Los Angeles-based musician Anna Ash is on Durango’s radar because she listens to her fans.
The DIY singer-songwriter, whose sound is a sultry and laid-back offering of independent folk, has had strong streaming and online listening numbers from Colorado, so much in fact that when she was putting together a tour in 2025 with touring partner Malena Cadiz, it was at Cadiz’s urging to come to Colorado, knowing she had “wild streaming numbers” along with the idea to put it to those fans as to where to play.
“My career has been kind of slowly building,” she said. “I’m kind of a rare bird in the sense that a streaming (platform) blasted a couple of my songs into people’s orbit. I had posted something on Instagram like, ‘Where should we go?’ and someone from iAM MUSIC was like, ‘Please come play our venue,’ and I was like, ‘Great, perfect. It was a sold-out show and I had never played Durango. It’s an amazing community that you all have. I came back emboldened and inspired.”
That was in fall 2025, and Ash left such a mark on the town and the team at iAM MUSIC that she’s been asked back as one of the many performers playing the iAM MUSIC Fest. Celebrating 11 years, the event will kick off Thursday and runs through the weekend on various stages throughout downtown Durango. Ash’s set is at 7:45 p.m. Friday on the Artesano’s Stage. Also performing are: SunSquabi; The Jeremy Garrett Bluegrass Band with banjo player Kyle Tuttle; Sean Applebee & Beyond; local acts Desiderata, Dana Ariel & The Coming Up Roses and Yope, along with loads more. Saturday night will also feature late-night shows at the Durango Arts Center and American Legion.
One lasting memory Ash had from that first Durango show was an already existing fanbase, many of whom are up and coming or established musicians.
“That show we played, there were so many people who knew all the words to my song,” she said. “It’s such an active fan base of what you could tell were musicians. The amount of musicians in the state of Colorado is so profound, it’s so many good singers and good players. It’s cool to tap into that.”
Tapping into the talent is one thing the organizers of iAM MUSIC Fest does well, as they’ll find artists who not only kick around the state, but around Durango. This is a festival that celebrates musicians and music lovers alike. It’s an event that goes out of its way to book up-and-coming acts, artists who, like Ash, fly a DIY flag, holding down a solid career of record the record, release the record and tour in support of the record without a lot of red tape help that more mainstream artists have. If you want to find your next favorite artist before they blow up, this is the place.
“We strive for a balanced and inclusive lineup, with approximately 50% local acts, 50% acts featuring female musicians, and a wide diversity of genres including rock, bluegrass, soul, jazz, folk, electronic and singer-songwriter,” said iAM MUSIC co-founder and Co-Executive Director Jesse Ogle.
It’s also become a solid staple of the local music scene – an event that proves supporting art is a way to build and foster community.
“This is truly a special event, but it is also a heavy lift for a small nonprofit,” Ogle said. “We do it because we believe in it, and the community has shown strong support through sponsorships. We just hope to continue building understanding around the importance of investing in arts initiatives like this.”
Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager. Reach him at [email protected].
