*photo credit: Anna Haas

 

I never could have imagined that a simple invitation to a private album release would quietly plant the seed for a story that would unfold months later. Earlier this year, my dear friend Megan Coleman (previously a Lhyme featured artist) invited me to celebrate the release of her album, The Joy of Missing Out. Megan was hosting the gathering at The Mad Nest. Alongside another longtime friend and fellow Lhyme artist, Tracee Perrin, I walked into what appeared to be an unassuming home—only to be completely blown away once inside. The Mad Nest was warm, vibrant, and alive with art, color, and intention. It felt intimate without being pretentious, creative without feeling curated for show. And layered over it all was the joy of listening to Megan’s music in a space that felt designed for listening, connection, and presence. Fast forward a few months, and I found myself sitting down to interview the woman behind that space—Ashley East—this time not only as a creative host and curator, but as an artist stepping fully into her own musical voice. Ashley’s latest release, “HEARTS,” arrived just in time for New Year’s Eve, which felt fitting. The timing inspired me to make one of her favorite dishes—sausage balls served with hot honey—the kind of unfussy, comforting bite that belongs on a table surrounded by conversation, laughter, and intention. The recipe is below, but first, Ashley’s story deserves the space it asks for.

Ashley East has been writing for as long as she can remember. When she moved to Nashville roughly fourteen years ago, her relationship with music deepened, especially as she began recording more intentionally. Over the past decade, she’s been writing and recording in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, at East Avalon Recorders with her longtime collaborator and friend, Charles Holloman. For Ashley, music has always been deeply therapeutic—less about output and more about processing. Writing has been her way of making sense of the world. A private outlet. A necessary ritual. Often, she would move through a season of life, write something honest, record it, and, once the emotion had been fully processed, quietly move on—leaving behind beautifully mixed and mastered songs she never planned to release.

 

                        *photo credit: Anna Haas

That pattern shifted after a profound loss. Last December, a dear friend and fellow Nashville artist, Larysa Jaye, passed away tragically in a car accident. Ashley had worked closely with her—not only as a friend, but as a creative collaborator. By trade, Ashley is a visual designer, working extensively in wardrobe styling, interior design, and set and stage design. For over a decade, she has supported musicians by helping shape the visual worlds around their art. Larysa’s journey left a lasting impact. She was Ashley’s age, a mother of four, who had courageously stepped away from a traditional nine-to-five job to pursue music full-time. At the time of her passing, she was thriving—supporting herself and her family through her art and rising beautifully into her purpose. Her loss became a wake-up call. Ashley realized how fragile time truly is—and how easy it is to keep postponing your own voice. You don’t always get another year. Another season. Another “someday.” So in January 2025, Ashley made a decision: she would no longer create and bury her music. She would share it.

“HEARTS”, her most recent release, was written five years ago—composed initially on bass guitar in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the global reckoning that followed. Watching the world fracture, Ashley found herself asking hard questions: Why aren’t people speaking up? Why aren’t we taking action? Why are we sitting silently when something needs to be said? The song came together quietly one morning in her living room, born from improvisation and intuition. Ashley is entirely self-taught—she plays bass and keys without formal training, guided more by feeling than theory. And yet, “HEARTS” kept resurfacing over the years. Each time the world cracked open again, the song felt relevant. Urgent. Unfinished. After Larysa’s passing, it became impossible to ignore. The universe, it seemed, was no longer whispering—it was insisting. For Ashley, much of what she’s been building—both musically and through The MadNest—comes from a deep understanding of how artists evolve.

 

 

So often, creatives get pigeonholed into a single lane. In a city like Nashville, especially, you might know someone for one thing they do, even though it’s rarely the whole picture. Most artists didn’t even come here to do the thing they’re known for now—it simply became the part of their craft that gained traction first. Ashley knows that feeling well. And that understanding is at the very heart of The MadNest. The space was never meant to be about polishing a finished product. It was created to inspire artists to keep exploring—to stay curious, multidimensional, and open to growth. The MadNest became a place where creators could experiment, collaborate across mediums, and remember that they are more than one skill, one title, or one role.

In January 2026, The MadNest will enter a new chapter. Ashley is redefining the original Nashville space—the OG underground art venue and performance theater she’s curated over the past few years. The MadNest isn’t disappearing- it’s evolving.  In this next series, “Hatched”, new curated events will pop up in unexpected locations around the city, maintaining that same underground, “Are we in the right place?” energy that defined it from the beginning. That sense of discovery is part of the magic. Ashley loves watching people experience The MadNest for the first time—the curiosity, the hesitation, the slow realization that they’ve stumbled into something special. As a multi-medium artist herself, Ashley admits she gets bored easily—and she embraces that. After two and a half years of curating the pARTner series, she’s ready to be inspired again. Nashville’s creative community continues to fuel her, especially when she sees artists collaborating across disciplines—musicians working with visual artists, designers partnering with filmmakers, everyone expanding beyond tunnel vision. From its earliest days, The MadNest has remained intentionally private—not to be exclusive, but to be intentional and grow organically. Creators invite other creators. Community builds slowly and with purpose. What began with roughly fifty people has now grown to over five hundred, often leaving newcomers wondering how they hadn’t heard of it sooner. That intimacy is the point.

As Ashley looks ahead to 2026, she’s preparing to take “The MadNest” on the road—curating surprise, multidisciplinary experiences designed to inspire creators wherever they land. At the same time, she’s opening the vault on her own music, releasing pieces she’s quietly been holding onto for years. And with as that momentum comes, we can’t wait to hear Ashley’s new music and all the fun surprises with “The MadNest” in 2026 and beyond! 

 

Listen to “HEARTS”

 

 

 

When it comes to food, Ashley’s relationship with food mirrors her creative life: intuitive, evolving, and deeply tied to nostalgia. She leans primarily vegan and avoids dairy when she can, having learned over time that her body doesn’t do well with it. She still loves cheese—just plant-based versions made from cashews or almonds. She eats seafood regularly, favors savory over sweet, and has made peace with the fact that bread is her first love. At a certain point, life is too short not to eat the bread. As a mother of three—with two kids in college and one still at home—mealtime has always been an exercise in flexibility. Everyone eats differently. But some traditions remain sacred.

Growing up Southern, holidays always meant deviled eggs and sausage balls—non-negotiables at Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or any family gathering. Her youngest daughter now makes the deviled eggs herself, adding cinnamon, and they’re delicious. Sausage balls, though, are trickier. Ashley tries to make dairy-free versions, but her oldest daughter can always tell when something’s been swapped. On holidays, sometimes the real thing wins—and she accepts the consequences later. Those sausage balls hold deep memory. Ashley’s mom made them every Christmas morning, eaten while opening gifts—warm, comforting, familiar.

These days, breakfast is still her favorite meal—plant-based spicy sausage, veggie-packed omelets, eggs back in rotation. Salmon once or twice a week—often shared with her dog—paired with broccolini and her favorite accompaniment to just about everything: Bitchin’ Sauce. When her kids are with their dad, meals become simpler. Crackers, tuna salad, hummus, dips, pepper jelly, raw veggies—classic girl-dinner energy. She’s a grazer. A feel-it-out-as-you-go cook.

Dessert is pure nostalgia. She loves ice cream, pies, and cookies. Baking, however, is not her lane. Timers get forgotten—ovens smoke. Mac and cheese has been burned more than once. Her kids have learned to ask, “Mom, did you set a timer?” And then there are cinnamon rolls—the weakness. On road trips, she’ll grab a honey bun and leave it on the dashboard to warm up like a makeshift microwave—chemicals and all. Five Daughters’ quinoa Quinnamon Rolls also make the cut. Baking from scratch? Hard pass. Measuring and precision aren’t her thing. And that’s okay because perfection has never been the point—for Ashley or for this feature.

For this Lhyme feature, I made sausage balls, reimagined with a plant-based sharp cheddar, a pinch of cayenne, garlic, salt, and just enough spice to make them feel celebratory. Served with hot honey on the side, they offer a subtle nod to Ashley’s Southern roots—comforting, familiar, and just a little bold. They’re the kind of bite you eat standing in the kitchen, cocktail in hand, music playing softly in the background. Paired with “HEARTS,” they feel like the perfect way to usher in a new year—intentional, unfussy, and rooted in feeling. Simple ingredients. Big meaning. This recipe is easy to make, easy to share, and best enjoyed while listening closely to your favorite music. Happy New Year, everyone! 

 

 

Southern Sausage Balls with Hot Honey 

*Makes 16 to 18 sausage balls

Ingredients for Sausage Balls

  • ½ lb breakfast sausage (regular or hot)
  • 1 cup plant-based shredded cheddar
  • 1 cup Bisquick mix
  • 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Ingredients for Hot Honey Dipping Sauce 

 

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9 1/2″ x 13″ baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all ingredients for the sausage balls in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
  3. Roll each one into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
  4. Bake for 16 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
  5. Let the sausage balls rest for 2 minutes before serving them.
  6. Mix the red chili flakes and hot honey in a small dipping bowl.
  7. Serve and enjoy!