Bunnell Arts by Air will present Ashley Young in concert with a live broadcast on KBBI AM 890 on Friday on May 17 at 7 p.m. Bunnell live ticket seats are available and attendees must be seated by 6:45 p.m.

Bunnell, in a press release, described the Alaska-based Indigenous songwriter as “a hopeful romantic with unforgettable vocal warmth.”

“Her lovesick disposition is a light-hearted lens to radical reclamation. Audience members of Ashley’s live performances experience catharsis through her infectious laughter and refreshing honesty.

“With a goal of promoting authenticity, connection, and cycle-breaking, Ashley’s music reveals vulnerable and personal truths that many experience but are often afraid to discuss. Her sources of strength are self-love, risk-taking, and Tlingít tribal values like humor and community.”

Young provided the Homer News with more of her personal background. The musician is originally from Yakutat. She moved to Anchorage as child and stayed there until about 2006, when she relocated to Idaho. She moved back to Alaska in 2021.

“I have been singing for as long as I can remember,” she said, “but the contemporary music that I’m working with now started in about 2012 and this is my seventh project since I started music production.”

All previous projects were completed while she was in college or teaching high school; Young is a certified K-12 art teacher.

“I love that job and I wish I could clone myself and do both,” she said. But, she decided to leave teaching to pursue music and give it all of her time and attention.

“When I left Idaho, I was leaving a long-term relationship and career and I was nervous going to Alaska because the music scene is different here; we’re not L.A. or Nashville. I wondered if there would really be true opportunity here, but, I wanted to be with my family.”

In Anchorage, however, she found a sense of community — “we are all there for each other.”

“I find that in Anchorage there really is a more collective spirit. We all recognize that we have this passion for music but we have obstacles that people in the Lower 48 don’t have.”

She said initially she didn’t know how long she’d stay in Alaska. “I thought I’d move to Seattle or some other music city but I was surprised to find the camaraderie and the way we help each other here. It’s a really special feature here.”

She said she wants to bring more attention to the Alaska art scene.

“Part of my mission lately has been to bring awareness to the awesome art that we have going on in Alaska and make it one of my driving purposes and strengthen the entire relationship of the arts here.”

Young just completed her first do-it-yourself West Coast tour. In September 2023 and April 2024, she did a tour through Seattle, Boise, Los Angles, Portland and Tacoma.

Young has a drummer and also a bassist who sometimes accompany her but will not be attending the Homer event where she will be performing solo.

In the Bunnell press release, Asia Freeman notes the Arts by Air concert and residency is funded by National Performance Network.

“Bunnell seeks sustaining support for this innovative monthly concert series broadcast live from Bunnell and KBBI AM 890, K201AO 88.A1 FM in Seward and kkbi.org online that features Alaska and visiting musicians and expands audiences across Alaska.”

Tickets for the event are available on a sliding scale and can be purchased at https://bunnell-street-arts-center.square.site/concerts.