Casey Ashley sings again

Casey Ashley released a CD of new songs this week during the Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash.

Casey Ashley released a CD of new songs this week during the Evan Williams Bourbon Carolina Clash.

The 27-year-old pro’s latest development in his singing career is Release, a six-song demo CD, at CaseyAshley.com.

“I’m excited to see where it goes,” he said.

There’s one aspect of his singing he likes vs. the tough bite on Lake Murray over the past few days: “I can control music, I can’t control the fish,” he said.

A demo CD contains fewer tracks than the usual 10 to 12, he said. He’s been working on the project for about two years, being very selective about the songs he’d include.

“It took a while to find some songs I really liked, but we got them, six good ones,” Ashley said.

One of the tracks is Fisherman, which he first recorded in 2008 just days before he competed in the Greenville, S.C. Bassmaster Classic. Fisherman, which became Ashley’s signature song on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail, is about a professional angler’s life.

One of the new songs is titled What I’m Fishing For — “not really a tournament, go-get-’em song,” Ashley said.

The others he described as “good timin’ songs” and “summertime songs” — music about having a good time, but not necessarily about fishing.

Three of the album’s five new songs were created by Rodney Clawson, a Nashville songwriter who is a bass fisherman himself. He wrote Fisherman for Ashley in 2008. Clawson’s many other credits include co-authoring I Saw God Today recorded by George Strait. Clawson also was the producer of Release, Ashley said.

Ashley said clips of the new songs will be available soon on his website.