radio airwaves—Easy Way Out is both the culmination of a 25-year career and an introduction. Until now, original songs by Horsley—a veteran of national touring acts like Perpetual Grass and James Justin & Co.—were limited to live performance. The EP’s five tracks trace his own growth as a musician, husband, and father, from mental health struggles (“Too Short Rope”) to committing to a life pursuing his passions (“Easy Way Out”). Horsley’s journeyman life story, from dock builder to school teacher to boat captain, lends perspective to songs like tongue-in-cheek opener “Nine to 5.” “It’s so simple but it’s also so hard to say, ‘I’m going to do what I love doing,’” professes Horsley. Recording Easy Way Out with his favorite Asheville musicians, including members of Fireside Collective and the Jon Stickley Trio.