Getting Candid with ASHY [INTERVIEW]
We’re reporting from South By Southwest Music Fest in Austin, Texas. We sat down for an interview with ASHY, along with 3 other performing artists including Elle Shimada, Bathe Alone, and Ada Oda. You can listen to interviews with all of these artists on Name 3 Songs podcast and see the full transcribed interview with ASHY below.
ASHY is a pop artist and songwriter hailing from New Zealand. We talk to ASHY about finding the best writers to hone in her pure-pop sound, and why she incorporates dancing into her live performances.
Name 3 Songs: Alright, we are here at South by Southwest and today we are talking to ASHY. Welcome to the show! You played South by Southwest in Austin last year. You did South by Southwest Sydney at the end of last year, which is a new branch of the festival. What is it about this festival that makes you want to keep coming back to it?
ASHY: I think it’s like the diversity of the music itself and to the people. And coming from such a small place like New Zealand. It’s the ultimate sort of exposure for new artists as well.
With so many artists coming to SXSW, there’s a bit of a level playing field. South By puts a lot of new eyes on you, new ears on you, from the press, industry and more. What is your favorite part of getting to connect?
My favorite part is literally the networking. I actually love it. We did a British meet up this morning and it’s just so cool to meet people in your own industry and especially other artists. And also just the people that are playing before you in shows and after you. It’s cool to meet so many new artists.
How did you feel like South by Sydney compared to Austin?
She’s a baby festival. She’s starting but it was cute, it was really fun. It was in the peak of summer so it was really hot. The nature of Austin really does have such an identity, and I think Sydney will eventually find its identity.
Were there artists also from all over?
The cool part about SXSW Sydney was that there was a huge Asian focus. And of course heaps of Kiwis came over. It felt like we were in New Zealand but just way better.
In thinking of your music, pop music has become less of a guilty pleasure over the years. Especially because women are feeling more empowered in the things that they are passionate about. But your music is very “pure pop,” which you also don’t see as much anymore because people have so many influences. Why was it important to you to make pure pop music?
That’s what I was inspired by initially. It’s genuinely just what I enjoy – the music videos, the visuals, the whole thing. It’s fun for me, just being authentic to what you like and what you love, that’s just where it comes from.
You’ve been making music for a while. We saw some videos of you playing acoustic guitar. So going from then to now, how did you decide to move into being like a pop star?
I always wanted to be [a pop star] but I didn’t know how to execute it. So I had the skill set of playing guitar, and I knew I could write in that genre. I just did not know producer-wise or production-wise how to execute that vision. So it was after I left school and I just worked with a bunch of people in New Zealand and Australia to try and find that sound. I just learned to adapt to that because that’s what I wanted to make when I was 11, I just didn’t know how to get there.
But the change in the show and how they feel live is drastically different.
Did you have to find the right producers and musicians to work with in order to make the vision come to life?
Yes, and I actually spent a lot of time working in Sydney, because they had a better grasp on what pop was. New Zealand doesn’t particularly have a handle on pop music, it’s not super popular.
Growing up did you see this narrative that “pop music isn’t real music”?
Yeah, it’s unavoidable but I also think the commentary on people like Taylor Swift from when I was 11 till now – that’s so interesting. It’s come so full circle, what people think about pop music and the fact that people sort of crave it now. They’re like, ‘ we want fun, we’re over being sad, and we just want to find a new hope after the last few years.’ So yeah, I’ve definitely experienced it, but I had confidence that I was a musician to begin with.
Yeah, it’s so silly anytime someone’s like ‘oh that’s not real music.’ It’s like ‘have you ever thought about what you’re saying right now?’ And it’s so layered in misogyny of pop being made for girls, by girls. Why does it have to be that way?
I had this discussion with the girls as well about how hard pop music actually is to write. Really what you’re saying is pop-u-lar amongst a lot of people and trying to seek feelings that are universal, while also still being individual.
Recently too, we’re seeing rock bands leaning more into pop. Even Taylor Swift – once she made Folklore, everyone was like ‘oh wait she was good this whole time.’ And then like male pop stars have the opposite experience where Justin Bieber wasn’t taken seriously until he made a sexy album. So for you, what’s your mindset when it comes to the idea that everyone is stealing from pop even when there might still be a stigma around what you’re doing?
The more that I’ve been in it, the more I’m like ‘you just need to lean in more and more into pop.’
Especially with the show and my identity, it was way less [pop] a couple of years ago than what I am now. I’ve just been like, ‘who cares? It’s fun for me.’ Even in prep for the shows this week, we watched Britney Spears’ [dance videos] and “Gimme More” live versions. We wanted to just live as Britney. And I think the response that I’ve got, especially in the past year, is that unapologetic-ness is what people love. And they’re scared to do it themselves.
Yeah, it’s really cool to see pop acts on stage. You mentioned dancing. What was the thought in wanting to bring dancing to the stage?
Well, I wanted to reinvent the show. I had transitioned from a real live-sounding band to like tracks and a pop-forward vibe and all women. So, we wanted to really lean into that.
And the more we performed, the more people were like ‘that’s our favorite part.’ And now we’ve added a mini pink guitar.
We would listen to what people say when they speak to us or what they say online and go, ‘okay, let’s just do more of that’ and that’s sort of built our show.
Also in thinking of how pop music is way more accessible, what has your experience been playing in venues that people would expect to go see a rock band?
It’s been so fun. People were just so surprised. I think the main comment is ‘we were surprised we actually really enjoyed it.’ And I think that’s what you’re saying about the whole stigma around it.
For me to say I am pop is a controversial sort of statement because so many people try not to say that.
Everyone enjoys pop music. If you don’t, you’re lying. It’s like genres are fluid. Music is fluid. Music is just an expression.
I would even say a lot of my songs sort of hit sub genres. One of my songs “Ego” is pop-R&B. I would say it’s very heavily R&B but then on stage I play guitar and I would say that it’s just like real pop.
So yeah, I think that’s where being a songwriter comes in and exploring those other genres that are beautiful.
Do you have any inspirations that would be unexpected?
I don’t know if it would be surprising, but I love Raye. I’ve loved her for ages.It’s so fun to see her have a moment right now. I think she’s executed the sort of pop-R&B, even jazz since she was starting, and that’s what I want to do. It’s really bringing in all those influences, because her main genre is pop but she’s so much more than that. Especially with escapism, you can just hear the amount of genres that are actually in her songs.
You have a song called “LA Talk” which is how you feel about the music business. Having had this experience early-on in your career, how do you learn to navigate these parts of the industry that aren’t the most welcoming?
Yeah, I think having a really strong moral compass. What you believe in has to be really strong because I think it’s easy to be deviated by opinions that you don’t necessarily agree with. You’re stuck in situations a lot when you’re alone as well. Especially for young women in music, it’s really common to be in those situations. But I’m really lucky now to have a really great team. But I’ve just learned to be confident within myself.
So you kind of mentioned this earlier, but being from New Zealand, did it feel like making music and being a pop star was something that was accessible for you or something that you had to fight for?
Yeah, no, it’s not accessible in New Zealand. I feel like if you’re going that hard on pop music, as I did, it’s really difficult, especially with radio play and the industry itself. It took a lot to improve that it could work and that it can be commercial in the country. But also it just ends up being that majority of those people like you say Lord, Benee, Broods, all had to export to be recognised in New Zealand.
Right, right. You said you went to Sydney to find more producers, but what is the general music community like in New Zealand?
I mean it’s tight, it’s really small, which I think is nice. Everybody knows everybody. For the entire country. I would say it’s more sort of backyards, reggae, barbecues, laid back. New Zealand loves a chill summer vibe.
So having to carve out your own space there…
100% and I feel like that has been achieved, and other acts have achieved that too but I think there’s a ceiling.
When you went to Sydney to find a producer, was there an aspect of having to find someone that you felt comfortable with to tell your story?
I was really lucky because one of the first pop producers that I worked with in Sydney, I met because of these two lovely women music managers in New Zealand that introduced me. So that was a good gateway to know that they’re a trusted source. And I worked with him for years and he helped make a lot of the first music that I did.
And his big hit that he’s working with is Peach PRC at the moment. I love her. There are so many lovely producers in Australia. And they are all dudes, but they are lovely dudes.
As a wrap up, we’ve been talking about your music career. How do you personally feel like you’ve grown the most as a musician or as an artist?
Probably in the live aspect, I’ve grown so much confidence. It was one of the hardest things to do, was obviously to transition from being a singer-songwriter to a [pop act]. And figuring out as a brand, how does my music crossover both ways. And that’s something I’m really proud of. It took a lot to get to this point and to be confident in my own music. I feel like I’m giving the girls what they want.
I love that. Music for the girls, from the girls. Well, thank you so much, ASHY, for talking today.
Thank you so much for having me.
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