For the second single from their next album with Nashville singer, songwriter, and super picker Ashby Frank, Mountain Home Music has chosen his grassy cover of an alternative pop song from 2018.
It’s God Gave Me Horses, recorded by Leigh Nash, an uplifting song about a young man sentenced to time behind bars, who has no relationship with the Almighty, but who finds a calling and a vocation without ever asking.
Ashby says that the lyrics grabbed him the first time he heard them.
“God Gave Me Horses was co-written by one of my favorite Nashville songwriters, the great Connie Harrington, along with Leigh Nash, who is well-known for her solo recording career, as well as being the lead singer for the band, Sixpence None The Richer. A mutual friend of mine and Leigh’s played me her original cut of this song when she released it, and I was blown away by the lyrics; I knew instantly that I wanted to record it with a rootsy bluegrass treatment.
There are a lot of classic ‘prison songs’ that are considered bluegrass standards that talk about despair, hopelessness, and regret, but this composition has a more contemporary and positive message that I think will resonate with listeners of every generation.
I’m so pleased with how this track turned out, and especially grateful to my great friend and Mountain Home Music label mate, Jaelee Roberts, for lending her voice to this track. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
In addition to Frank on mandolin and lead vocal, studio support came from Seth Taylor on guitar, Matt Menefee on banjo, and Travis Anderson on bass.
Their track nicely conveys the song’s elevating theme, which never feels preachy or overbearing. Just a story of salvation and a lesson learned, beautifully told.
Grab a tissue and check it out…
God Gave Me Horses is available from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.
