My First Band Podcast

These days, Ashley Smith stays busy as the owner and operator of Alive and Fine — a vintage shop in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood — and as one of the founders/organizers responsible for the annual Hover Craft maker fair (which is set to return to The Pritzlaff Building on Dec. 5). She also runs the recurring One Trick Pony pop up flea market and, oh yeah, is a mother of two as well. Though she's developed quite an impressive reputation in the Midwestern vintage, maker, arts and craft realms, Smith is also one hell of a lead singer. Recently, My First Band host Tyler Maas stopped by Alive and Fine and asked Smith about her business, Hover Craft's return and her on-stage alter ego as the frontwoman of renowned Milwaukee acts like Red Knife Lottery and Whips. Over the course of the conversation, Smith spoke about singing harmonies on her mother's church compositions as a kid, finding and quickly immersing herself in the basement show and legion hall scene as a teenager, recording with John Congleton and play