10/12/26–A Little Something New: Introducing “Blackbird”
New music from Ashley & Simpson arrives October 30!
It’s been a while since we’ve released new music into the world, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been making it!
For the past several years, we’ve been busy writing, arranging, recording, and generally making musical mischief at Randomosity Records, our studio and independent record label. Along the way, we’ve been working on our next all-original, full-length album, Hello, Mrs. Sun, and gathering a few other favorite songs that we wanted to record simply because we love them.
We’re excited to finally share one of those songs with you.
First Up: “Blackbird”
Our newest single is an Ashley & Simpson interpretation of “Blackbird,” the beautiful Beatles classic written by Paul McCartney.
It’s a song that has been around for generations, interpreted by countless musicians, and loved by listeners around the world. We’ve always been drawn to its simplicity, its beautiful melody, and the way it leaves room for each performer to bring something personal to the music.
Our version of “Blackbird” actually began as a family project. Joel’s daughter wanted to perform the Beatles classic with her brother for a variety show, but the original key wasn’t quite right. So Joel worked out a basic chord arrangement that would allow them to use a capo and find a key that suited their voices.
That little arrangement got us thinking. We decided to give it a try in one of our favorite keys, B-flat, with the capo all the way up at the eighth fret. And once Joel started adding a little of his signature musical magic, things began to fall into place.
For our recording, we’ve approached it through the musical lens that shapes so much of what we do together: acoustic instrumentation, close harmonies, and arrangements that bring together our different musical influences.
The result is something familiar, but distinctly our own.
And now, we’re excited to share it with you!
A Little Preview of What’s Ahead
“Blackbird” is also the beginning of a new chapter for Ashley & Simpson.
We’ve been working on Hello, Mrs. Sun for quite some time, and we’re looking forward to sharing the original songs that will make up our next album. In the meantime, we decided it was time to let a little music escape from the studio!
We’ll be releasing a handful of singles, some of our favorite songs we’ve enjoyed giving our own arrangements, while we continue putting the finishing touches on the album.
Listen Before the Release!
“Blackbird” will officially arrive on streaming platforms Friday, October 30, 2026.
But we’re giving our friends and listeners a chance to hear it early!
We’ve created a special listening page where you can preview the recording before its official release.
We’re excited to be sharing music again, and we’re grateful to everyone who has continued to listen, attend our shows, encourage us, and follow along on this rather winding musical journey.
There’s more to come, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Jennifer & Joel
Ashley & Simpson
9/7/26 – Ashley & Simpson at Fox Valley Folk Festival
Celebrating 50 Years of Folk Music at the Fox Valley Folk Festival
September 7, 2026 | Geneva, Illinois
Labor Day weekend brought us to one of our favorite celebrations of folk music, the Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival in Geneva, Illinois. And this year was an especially meaningful one as the festival celebrated its 50th anniversary!
For five decades, the festival has brought together musicians, storytellers, and audiences who share a love of traditional and contemporary folk arts. Held in beautiful Wheeler Park, the two-day gathering offers an incredible variety of performances, workshops, storytelling, and opportunities to make music together.
We were delighted to be part of this milestone year, both as Ashley & Simpson and in our roles as directors of the Two Way Street Coffee House.
Taking the Main Stage
On Labor Day Monday, we had the pleasure of performing on the festival’s Main Stage, sharing our music with an audience of fellow folk enthusiasts, longtime friends, and new listeners.
There’s something particularly rewarding about performing at a festival like Fox Valley. The audience comes ready to listen, the atmosphere is welcoming, and there’s a genuine appreciation for the songs, stories, and traditions that make folk music so enduring.
This year’s anniversary celebration featured a wonderful collection of performers, including Anne Hills, Claudia Schmidt, Bryan Bowers, Gina Forsyth, Sons of the Never Wrong, and many more. Being part of a festival with such a rich musical history and an outstanding lineup was an honor.
Bringing a Little Two Way Street to Fox Valley
Our involvement didn’t end with our own performance!
As directors of the Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove, we were also excited to be part of the festival’s workshop programming with Two Way Street Favorites, featuring Adela Skoronski and Lisa Medina.
Two Way Street has been bringing people together through live folk and acoustic music since 1970, and one of the most rewarding parts of our work there is getting to know and support the incredible musicians who make up our local music community.
Having the opportunity to spotlight Adela and Lisa at Fox Valley was a wonderful extension of that mission. There’s something especially gratifying about helping create opportunities for other artists to share their music and connect with new audiences.
For us, that’s what the folk community is all about. It’s not just about taking the stage ourselves, but about supporting one another, creating opportunities, and keeping the music moving forward.
Fifty Years of Music, Stories, and Community
Reaching a 50th anniversary is an extraordinary accomplishment for any music festival, and the Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival is a testament to the dedication of the volunteers, organizers, performers, and supporters who have sustained it through the decades.
We’re grateful to the Fox Valley Folklore Society for inviting us to be part of this year’s celebration, and to everyone who joined us for our Main Stage set and the Two Way Street Favorites workshop.
Here’s to another 50 years of songs, stories, friendships, and music made together!
— Jennifer & Joel
7/19/26 – Ashley & Simpson at Woodstock Folk Festival
A Day of Music and Community at the 2026 Woodstock Folk Festival
July 19, 2026 | Woodstock, Illinois
Some performances are especially memorable, and this summer’s 41st Annual Woodstock Folk Festival was certainly one of them!
We were honored to be invited to open the festival’s Main Stage with a 25-minute set and return at the end of the day to lead the traditional All-Sing Finale. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our music, reconnect with friends in the folk community, and be part of a festival that has been celebrating folk music for more than four decades.
Held on the historic Woodstock Square, the festival brought together an incredible lineup of musicians from across the country, including Friction Farm, Tish Hinojosa, Patty & Craig, Fox Crossing Stringband, Nathans & Ronstadt, Zachary Stevenson, and legendary folk duo Magpie.
This year’s festival also placed a special emphasis on musical duos, making it an especially fitting gathering for us. Throughout the day, audiences enjoyed everything from traditional folk and bluegrass to contemporary songwriting, with plenty of beautiful harmonies and storytelling along the way.
The festival also celebrated some remarkable contributions to the folk music community. Magpie’s Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while longtime Chicago-area musician, sound engineer, and folk music supporter Norm Siegel was honored with the festival’s “Woody” Award.
Coming Together in Song
One of the highlights of the day for us was the opportunity to lead the All-Sing Finale.
Community singing has always been an important part of the folk tradition. There’s something special about bringing people together through familiar melodies and shared voices, whether on a festival stage, in a coffeehouse, or around a living room.
It was a fitting way to close a day devoted not only to music, but to the connections that music creates.
We’re grateful to the Woodstock Folk Festival organizers, especially Carol Obertubbesing and all the volunteers, fellow performers, and everyone who came out to support live folk music. Events like this remind us how fortunate we are to be part of such a welcoming and dedicated musical community.
And a special thank-you to Jeff Randolph for capturing some wonderful moments from the day!
Until next time, Woodstock!
— Jennifer & Joel
Ashley & Simpson
5/17/26 – Tunes & Tales at Two Way Street Coffee House
Tunes & Tales is a new songwriter-in-the-round series at the Two Way Street Coffee House, hosted by Ashley & Simpson—directors of the venue and a songwriting folk duo. Each session brings Ashley & Simpson together with two guest songwriters for an intimate afternoon of tunes and tales. In this cozy setting, artists take turns sharing their songs and the stories behind them, offering a deeper look into their creative process. Join us for a warm, conversational atmosphere where melodies meet meaning and every song comes with a tale.
Our next Tunes & Tales will be May 17, 2026 at 3pm (CT), where Ashley & Simpson will host Robin Bienemann and Jenny Bienemann.
ROBIN BIENEMANN
Robin Bienemann is a singer & songwriter from Chicago. His wickedly funny and poignant original songs mix contemporary themes with old musical styles. He combines dry humor and sophisticated songwriting with a deep sense of history. At his musical core is a reverence for the guitar as an instrument to accompany songs and as a vessel to express the American psyche in all its strange beauty and complexity.
Robin revels in the delicious history of Chicago music. He combines Blues, Jazz, Country and Latin music with fingerstyle guitar to create a playground for his lyrical musings on science, animals and the whole scope of human experience. His songs are poetic, comical and educational. A flow of images ranging from vampires, insects, dinosaurs, dodo birds, work and romance.
Robin has shared the stage with Dan Hicks, Christine Lavin, Junior Brown & Southern Culture on the Skids. He performs regularly solo, with his trio, and as a duo with his wife Jenny Bienemann. With his duo Twang Bang he toured the U.S. and Japan.
JENNY BIENEMANN
Jenny Bienemann is an award-winning poet, singer, songwriter, and visual artist with a mission to find the extraordinary in the everyday. With three critically acclaimed studio albums and two live albums, her music has underscored TV, film and theatre projects. She’s offered classes at The Old Town School of Folk Music, Lamb’s Retreat for Songwriters, and The Acorn Theatre.
She began a daily practice of taking photos and writing haiku. What started as a lark quickly evolved into Haiku Milieu, a movement of creativity and community. Today, there are four Haiku Milieu books, and more than 450 new songs inspired by Haiku Milieu, written by artists from across the United States and a Sunday Morning Haiku Milieu email that reaches a global audience. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune Arts Section, WGN Radio 720 in Chicago, Chicago Public Radio, Northern Illinois Public Radio, Naperville Magazine, and more.
ASHLEY & SIMPSON
Comprised of Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson, Ashley & Simpson are quickly becoming folk scene favorites. This folk duo blends traditional songs and instrumentation along with beautiful vocal harmonies reminiscent of famous duos such as Ian & Silvia and The Everly Brothers. With their sophomore release “Off To Here Land,” they have pushed the art of folk to a new sound with an all traditional track list that will delight fans new and old. Both bringing a classical perspective to their duo, Jennifer Ashley & Joel Simpson have reached a new level with incorporating elements of jazz, popular music and other modern styles in their arrangements.
Two Way Street Coffee House is Chicagoland’s most beloved folk and acoustic music venue, presenting weekly concerts and community events for over 55 years! The show starts at 3pm (CT) and the doors open at 2:30pm. Donations are accepted and encouraged. We will also host this concert virtually. You may access the livestream on www.twowaystreet.org, on our Facebook page, or on our YouTube channel. You can donate to these artists HERE.
4/26/26 – Round Robin with February Sky
4/12/26 – Heritage Matinee Series
Welcome to the second season of the Heritage Matinee Series at the Two Way Street Coffee House! We are thrilled to announce the continuation of this successful concert series at the Two Way Street Coffee House, taking place on select Sunday afternoons in 2026. In each concert, Mark Dvorak and Ashley & Simpson will be joined by two local artists for a matinee concert, all benefitting the Two Way Street Coffee House! 100% of free-will donations collected at each concert will support the Two Way Street Coffee House’s operation and programming. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and it’s a great way to support Two Way Street! All shows will begin at 3pm (CT) and the doors will open at 2:30pm.
On April 12, 2026 the Two Way Street Coffee House is pleased to present Mark Dvorak, Ashley & Simpson, Ren Herr, and Joseph Kostal as part of our Heritage Matinee Series.
Mark Dvorak
Mark Dvorak is a modern-day troubadour who has never stopped performing, writing and recording. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional songs.” His original songs “wondrous” and “profound.”
Though Mark often appears in theaters and on festival stages, he is also at home in a more intimate setting. His concerts are a mix of the familiar and the new, traditional folk and standards from the Great American Songbook. He plays authentic country blues guitar and picks great old-time banjo. Mark enjoys involving his audiences in sing-along songs, just like The Weavers used to do, and mixes in his own infectious and well-crafted originals.
Ashley & Simpson
Comprised of Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson, Ashley & Simpson are quickly becoming folk scene favorites. This folk duo blends traditional songs and instrumentation along with beautiful vocal harmonies reminiscent of famous duos such as Ian & Silvia and The Everly Brothers. With their sophomore release “Off To Here Land,” they have pushed the art of folk to a new sound with an all traditional track list that will delight fans new and old. Both bringing a classical perspective to their duo, Jennifer Ashley & Joel Simpson have reached a new level with incorporating elements of jazz, popular music and other modern styles in their arrangements.
Ren Herr
Ren Herr is a local musician who lives in Brookfield, IL. He grew up singing in choirs in church, high school and college. When Ren was 18, he heard some acoustic blues guitar on TV, and instantly knew he had to make “that sound”. He bought a guitar that week and has been playing ever since. His particular musical influences are Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Dave Van Ronk and Joseph Spence. Ren has sought out expert instruction and has participated in group lessons from guitar greats including Mark Dvorak, Stefan Grossman, Woody Mann, Rory Block, Bob Brozman, Eric Lugosch, and Catfish Keith.
Ren and his wife, Kathy are proud to be affiliated with Music and Potlucks, and are members of the Bound for Glory Singers. While Ren started out playing the blues, his playing has expanded to include ragtime, folk, Irish music and hymns. In the past year he has picked up a special and frankly unexplainable passion for waltzes, and has arranged some of Jay Unger’s numbers for solo fingerstyle guitar.
Ren appreciates a wide variety of musical styles. He loves to travel and collected field recordings while in Tibet.
Joseph Kostal
Joseph Kostal is a folk musician based in Cicero, Illinois, whose music draws deeply from the American folk revival tradition of the 1940s through the 1960s. A guitarist and emerging banjo player, Kostal performs traditional folk songs alongside singer-songwriter material, bringing renewed life to obscure and historically rooted music.
Inspired by artists such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, The Carter Family, Jackson C. Frank, and Gordon Bok, Kostal’s journey began after discovering folk music through WFMT’s Midnight Special and studying at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. His performances reflect a dedication to authenticity, shaped by ongoing research into the origins and stories behind the songs he sings.
Kostal’s repertoire explores the shared human experience—loneliness, love, loss, and resilience—presented with warmth and sincerity. Though his songs often touch on life’s hardships, his goal is connection: leaving listeners with the feeling that they are not alone in their experiences.
He began performing at Chicago-area open mics in the early 1990s, including No Exit Café and Fitzgerald’s, and continues to perform regularly at folk jams and open mic nights with the Friendly Music Community. Outside of music, Kostal pursues drawing and enjoys working on mathematical problems.
We will also host this concert virtually. You may access the livestream on www.twowaystreet.org, on our Facebook page, or on our YouTube channel. All donations will support the Two Way Street Coffee House. Support the Two Way Street Coffee House HERE.