Since making his mind up at the age of 7 to pursue music, Gareth Asher has been hard at work polishing his craft. Today, the seriously mustachioed Asher spends his days on the road, winning over crowds with his laid back guitars, stirring lyrics and tremendous vocal depth.

Born in Bowdon, Ga., a small town just across the border and about 80 miles north of Auburn, Asher grew up listening to the popular singer-songwriters of the '70s and '80s. The musical stylings of artists like Jackson Brown, Phil Collins and Don Henley can easily be heard throughout Asher's work, but it is the emotional intensity of Motown artists that seems to shine the brightest.

To date, Asher has three independently produced albums under his belt. His most recent, "Between the Smiles and Tears," was released in April and is rich in soulful electric guitar work and even features members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra providing a layered background to Asher's tunes.

On the road, Asher and the Earthlings have shared the stage with some great touring musicians, such as Shawn Mullins, Emerson Hart and Corey Smith. Asher has also worked extensively with producer and multi-instrumentalist, Clay Cook, his friend and musical confidant, best known for his work with the Marshall Tucker Band and The Zac Brown Band.

Gareth Asher and the Earthlings will be playing the Eighth & Rail in Opelika on Friday, Aug. 26, around 9 p.m. Check out garethasher.com for some free song downloads, tour dates and videos of Asher in action.