Ash - 'I think everyone goes through times where they don't quite feel like themselves'
By Run That Again
‘Floating Away’ is New York-based Ash’s first single where she has joined with a full band, and it is quite frankly, beautiful. It really carries the emotional weight of an Amy Winehouse classic within its pop-jazz influences and raw lyrics.
The song is about recovering from sexual assault. The power of its sentiment combined with Ash’s captivating vocals is what makes the song so special; it really is worth adding to your playlist.
Speaking of the track, Ash said “I wrote Floating Away to capture the raw emotion of feeling like I was losing myself. I felt myself tearing away from my loved ones and the things that mattered, but I felt helpless. Creating this song with my best friends, and people I love so dearly helped me channel that pain, and bring myself back to someone I recognized.” We sat down to chat to Ash about her music and career so far.”
Tell us more about the track Floating Away and the processes surrounding writing it, what do you hope people will take away from the song?
“This was one of those rare songs I wrote in one shot. I was in my dorm last year, and I wrote the hook in my head while I was cleaning, and I knew I had to sit down and get it out. Since then, the verses have been swapped around and a couple words changed, but the harmonic content and rhythm haven’t changed since I first wrote it. I hope people relate to the feeling of losing yourself. I think everyone goes through times where they don’t quite feel like themselves, and it’s important to remember you aren’t alone in that feeling. I worked really hard, and was lucky to have so much support in my life to get back to a point where I felt connected to myself and life again. I hope anyone who is in the place I was in knows that you will find your way home in yourself, and to hold on to the people around you.”
What does the song-writing process mean to you?
“The process originally was a way to let out a lot of my emotions. I started writing at the very angsty, emotional age of 16, so at the time it was a really productive outlet. I definitely still use it for the same purposes, but I think I’ve also found ways to have fun and write songs that maybe let out some silly feelings. We have this one song “Ceiling Tiles”, which we are hoping to release later this year, and it’s about not being able to fall asleep and thinking about all the embarrassing things you did as a kid, and it was so fun to write. I think I’ve also begun to learn to channel my emotions so that even if I am writing about a sad subject, I can potentially turn it into something that is fun to perform, and dance to on stage. “Floating Away” was written during one of the worst times in my life, but I honestly love performing it and have fun while doing it.”
“I think everyone goes through times where they don’t quite feel like themselves, and it’s important to remember you aren’t alone in that feeling.”
How did you get into music?
“I started playing piano when I was about 11 or 12. We had this old keyboard in our attic and I started teaching myself from YouTube, and I played it until it broke. I started getting lessons from my neighbor, and playing classical music, but it really wasn’t until I was 15 when my parents signed me up for School of Rock that I fully flung myself into it. I got so lucky back then to be paired with my teacher, Phil Rosenstock. I’ll never forget our first lesson when we sat down with my guitar and he said to me “I’ll be honest, I’m a bass player, and I don’t know why they paired us up,” but I’m so glad they did. He really pushed me, taught me the dedication it takes to be a musician and inspired me to pursue it as a career. Honestly, I owe a lot of where I am today to his guidance early in my career.”
Who are your inspirations?
“I grew up listening to a lot of Stevie Wonder and Amy Winehouse, and I feel like I take a lot of inspiration from both of them. I remember kind of rediscovering R&B, funk and soul when I was 17, and it really struck me, and changed how I wrote songs. Right now, I take a ton of inspiration from Sharon Jones. Her voice, the groove of the songs and arrangements are so powerful, and I really try to take those pieces of what made her so special into my music.”
What are your plans musically for this year?
“Obviously, things have come to a bit of a halt. However, we have been working super hard this past year on recording a bunch of material, so I’m excited to finish some of those songs up and prep for more releases. I’m personally taking this time to write new songs, flesh out some new arrangements, and start building a little more for our future when we are all back together.”
Who is your dream collaboration and why?
“If I’m dreaming big, my dream is with the Dap-Kings. As I said before, Sharon Jones is a huge inspiration for me, and her band played a big role in making that music what it was. I would also love the chance to collaborate with someone like Sammy Rae and The Friends, The Dip, or Melt. These bands have helped me figure out what my sound is, and I really admire their work>”
Stream Floating Away here.