Interview with Ashlee Keating

What's going on?! It is Adam. Welcome back to Bringing it Backwards, a podcast where both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieved stardom. On this episode, we hung out with Ashlee Keating over Zoom video. Ashlee was born and raised in southern New Jersey and she talks about how she got into music, was drawn to music at a very early age. She began her performing career at age four. She was on the TV show, Albert's TV showcase where she'd come out and sing a song and also tell a joke. From there, she landed a role in the Sound of Music. At six years old, she's already on Broadway. 5 (2m 7s): She talked about her acting career being a finalist on CBS's Star search, getting her songs played on radio, Disney and all about the most recent songs and sound that she's been going with. We hear about the success of Hurt Me, So Good and Bad Mistakes, which both charted on Billboard. She talks about ya and her most recent single, which is called Sassy. You can watch our interview with Ashley on our Facebook page in YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It'd be amazing if you subscribe to our channel, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at Bringing Back Pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcast, it would be amazing if you follow us there as well and hook us up with a five star review. 6 (2m 55s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts, 5 (3m 1s): We're bringing it backwards with Ashlee Keating. Awesome. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. I'm Adam and this is a podcast about you and your journey in music. 7 (3m 10s): Awesome. Love that. 5 (3m 12s): Sweet. So I did read from from Jersey, southern Jersey, Is that what I read? 7 (3m 18s): I am a South Jersey girl, Jersey Shore. 5 (3m 21s): Awesome. What was it like growing up there? 7 (3m 24s): I loved it. Honestly. You know, there's not as much to do as Los Angeles and you know, places around the world, but there's a lot of like trees and where I'm from is by the water, which I really love. Like I always loved water sports. I grew up doing like sailing and things like that, which is really random that people don't know about me. But I think it was really cool it, I actually moved back there during the pandemic and you know, we didn't know what was gonna happen. Right. So I was there for several months and it kind of re-inspired me like of how I grew up and the music I listened to and finding like old CDs and things and reincorporating that like into my new sound like with my new music that I have coming out and that, you know, the saucy single that I just released. 7 (4m 11s): So it's, it definitely inspired me a lot as an artist growing up in New Jersey for sure. 5 (4m 15s): That's cool. You said you were did sailing. Were you like, tell me about that. Like is your or your parents or your family into 7 (4m 22s): Yeah, I was actually terrified of it. I was very like well rounded as a kid. Like I didn't just do a lot of like the arts even though that was like what I wanted to do 24 7. I'm very athletic too. So like I did sports, like I played basketball, soccer, squash. I did sailing and sailing was 5 (4m 43s): Squash. Sorry, what's that? 7 (4m 47s): It's like tennis but you're hitting a wall. 5 (4m 51s): Oh, like racketball. 7 (4m 53s): It's 5 (4m 54s): Racketball. 7 (4m 55s): Yeah, exactly. It's just, but it's two people. There's like a version with four people. It's two people. Yeah. It's actually a really great workout. 5 (5m 3s): I was gonna say, I remember and I was in high school and I took racquetball for PE one time and it was like, yeah, it was definitely tiring. It was pretty fun too. 7 (5m 12s): Yeah, no, it's so you have to be careful. You don't get hit by the ball though cuz like if you hit it with the hard hit the wall, like you could hit yourself. But yeah, I'm very athletic, like very competitive. Like I love competing, just like being my best version and seeing myself grow, which is great for this industry, right? So I mean, I loved sports too and I, I use that a lot. Like I work out all the time with my endurance for performing and yeah. But sailing was just like an extra like thing that I did during the summer that I was like really scared to do. And I started off like literally like I was terrified when I tell you I was terrified. Cause the boat, it was called an optimist and you could flip the boat like, so if you flip the boat and it's too windy and you're not like holding it down with your weight weight, there's like all these technical things you can flip the boat and if you flip the boat, you then fall in the water, your boat flips over and then you have to flip the boat back over by yourself. 5 (6m 7s): Oh yeah. Holy shit. So you're like in the water. Then you gotta try to figure out how to flip the thing back up and then get back on the boat 7 (6m 13s): Like it's full of water. So you have the thing thing, it takes so much endurance it, you have this bucket thing that you have to like throw the water out of the boat and like do it all yourself. And then basically you're still in the race, right? So like you're behind and then you have to like, 5 (6m 29s): Oh, you're in a race. So it's not just like you're out there cruising around 7 (6m 32s): Like race. Well I was, when I sailed that was doing like 5 (6m 35s): Competitive sailing. 7 (6m 36s): Competitive sailing. And I actually pretty well, like I turned out that I like worked really hard and I got over my fear and you know, I'm very much like if you're not like out of your comfort zone, you're not really growing even though you have to be careful with saying that. But, but that's, I'm very much about that. And so I did really well and then I ended up qualifying for team, US team trials, which is crazy for the optimist. Yeah, I never went because I was in my music world then like I was just like, all right, I gotta, you know, But yeah. 5 (7m 9s): Oh my god. Yeah. Cuz you've done so much with music, even from a very early age from what I was reading, like long time to like just be this amazing sailor like within, I mean, yeah, 7 (7m 20s): If I could have chosen, I would've been like, you know, I'll, I'll, I'll, you know, I don't need to do that. Like music is my heart and soul. Like I I, But it is great to be well-rounded, you know, like it's always great to have those extra things and be able to be with other people and do things that are fun. And so, yeah, you know I did that. It was cool. But music definitely, like if you could lock me in a studio, like I would be there 24 7, you know what I mean? So 5 (7m 47s): Yeah, prefer that over sailing. 8 (7m 49s): When Shopify says you can sell anywhere. Ugh. I mean it, Oh hold up. Just got a new sale or to fulfilled and ship inventory level's. Good. Whoa. Shopify doesn't mind if you're at sea level or on top of the world, you can run and grow your business anywhere. Climbing mountains is never easy, but at least Shopify gives me all the tools I need for my business to hit new big. 9 (8m 15s): Whether you're selling Kara Beaters or crop tops, start selling with Shopify today and join the platform. Simplifying commerce for millions of businesses worldwide. 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Limited time offer terms 11 (9m 19s): Apply texting, privacy policy in terms conditions posted, text planned us texting rules occurring on text marketing messages, message data rates may apply. Replace stopped opt 12 (9m 24s): Out. The pandemic has been hard on all our kids. New studies show more than one in three children who started school in the pandemic now need intensive reading help. That's right. Millions of kids in kindergarten through third grade in the United States cannot read at grade level. Here's the good news. Your child can be reading in just 30 days, guaranteed with hooked on phonics. Even if your child has been struggling. Hooked on phonics will teach your child to read in just 30 days guaranteed. And right now you can get started for just $1. Text the word grade to 32. 32. 32 right now hooked on phonics is highly effective and incredibly fun. And everything can be done right from home. And in less than 20 minutes a day for more than 30 years hooked on phonics has been the proven learn to read program that kids love to use. 12 (10m 4s): Text grade to 32. 32 32. And teach your child to read in just 30 days guaranteed text grade to 32. 32 32 right now and get started for just $1 text grade to 32. 32. 32. Now text grade to 32. 32. 32. 7 (10m 20s): Oh yeah. 5 (10m 24s): Now my last question about this cuz it's just fascinating. Have you ever tried to, cause now you're in la have you ever tried to sail in the Pacific Ocean? 7 (10m 32s): I actually have. I 5 (10m 34s): I would imagine that'd be pretty insane. 7 (10m 37s): Well, not in the ocean. I am not like let me sail in the ocean girl. 5 (10m 41s): Okay. Like bay, 7 (10m 43s): I'd have someone sail for me, you know what I mean? Like Oh sure. I'm, I I never really actually went like in the ocean with sailing. Like I would go it, it would be right next to it kind of thing. Like or like in bay. In the Bay. 5 (10m 56s): Gotcha. 7 (10m 58s): Yeah. So, but I have been in the bay, you know, in the Pacific like over here and I went like in Newport Beach with some friends. Oh cool. 5 (11m 6s): Yeah, 7 (11m 7s): That I randomly met that had been sailing optimists too at one point. Which kind of crazy like this is so optimist is like when you're younger, like it's a very small boat. Like you're in your teen teens to like kind of college a like, not really college age but you're, cuz then you go up in, into bigger boats. But, but yeah. Wow. I randomly sailed out here. Yeah, 5 (11m 30s): You sailed all the way here. That's how you got to LA. 7 (11m 33s): No, 5 (11m 33s): No, I'm just kidding. 7 (11m 36s): That would be definitely interesting. 5 (11m 38s): Yeah, that'd be a hell of a sale. So tell me about music. How did you get into music? From what I saw, I think you were like four or something like that when you started performing. Okay, tell me about that. So 7 (11m 48s): I, I, like I said, I was like a born to perform person. Like I literally, the minute I was born I was probably singing like I, or crying singing, you know what I mean? I definitely was one of those people that just, I was very extra. I wanted to be in front of the camera, be on stage, like anything I could possibly do. Like even my little outfits, like I just loved being that person. And I took dance classes when I was younger. I just ate it all up. And so when I was three I was on a TV showcase called Al Alberts, which was in Phil Philadelphia and it was on a TV network and I sang a song every week on, on TV and told 5 (12m 33s): Joke. Wow. Yeah. Really? Yeah. You were just like the, you'd come out do what a cover song and then tell what 7 (12m 41s): Little kid song, you know what I mean? Like 5 (12m 43s): Yeah, yeah, yeah. How did you get that? You just like a 7 (12m 48s): Actually someone had told my mom about the show and of course I wanted to do it and I was like, always. Cause no one in my family's in the industry, no one sings, no one plays instrument, 5 (13m 0s): No one's musical at all. Like, nothing like that. Wow. 7 (13m 4s): And it's really wild because I've had to like always fight for that and be like learning and growing and always telling myself this is who I am and that's who I'm gonna be. You know, like always knowing that that standing my ground and knowing that that's me. And that's a hard thing to do sometimes, you know, cuz people get lost and it's my, it's my passion, it's my love, it's everything to me. I don't know what I would do without music. But yeah, so I, that's how that happened. And I like audition and of course got on the show and everyone loved it and loved me and I just kept doing it and singing a song every week. And in my little cute outfits and telling on top of everything else I would tell a joke, which was funny. 7 (13m 45s): And I actually have footage of this. Like I, we found some footage of this and it is the most hilarious thing. I was like, Oh my gosh, that's 5 (13m 53s): Me. 7 (13m 53s): Like, what? But it just shows 5 (13m 56s): Were you killing it as far as the joke went too? Yeah, Like 7 (13m 59s): I met myself now and I go, wow. Like this girl was born to be like a stalk. Like literally if that was my kid, like I would be like, wow. You know what I mean? It's, and it's me. It's just kind of crazy to watch and go back and be like, I can't believe that's me. Yeah, 5 (14m 17s): That's awesome. 7 (14m 18s): I was definitely born to do this, Born to be a performer and I, I love it. And so then after that I was on, I, I actually got cast in Sound and music on Broadway and I played Gretel at 5 (14m 31s): Six. So you're on Broadway at six? 7 (14m 35s): Yeah. 5 (14m 36s): Oh my gosh. A 7 (14m 37s): Lot of people don't know, Like some people know this, like this story about me, but a lot of people don't. You know, I've been working really hard my whole life and wouldn't have it any other way. But yeah, I was on Broadway at six and I played Gretel in, in the Sound of Music with Richard Chamberlain. 5 (14m 50s): Wow. Oh my gosh. Like what people like strive their whole life to get on a Broadway. I mean, that's crazy. 7 (14m 60s): Yeah. It's, it was the most amazing experience and I feel like I learned a lot in that when I was six, you know, like it was just learning your lines and being able to work with people and be in front of all those people on stage and immediately off the bat, like, I, I mean it was just a natural gift. It's a natural gift, it's a natural talent and you know, you get direction from your director and, and the people working and then it's just, it's, I take direction really well and yeah, I mean I loved it. I loved every minute of it. I learned a lot from it and I just, 5 (15m 32s): How long did you do musical theater? How long were you in theater? 7 (15m 36s): I, I mean I always feel like it's part of me, you know what I mean? Like, it's how I started and I always love musical theater, so, but I, I did it, I did, I played Annie as well at the Walnut Street Theater, which isn't a Broadway production, but it was like off Broadway, but like a big theater in Philadelphia that was famous. Cool. And that was amazing. They had like sold out shows and yeah, I, I really, I mean that was incredible when I played Annie because as a kid who doesn't love Annie. Right, right, 5 (16m 7s): Right. That's a star. Annie, did you end up moving to Philadelphia or was it close enough to you could, you could just get, 7 (16m 15s): I actually sometimes I came back and forth. I'm about like 45 minutes to an hour from Philadelphia cuz I'm in, I'm from South Jersey so I'm closer to Philly than I am New York. Gotcha. Yeah, so I, I, but then I did actually stay there too in Philadelphia because there were a lot of shows and rehearsals and things. 5 (16m 38s): And you were doing that thing daily, right? That was in Philadelphia as well? Yeah, yeah, 7 (16m 43s): Yeah. Yep. So I, you know, it's always a part of me, but I, yeah, so Annie was like my last big theatrical production I guess so to speak. But it's always a part of me like, you know, if things like ever came up with like a Broadway production or something, like, people always tell me you should be in Mean Girls. And I'm like, I could see that. 5 (17m 4s): No, 7 (17m 4s): I could see that. I love that, that show. It's so good on, I saw it on Broadway, it was amazing. 5 (17m 10s): I haven't seen it. I could only imagine if it's That's good. Just how good the film is. 7 (17m 15s): Yeah, it's really good. Really, really good. The music's very good. Very good. 5 (17m 19s): That's cool. Yeah. So you, you were done with, or that was the kind of the end of your theater career after the, or not end of it, but that was kind of like the next, you moved onto the next thing at that point? Yeah, 7 (17m 31s): After right after that I was 10 when I did Annie, I think I was on Star search actually. CBS. 5 (17m 40s): Really? Okay. 7 (17m 42s): That was my first time in Los Angeles and yeah. And 5 (17m 46s): How do you get the gig on Star Search? I, 7 (17m 48s): I just auditioned like I, I did an open call 5 (17m 50s): And then you got flown out to LA you 7 (17m 53s): Well yeah, like I didn't think I was gonna get it. It was with ours. So it was the, obviously not when like Brittany and Christina and Justin Timberlake and all them did it. It was like they revamped Star search and I was with, it's the season with Arsenio Hall and he was the host. He's hilarious. 5 (18m 12s): Okay. Yeah, yeah, he is. 7 (18m 14s): And I didn't think I was gonna get it. I was like, I knew I was like at the end of like the audition process, but you know, you wait for that call and I wasn't sure, I was like, the last episode that was like gonna be, you know, they were calling people for like very last episode of the season and for new people and we randomly got a call like one night and I literally fell to the floor and was like in excitement, like freaking out. And they're like, so we need you on a plane tomorrow. It's come la. And I was like, like literally it was, oh my gosh, I have blue, blue tongue right now. 5 (18m 52s): That's awesome. 7 (18m 55s): Mouthwash I'm dying. But yeah, so, and I, we, they flew me out the next day to Los Angeles and I, I still had to go through an audition process when I got out there to get on the show. And when I got out there, you know, I kept doing my thing, working really hard and ended up getting on the actual show and like I got through the process in LA and got on the show was so determined. And was 5 (19m 23s): That nerve-wracking at all or was it just Oh yeah, for sure. I was gonna say, but you had been on Broadway and done these big things, but I guess it would still be pretty scary. 7 (19m 32s): It was definitely a different thing for me. It was a TV production, you know, and so like, they had us like, I guess in some ways it's kinda like American Idol, but like it was, it was a different show, you know, where like they do things throughout the week and you audition and be in front of people and whatever. And you don't even know like there's people that have won the week prior that are already there to be on the show. So like you have still, Yeah, you have to still like, compete kinda. It, it runs different, it ran differently than like I American Idol did, obviously, but it, yeah, you still, I was still competing to try to get on the actual show and so I did not think I was gonna get that either, to be honest. 7 (20m 18s): And so I went into like my final audition, which is on the stage with the cameras in front of the network with cbs and I went out there and did my thing and killed it. I was like, I was really determined. I was like, if this is gonna be my last whatever, I'm gonna go for it, you know? And I went for it and I got on. 5 (20m 38s): Remember were you saying 10 (20m 40s): Some people celebrate the holidays but you, you dominate the holidays, you deck the halls, the mantle and anything else that will stand still. You deserve a bold cold brew that's as festive as you topped with creamy cookie butter cold foam covered in cookie butter crumbles and perfectly parable with our new cookie butter donut. Duncan's cookie butter Cold Brew is a delicious match for your decked out domination. America runs on Duncan present participation may vary. Limited time offer terms apply 11 (21m 10s): Texting, privacy policy in terms conditions posted at text planned us texting rules recurring on many text marketing messages. Message data rates may apply. Replace Stop Top 12 (21m 15s): The pandemic has been hard on all our kids. New studies show more than one in three children who started school in the pandemic now need intensive reading help. That's right. Millions of kids in kindergarten through third grade in the United States cannot read at grade level. Here's the good news. Your child can be reading in just 30 days, guaranteed with hooked on phonics. Even if your child has been struggling, hooked on phonics will teach your child to read in just 30 days, guaranteed. And right now you can get started for just $1. 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No purchase necessary void, prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and conditions applies new website for details. The voice of the preceding commercial was not the actual voice of the winner. 7 (22m 41s): Happy Days are here again by Barbara Streisand. 5 (22m 43s): Oh, there you go. 7 (22m 46s): Yeah. And it's so funny, I look back, I'm like, oh, it's like I was very theatrical there. Yeah. Just so funny. But I love to belt and like sing a good song. Like it had a lot of range and like I went for it. Like I was just like fully confident with like the hand movements and it was just so funny. And I, I had my hair like, I always loved braids. Like I'm I, I have my hair like in like braids and it's just so funny. I'm like, see there's that, that girl that's still there, you know, still part of me. But, but yeah, I ended up winning my, my Round by one point and then I, Or no, yes, it was tied. I won and then I lost by one point. 7 (23m 27s): Oh I know. The whole thing. The whole show. I would've won. 5 (23m 31s): Oh, you would've won the whole show. Oh my gosh, yeah. Wow. Wow. Were you, were you pretty bummed about that? I would think 7 (23m 39s): I was just so happy to be there to be honest. I was just so excited. Like of course I was like Mer you know, but I was just so grateful to have that opportunity and for it to have happened so fast like that. Like they even told you like minutes before the show started, like they told us minutes before that I was gonna go on. 5 (24m 0s): Oh wow. So you have like no prep time, It's just like, hey, you're, you're on. 7 (24m 5s): Yeah, it was like either I got it or I didn't, you know what I mean? And they were like, no, you got it. And I was like, a what? Like I was stunned, you know? So it was just an experience I'll never forget. So grateful for it, you know. And it's funny because like I remember telling my mom when I came out to LA cause obviously she came with me because, you know, I needed a guardian at the time too. And I remember being like sitting at California Pizza Kitchen like, cuz they had us stay in Hollywood okay. And being like, I'm gonna live in LA some, I'm gonna live here someday. And she looked at me like I was crazy. I just knew like it wasn't one of those things where it was like, and then it just kinda, it all fell together. 7 (24m 48s): Like after that, like I got, I got discovered by a producer who like was working with Disney at the time with high school musical and, and then I had worked with him on some music. He was really interested in working with me and, and then I got on radio Disney and I just been up in LA like without trying. And I feel like that's the best way for things to always happen. And yeah, my life kind of just, I just kept working, you know? I feel like things always line up the way they should and, you know, 5 (25m 20s): Well with Rick, with Radio Disney, where were you doing those songs that you had put out? Made it on there? Like, tell me about that. 7 (25m 27s): From Star Search? 5 (25m 28s): No, like how did you get on radio? Disney, you mentioned that. 7 (25m 31s): Oh, so yeah, that's what was funny is at the time, so the producer I was working with at the time, they had a, a program called Incubator. Incubator program. And it was for up and coming artists and they, they were trying to discover like, new people that had really great music and just so happened that it was like good timing, you know, timing's everything. And I had been in the studio and I had this song called My Boyfriend and I was like, this teenager, you know? And I had like, I I, the funny thing is I just, at that time I really knew for that era like who I was and it was like very like pop pop rock with like a little bit of urban influence. 7 (26m 18s): And I, it's funny cuz like at the time I just really knew what I wanted and yeah, it, I guess they, they just, they were interested. Someone submitted my music at the time and they were interested in me and I, it just, it was kind of like not expected, you know, like it just happened. Like, I was like, oh, now I'm on radio Disney, like, you know, and they really started my pop music career and I'm always forever grateful for that. And I'm always part of their, you know, radio Disney family and it's so sad they're not still doing it. It 5 (26m 51s): It stopped right? Isn't it gone? Yeah, it's gone now, right? It's 7 (26m 53s): Sad. I was like, no, like my childhood, like 5 (26m 56s): They have like a station I think on, on Serious Radio. I don't know. Yeah, 7 (27m 1s): I don't think they do any. They stopped it. I think 5 (27m 5s): So. Oh really? I think there might be. Huh? I swear I don't know if it's a Philly and maybe it has nothing to do with radio Disney. Maybe it's just like, here's Disney songs. I don't know what it is. I have no idea. I've seen it pop up though on my thing. Well, 7 (27m 19s): I mean, 5 (27m 21s): I dunno what the hell it is, but I just know it's there. But, Okay, so you did that and then you, you've done acting obviously as well. Like you were in a bunch of things and were, were you juggling both that in music still, like since you did the radio Disney? 7 (27m 39s): Yeah, I kind of, I, you know, yeah, I mean I feel like I took more of like a little bit of like a pause break most recently with, with acting to kind of fully focus on like my social media and, and music and really honing into that. Cause I think things always come together, like when they're supposed to with, and I feel like going on auditions all the time is it can be a lot sometimes and take away from, you know, if you're fully working in the studio, writing, doing social media, all the things like there's, it gets really busy. So I always believe that like when a project or something's supposed to come together, it does with acting and I'm excited there, you know, definitely. 7 (28m 24s): Like I'm sure there will be things in the future with, to continue doing with acting. But yeah, I was, I was juggling both. I was more primarily music and doing all that, but always, you know, it's like my heart and soul. But I definitely was kind of like auditioning at the time, doing things, doing some movies and stuff. But it always, you know, it always works out at the right time when it's supposed to. Like that's, the projects that I had done were like heavily in the, in the, in the process of me like working on an album or like doing something, you know. So it ended up, it ended up working out. I actually had been in some movies or a movie that I had done some music for actually that ended up working out Perfectly, which was meant to be. 7 (29m 9s): So I had some songs on the soundtrack and 5 (29m 12s): Wow. Was that based off of like, did you get the role first and then maybe the Yeah, 7 (29m 17s): That's 5 (29m 18s): What was like, oh you can, you have some songs as pitch into the music supervisor or whatever 7 (29m 23s): It, it incorporated music and like, I was already supposed to be kind of like singing in it. Well be a singer, whatever. And it's funny because it wasn't even like, my Sound Now is more like, I'm this Tennessee girl from like the south 5 (29m 40s): And I had an Oh wow. 7 (29m 43s): I was like singing country. Well that country was like pop country and I kind of made it my own, but at the time, yeah. And then I had this song that I did with Sean Douglas, who's a big songwriter and producer and he worked with me and I had done this song Red Eye and it just kind of like, I was like, oh you know, I just did this song, blah blah blah. Like, and I had been in the studio and since there was music, I had gotten the kind of, gotten the role basically. And then I was just like, Hey, like do you wanna hear this? And they were like, Whoa. And it turned into like being the actual like theme of the whole movie. 5 (30m 21s): Wow. 7 (30m 22s): I dunno how that happened, but it just kind of happened. And yeah, so Red Eye was like a big part of the movie and really cool, you know, like I love to incorporate, if I can write a song from movies or soundtrack, like I'm all about that. Like I love to be able to share my craft if I am in a role or do you know, And there's so much music incorporated into to films now and even roles that are, you know, out right now in TV films. So I, I love that. But that's kind of, you know, how that came about. 5 (30m 56s): Wow. And then you had a couple songs on Billboard, right? On the dance card on Billboard. Yes. So that must have been big moment. 7 (31m 4s): Oh my gosh. Another thing that I was just like, Wait, is this happening? You know what I mean? Like, so it's really, really crazy because after I had done it was actually not too long after I had done that movie, I, you know, this like, my sound is more like pop urban, like with some soulfulness it has little flavors of like everything. But cuz I'm very like diverse but, and I like to incorporate little pieces of it all however I can, which makes me different and makes me meet. But, so I had been like going through like a toxic relationship at the time and like, I kind of didn't really have, I didn't have a producer, didn't have songwriters I was working with. 7 (31m 49s): Like, I literally was just in that space of, I feel like every artist kind of goes through that where they're like, who am I? What's going on in my life? Like, or we all do, we're human, you know what I mean? Like go through phases of life and you never know where the phases are gonna take you. So I kind of was just like in a space of like, I don't know what's happening. And, and normally there's breakthroughs with that. So like I got on my couch and I had been in this, you know, relationship whatever. And when I tell you I literally just like sat on the couch and out of nowhere this song came to me like the whole song. And I wrote it really, really quickly. I was just on my couch and I was like, you got me feeling this way. 7 (32m 30s): And that's the beginning of Hurt Me So Good. Which was the song, my first song that charted on billboard and it, I mean it's just crazy because like it came outta nowhere, wrote the song pretty quickly, did some vo you know, voice notes of it. And not too long after that, like I just had it to have like, I was like, I'm gonna maybe like maybe someday I'll do something with this, whatever. It's just fun. I didn't wanna not be in that moment of like songwriting cuz it was just like so there and I couldn't get rid of it and you have to go with that. So I wrote it and like, yeah, not long after that, like a producer, like I had been connected to a producer that was signed to Timbaland's Publishing and they had some records that they thought were good for me. 7 (33m 17s): Texting 11 (33m 18s): Privacy policy in terms and conditions posted, text planned us texting were occurring on text marketing messages. Data rates may stop, 12 (33m 22s): Opt out. The pandemic has been hard on all our kids. News studies show more than one in three children who started school in the Pandemic now need intensive reading help. That's right. Millions of kids in kindergarten through third grade in the United States cannot read at grade level. Here's the good news, your child can be reading in just 30 days. Guaranteed with Hooked on Phonics. Even if your child has been struggling, hooked on phonics will teach your child to read in just 30 days, guaranteed. And right now you can get started for just $1. Text the word great to 32. 32. 32. 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And, and so I was like talking to him, I was like, Hey, like I had this idea, like I wrote this thing, blah, blah, blah. I was kind of scared. I'm, it's always that vulnerability moment of like you sharing like songwriting is so vulnerable. Oh 5 (35m 48s): Yeah. 7 (35m 50s): So you kind of have to like get outta that comfort zone. And so I did. I was like, Hey, just, just, just listen to this. I don't know if you're gonna like it. Like whatever. And I sent it to him and he was like, Yo, like I like I, I don't know if I can curse but you 5 (36m 4s): Can cuss. Ok. 7 (36m 5s): I was like, he's like, I fuck with this. Like this is so like this is cool. Like, and yeah. And so then I was like, okay dope. Like let's do something with it. And then I had all these, I already had these production ideas like with the song, which reminded me a little bit of my boyfriend from Radio Disney because it had like guitar, like electric guitars and like, like a little bit of an urban vibe to it. But then still like it, it was really dope. And I still perform it to this day cuz obviously it was my first song that like, 5 (36m 36s): Yeah, 7 (36m 37s): People love it. Like people know the lyrics. I'm like, how is this even happening? Like I wrote this song, like I wrote this song on my couch. Like how, like what? So to think that that was like my first song, it really actually makes me like emotional cuz it's just so cool to think that it happened like that. And I wish I would've documented it, you know, like now I'm all about documenting everything that was like before like I really got into my social media phase. But yeah, so, which really wasn't even that long ago. But yeah. And that's kind of like how that started with Billboard. To think that that was, the song is crazy and I got out performing it. It was played in clubs, people still know the lyrics. 7 (37m 19s): Like I went and performed at Pride in New York and 5 (37m 22s): Yeah that was what recently, right? 7 (37m 24s): Yeah. That was just in June. End of June Feels like so long. 5 (37m 29s): And you got to perform your new song as well. 7 (37m 32s): Yes, I performed Sassy and, But yeah, the two songs, I mean they loved all of them. I performed, Yes, Sa or sorry Yes Hurt Me So Good and Saucy and they looked all three. But it's just funny cuz they were singing the lyrics for sure to hurt me So Good. I was like, wow, y'all remember this. Okay. And then s Sasse, they, they took to, which was like a crazy feeling. I was like, wow. I mean it was just the best feeling in the world and they were like, wow, we really like saucy. You know, like it was one of their favorites. So I was really, really happy to see that. You never know like what it's gonna be, you know, 5 (38m 5s): So Right. How it's gonna land with people. Totally. Yeah. But Yaz is huge too. 7 (38m 9s): Yeah, yeah, yeah. So 5 (38m 11s): That's, 7 (38m 13s): Yeah, like it's, and people, it's just, I don't really think about it that much cuz it's me, you know what I mean? Like I feel like I'm a very humble person too and like I just don't think about it 24 7 and be like, oh yeah, like everybody knows the song or like whatever. It just kinda, I just, when people say that, I'm like, oh my gosh, thank you. Like work hard, you know? And it's just the best feeling, you know. But yeah, everyone loves Yes too, cuz I think it's just like that fun, you know, fun song, which is what it was meant for. I did it before The Pandemic, I was actually supposed to do some touring and it was very specific, like, it was a specific song for like, definitely for like more my gay following, which I absolutely love. 7 (38m 57s): And it just was like that fun party song and you know, I'm just excited that people still listen to it and they listen to it. Even during the Pandemic, I think, which hopefully gave them some, you know, escape from everything on where they could just like dance in their bedroom or their bathroom and be like, yes. Like 5 (39m 17s): Yes. Well, so that, did that come out before the pandemic? 7 (39m 23s): Yes 5 (39m 23s): It did. Oh it did? Wow. Okay, so you put that out and then you had this plan and then it got pulled away, obviously. 7 (39m 30s): Well, you know, and I, yeah, like it was kind of crazy. I had a lot planned, but I always believe that like the universe like does things for a reason and everything happens for a reason. And it's funny because like, that wasn't really technically my sound so to speak. Like, that's not like my, as an artist, that's not like my main sound. So I feel like I took that time during the Pandemic cuz music like saved me during the pandemic. Like it was therapeutic. Like I got on my guitar and like started writing and just like 24 7 was like music, music, music, you know? 7 (40m 11s): And, and I did like covers and things and, but as I was like home in New Jersey, I told you this, like, I kind of honed back into like what I used to listen to as a kid and just different CDs I had and I really started like honing into like my artistry and like what I wanted to, to kind of like give more, I was working on a project at that time. Like I, it, I think I needed to, to work on more music, find more of my sound, kind of go back to that girl and just, you know, be that girl and, and, and share it, you know, and really kind of hone into that. So it was good because I, I worked on music, you know, and I, I found more of my artistry in that time of the pandemic to kind of like take a moment and be like, what's next? 7 (40m 56s): Like what, what am I, you know, and who am I kind of thing. 5 (40m 59s): And did SSE come out of that time period? Okay. Yeah. 7 (41m 3s): Yeah. 5 (41m 4s): And do you have 7 (41m 5s): Of it, 5 (41m 6s): Is it like gonna be part of a pro a bigger project? 7 (41m 9s): Yeah. Yes. 5 (41m 10s): Oh, exciting. 7 (41m 11s): Yeah, there's, yeah, I'm always working. I'm always writing, I'm always doing something, you know, but it is part of that. Yeah. So I'm excited. 5 (41m 19s): Very, very cool. Well I love it and thank you so much for hanging out with me today, Ashley, I appreciate your time. 7 (41m 24s): Yeah, thank you for having me. 5 (41m 26s): Yes. I do have one more quick question for you. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 7 (41m 33s): Oh, for sure. It's gonna be hard. You're gonna cry a lot. Also, artists are very like, or at least I am, I can be very emotional, like, cause I'm in tune with my emotions being an artist and songwriter. But definitely just continue to work hard. If it's really what you love, don't give up because there's always, it's, it's going to, you know, to be honest, it gets, it, it, it's very, it's a blessing, but it gets, it definitely gets harder at the more successful you become and just, you gotta really love, love what you do. So just don't give up and continue to work hard and fuck the haters. 7 (42m 17s): But, but no, just, just, just work hard network. Do your thing. I mean, you either love it or you don't. So if you love it, just keep working hard. That's all you can do.