Ashley Virginia Releases New Single “do it anyway”

Greensboro, North Carolina — January 16, 2026 — North Carolina–based singer-songwriter, producer, and community organizer Ashley Virginia releases her new single “do it anyway” on all streaming platforms Friday, January 16.

Carried by the ringing, ancient voice of an Appalachian mountain dulcimer, “do it anyway” is a quiet but unshakeable vow; a song for staying, for choosing to live, and for continuing forward even when the world feels heavy. The song opens with a simple declaration:

I am scared but I do it anyway

I don't have to be fearless

I just have to be brave

I am scared but I do it anyway

In the wake of an uncertain future and an administration that continues to push the overton window towards fascism, Ashley Virginia names the reality of fear, grief, and endurance. Across gentle, hymn-like verses, the declaration is then answered with resolve:

If the horrors persist then so will I.

Ashley describes the song as a “secular spiritual”. It is rooted in the emotional architecture of hymns, but written for anyone searching for steadiness, belonging, and permission to keep going, regardless of belief system.

Recorded in the Hudson Valley at Lion’s Jaw Studio with co-producer and mix engineer 

Aryeh Ben Or, and mastered by Josh Weitz in Greensboro, North Carolina, the track leans into the natural resonance of voice and wood, creating a sound that feels communal, intimate, and grounding.

Ashley Virginia was raised in the tradition of church music and hymn singing, where voices are lifted together as both prayer and survival. This tune carries that lineage forward; honoring the power that is created when humans raise their voices together, not as doctrine, but as shared breath, shared courage, and shared presence. “do it anyway” will be available on all streaming platforms January 16.

A CHORD CHART is available for the song, so that it may be freely sung and shared in organizing circles and resistence movements.

This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a Division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro.

Special thanks to the Back Table in Greensboro, North Carolina for supporting this project and Ashley’s artistic endeavors.