Zach Ashton

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Zach Ashton
Zach Ashton.
Background information
Birth name	Zachary Ashton Smith
Born	April 23, 1976
Origin	Florida, United States
Genre(s)	Pop Singer-Songwriter World
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist
Instrument(s)	Guitar Vocals
Label(s)	Rio8 Fonografico Avex Sony
Website	www.zachashton.com

Zach Ashton (born Zachary Ashton Smith, April 23, 1976 in Denver, Colorado) is a pop-folk singer-songwriter. Known for his dreamy lyrics and melodic delivery, Ashton, a self-taught musician, uses his music and art to document his journeys throughout the world and his life. Although he writes of personal experience his compositions touch the human spirit. He has performed at various venues throughout world and his music has been featured in various films and television programs.

Born in Colorado, Zach Ashton moved with his family to Clearwater, Florida before his first birthday. Given his close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, water played an important role in his upbringing. He began surfing at the age of 12, which lead to his first surf journey outside the United States. Surfing played an important role in his travel destinations and gave him more of a local insight on the places that he visited and lived.

Ashton learned to play guitar at the age of 18 when he was singing in his first band Clay Feet. He attended the University of Alabama from 1994 to 1998 and received a Bachelors Degree in Communications. While attending university, he played in several bands and started a production company that booked musical acts for events within the scholastic community.

Ashton moved to San Diego, California in 2000 and produced his first album Under The Blanket Of The Sky in 2002. The record was seen as music in the purist form. Several songs where featured in surf videos as well as television shows (FOX Network’s Fuel TV.) The record also would give way to his first recording contract.

In January of 2004, Ashton moved to São Paulo, Brazil and secured a recording contract with the independent label RIO8 Fonografico. Mellow Dia (2004) was produced by Sergio Soffiatti and mixed by Alan Sanderson (Rolling Stones, Ryan Adams, Fiona Apple). It featured some of the finest musicians in Brazil and created unique sound. The album received rave reviews throughout Brazil and was later released in Japan with the independent label Ward/Argus Records. Ashton later recorded the EP Sweet Nothings in early 2005. He used the expertise of Soffiatti and Sanderson once again. The album features a rendition of the New Order song Love Vigilantes. In 2006, Ashton secured a publishing deal with SONY / ATV Music Publishing (Germany) and has since begun work on his third EP Just Like Beautiful. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.