Ashley Forrest to Perform at Kaufmann's Wednesday

Singer/songwriter Ashley Forrest will perform music from her upcoming album when she makes her debut at in Gambrills on Wednesday night.

The Crofton native is looking to pack in some live shows as she completes work on her debut CD, tentatively dubbed Can’t Wait. She will also perform at in Annapolis on Thursday.

“I’m just trying to sing everywhere and anywhere that I can, to get my name out there and let people know what I’m doing and what I’m all about,” Forrest said.

Forrest, 22, has been traveling to Nashville to record the album, which she says is a mixture of country and pop. She hopes to finish the album this summer.

The 2006 graduate interviewed with Kaufmann’s owner James King last month, and he decided to add her to the roster of live performers. King first heard Forrest perform at the memorial service for Christopher Jones, a Crofton teen who was murdered in 2009.

“He’s such a nice guy,” Forrest said of King. “They’re always up for bringing in new musicians, new acts all the time.”

Forrest has been working on her debut album for about two years, collaborating with Round Robin Productions and producer Jim Pierce.

Forrest said she has been interested in music since she was 3 years old, when she amused family members by humming and singing out of key. She refined her talent beginning in elementary school, when she took up the violin. At Arundel High, she learned piano and participated in the chamber choir and other music groups.

Forrest prefers not to be labeled as solely a country artist.

“I’m just a big lover of music in general,” she said. “When I write music, it’s country but with a pop sound, that crossover country-pop that’s out nowadays.”

Forrest said she is looking forward to the live performances because they offer a chance to connect with her songs more deeply.

"It's easier to get emotionally attached to your songs and sing out to people, and get emotion from them," she said. "You can see on their faces whether they're connecting with a song, and I would prefer that over being in a studio for eight hours and singing one line over and over again."

Ashley Forrest will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday at .