ASHLEY CAMPBELL & THOR JENSEN
Where Nashville Meets New York... and the Music Finds a New Home
There is something wonderfully fitting about Ashley Campbell and Thor Jensen returning to Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre.
This is music that doesn't belong in vast arenas or anonymous theatres. It belongs in intimate listening rooms where every lyric lands, every harmony breathes, and every note carries emotional weight. Their previous appearances left audiences spellbound, and now one of Americana's most captivating contemporary duos returns for an exclusive two-night residency that promises to be among the musical highlights of the year.
For lovers of authentic American roots music, Campbell/Jensen represent something increasingly rare—a partnership born not through marketing, but through genuine musical curiosity.
The story begins, inevitably, with one of country music's most cherished names.
Ashley Campbell could easily have spent her career trading on the legacy of her father, the incomparable Glen Campbell. Instead, she has patiently, gracefully and determinedly built a reputation that belongs entirely to her.
Before audiences knew her own songs, Ashley spent several years touring the world alongside her father during his emotional farewell tours following his Alzheimer's diagnosis. Playing banjo, keyboards and guitar, she became an integral part of one of country music's most moving chapters as Glen's final performances were immortalised in the acclaimed documentary I'll Be Me, whose soundtrack went on to win a Grammy Award while earning an Academy Award nomination. Ashley also contributed her own compositions to that remarkable soundtrack.
It was during this deeply personal period that Ashley wrote "Remembering"—a heartbreakingly beautiful song inspired by watching Alzheimer's slowly steal her father's memories. Released in 2015, the single became her breakthrough recording, reaching the Billboard Country Airplay chart and earning widespread praise for its emotional honesty.
As Billboard observed at the time, it wasn't simply another debut single—it was one of the most moving family tributes modern country music had produced.
Rather than chasing commercial trends, Ashley chose authenticity.
Her acclaimed albums The Lonely One and Something Lovely established her as one of Americana's finest contemporary storytellers, blending country, folk, bluegrass and singer-songwriter traditions with remarkable elegance. Her music has carried her from Japan and China to London's O2 Arena, while tours alongside Kris Kristofferson, The Bellamy Brothers, and appearances throughout Europe have cemented her reputation as one of Americana's most respected young performers. She has even become instantly recognisable to country fans for her dazzling banjo work alongside Rascal Flatts in the video for their smash hit "Banjo."
Yet if Ashley represents the rich heritage of Nashville, Thor Jensen arrives from an entirely different musical universe.
Born in New York, Jensen has become one of those extraordinary musicians whose career refuses to recognise musical boundaries.
He has toured internationally with the genre-defying Hazmat Modine, explored modern Americana with Quiet Life, sharing stages with artists including Dr. Dog, Portugal. The Man and Shovels & Rope, before diving headlong into the breathtaking world of Django Reinhardt through his work with celebrated guitarist Stéphane Wrembel.
That journey eventually led him to performing at Carnegie Hall, while simultaneously immersing himself in New York City's thriving jazz scene, mastering the intricate language of gypsy jazz alongside American roots music.
Ashley first met Thor after deciding she wanted to explore the gypsy jazz music her father had adored throughout his life.
She needed a teacher. Thor had literally arrived in Nashville just days earlier.
Sometimes music writes its own stories.
What began as guitar lessons quickly evolved into friendship, then collaboration, then something much bigger.
Speaking about their partnership, Thor explained:
"Our voices sat nicely together and we have different enough backgrounds for a collaboration to be quite an interesting journey."
He also perhaps summed up the philosophy behind Campbell/Jensen better than anyone:
"If we both draw a circle the same way, how will we discover new shapes?"
Those different circles became Campbell/Jensen.
Ashley brings crystal-clear country melodies, Appalachian banjo traditions and heartfelt songwriting.
Thor contributes sophisticated jazz harmony, gypsy swing, blues phrasing and one of the richest baritone voices currently working in Americana.
Together they create something entirely their own.
Their acclaimed debut album Turtle Cottage was recorded inside a secluded 250-year-old cottage overlooking the water on Mahee Island in Northern Ireland—a location chosen deliberately long before recording began because it perfectly reflected the atmosphere they wanted to capture.
Far removed from expensive Nashville studios, the pair immersed themselves in nature, silence and simplicity.
The result is an album that feels organic, intimate and beautifully cinematic.
Reviewing the record, Americana UK praised its:
"Top-notch musicianship",
describing it as a collection of
"heartfelt ballads... and technically stunning, evocative instrumentals,"
while highlighting the duo's remarkable chemistry throughout the album.
Meanwhile Building Our Own Nashville described Turtle Cottage as:
"a cinematic, picturesque spectacle"
that takes listeners
"on an emotional and powerful journey of stunning instrumentals and gorgeous vocals and harmonies."
Even more telling is the respect they have earned from audiences themselves.
Since relocating from Nashville to Britain, Ashley has spoken warmly about finding a home among UK audiences, saying:
"It feels more like a music-loving culture than what's popular culture."
Perhaps nowhere demonstrates that more perfectly than Barnoldswick. For sixty fortunate people each night, there will be no giant video screens. No arena production. No distractions.
Just two remarkable musicians sitting a few feet away, telling stories through beautifully crafted songs, exquisite harmony singing and world-class musicianship. This is modern Americana at its purest. Country music without cliché. Jazz without pretension. Folk without boundaries.
A meeting of Nashville, New York, Appalachia, Paris and Britain that somehow feels completely effortless.
For fans of Glen Campbell, John Prine, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Nickel Creek, The Civil Wars, Alison Krauss, Jason Isbell, Chris Thile and the timeless art of great acoustic songwriting, these two evenings promise something genuinely unforgettable.
Some artists inherit great musical legacies. Others create new ones. Ashley Campbell and Thor Jensen are quietly doing both.
And once again, Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre will provide the perfect room in which to hear it happen.
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