Diandra Interviews ASHS: Constantly Falling In Love With Music
ASHS gave me such a subtly powerful interview, as an artist, because, sometimes, we don’t always love our art or the craft. When you turn your talent and dreams into an actual profession, it is not always easy to stay in love with them. You have to constantly fall in love with your craft because, technically, you are constantly growing in your relationship with it. ASHS is one of MY FAVORITE new artists. Her sound is a distinct addition for what some are calling “anxiety pop;” genre-bending rhythms that find anchor in a pop style foundation by find their lyrics on that idea that a person feels”foundation-less.” With her new single “Paranoid” rocking the world, she discusses how she has pushed through fears to find her voice.
Diandra: What was the inspiration behind “Paranoid,” and how has music helped you clear your own paranoias or anxieties?
ASHS: The inspiration behind “Paranoid” was that realization of never really being comfortable in a room. I’m a pretty introverted extrovert so I spend a lot of time in my head, and I’ve found that lately my thoughts gravitate towards trying to figure out people’s motives. Music allows me to process my negative thoughts and find a semi-normal way to express them.
Diandra: The song focuses on someone that says they would be there but are not. How has becoming an artist, rising in the industry, helped you decipher who you can trust?
ASHS: I’ve learned that trust is a funny word; that doesn’t hold a lot of meaning. I think the only people you can ever really trust, especially in this industry, are those that can gain nothing from you, but still genuinely want the best for you.
Diandra: In terms of love, how would define the good intentions of a relationship?
ASHS: Love is unselfish, pure, and kind. Life is hard a lot of the time, and we are very lucky when we find someone who turns our chaos into an adventure. Love is finding ways to make someone happier while they travel their path in life.
Diandra: Having released two EP’s that burst you unto the scene, how have your grown as a song creator, and what qualities do you love most about your sound and style?
ASHS: I think creating music means constantly experimenting and pushing boundaries, both sonically and mentally. I think what I’m enjoying the most about my music right now is its brutal honesty. It’s stripped bare when it needs to be vulnerable, and heavy when the lyrical content is overwhelming. It’s like reading a diary but being able to feel the energy I felt, as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEuFSf1L5CkDiandra: Preferring to stay anonymous, how do you feel hiding your face, in some ways, expands the power and messages of your art?
ASHS: I feel like hiding my face removes the initial superficial judgement of my project, and instead focuses on immediately getting to know me and who I am inside of my head. It creates a real, genuine connection with listeners, immediately, because I know if they are vibing with my project, then they are like minded and we instantly share a common ground.
Diandra: As a person that sings to getting clearer and taking out the people and things that make you feel “suffocated,” how would you define what things like freedom and inner peace mean to you as an artist?
ASHS: Having freedom and inner peace is something I think everyone strives for. As an artist, for me it’s just the ability to say what I need to say, and share my experiences without feeling like I’m being censored. Writing music is the way I process life and release things that weigh heavily on me.
Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory with music?
ASHS: My favourite childhood memory is when my mom would ask me to sing for her friends, but I would be so terrified I would have to hide behind a wall so no one could see me. I love this memory so much because one of my favourite feelings in the world now is getting hit with that adrenaline after playing a show and walking off stage feeling so good and proud. To look back at that all-encompassing fear of being vulnerable in front of people, and to see how far I’ve pushed through anxieties and grown makes me feel like I can do anything. The only obstacle is my own fear and doubt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4YJV18n8mADiandra: If you could describe your love for music like a love story, which book or film would you pick , why that one, and do you believe such a love story was fated?
ASHS: I don’t think there is a book that’s been written that truly tells my love story with music, because mine doesn’t feel like a fairy-tale. It would be a story of two people who were born to be together, who spend their childhood together falling in love, but one day grow bored with each other and stop being honest with each other. They put on a smile for everyone else but inside they know they are falling out of love, so they roll up their sleeves, do the dirty work, and figure out how to fall in love with the new, grown version of each other and now they are happier than ever. TO BE CONTINUED…
Diandra: Who do you feel is Alyssa Reid versus ASHS? What does one bring out in the other?
ASHS: I feel like Alyssa Reid is the safe version of me that tries to appease everyone around me and be non-problematic, meanwhile ASHS is the weird thoughts in my head, the attitude, and the completely unapologetic side of me. The ying and yang. ASHS pushes Alyssa’s boundaries, and Alyssa keeps ASHS out of trouble. 😂
Diandra: What can we expect from your upcoming album in style, concept, and even title?
ASHS: My new body of work is very much a work in progress. As new music gets created, songs get switched out and sonics change. So to be honest, I don’t even know what to expect out of my next release. I just know that it will be 100% authentically me.
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