We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ainsley Costello a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ainsley, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I learned to write songs the way that I write now over the course of 2020. That year was a blessing just as much as it was a curse for me because since there was nothing else to do, I was thrown into the deep end of the Nashville songwriting machine, even though it was virtual. I’ve written countless songs over the last three years, and with songwriting, you just have to do it over and over again until you hit a stride, and you figure out what works for you and your process. As for what I could have done to speed up the process, I struggle with always wishing that things would go faster in my life. I was 15 when I moved to Nashville, and when the world shut down. Considering the time period I really started getting serious about my craft in songwriting, I think I did my best to learn as much as a could, and get as much as I could out of a hard situation. You’re never late for your own life’s milestones and accomplishments and that’s still something I’m reminding myself. If we’re talking about essential skills, collaboration is the most important thing you have to get used to when learning to cowrite. I’m a firm believer that you have to work with other people to make yourself better at whatever it is that you want to do. I learned so many invaluable lessons from so many songwriters who decided to collaborate with me and take a chance on a fast talking little 15 year old blonde girl, and because of that, I’m a better songwriter when I’m working with other people, and when I’m working by myself. I think there’s always the obstacle of reaching out to a bunch of people when you’re first starting and not hearing anything back, but that’s just part of paying your dues and working your way up the ladder. Learning not to take it personally when that happens is really important too.
Ainsley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Ainsley Costello, and I’m an 18 year old singer/songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee! I moved to Nashville when I was 15 in March of 2020, right after releasing my first album. I’ve been writing songs and playing shows since I was 12. So far I’ve written over 150 songs, and have played over 150 shows in 15 states. I was lucky enough to graduate high school when I was 16, and having been taking courses at Berklee College of Music online since I was 15. I’m actually going to be graduating from Berklee this spring when I’m 19 with a degree in Music Business! Since putting out my first album a few years ago, my sound and songwriting have definitely evolved. Some have described my music as “Pretty Punk”, kind of like Paramore meets The Band Camino, which is the biggest compliment since those are two of my favorite bands in the world. In 2021, I out out the equivalent of my second record in singles each month, and by the end of this year, I’ll have released five new singles, which adds up to about 25 all time releases. My breakout single, “Little Sister” which came out in March of this year, went mini-viral on TikTok, and it currently sitting at over 20 thousand streams on Spotify. It’s one of the first songs I wrote when I moved to Nashville in 2020, and it’s about learning to find yourself outside of the people who have insisted you in your life, especially in a world dominated by chart topping superstars and social media influencers. I’m so passionate about writing the messages I didn’t grow up hearing, and being a voice for the next generation of strong girls.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding thing about being an artist is seeing how messages I write affect and relate to people, whether it’s through a comment on social media or when someone approaches me after a show. When “Little Sister” found as many people as it did back in March, I’ll never forget scrolling through the comment sections on those videos and seeing people’s reactions to this song that they told me they’d been waiting for their whole lives. It’s also insanely heartwarming when little girls and their parents come up to me after shows and tell me that they loved my music and ask to take pictures.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I’m still actively unlearning that someone else’s success is not my failure. Being a part of Gen Z, and really being the first generation that grew up with social media, seeing everyone’s highlight reels and never anything in between was really damaging on my perception of success growing up. When you’re constantly seeing that ‘this person did this at this age’ or ‘this person did that at that age’ it’s so easy to compare yourself to them, but not take into account your own accomplishments and successes. I know this is definitely not unique to me, as there are so many people my age going through this same thing, so I like to be vocal about it to remind others that they’re not alone in this feeling, because it’s something that I struggle with all the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ainsleycostello.com/home
- Instagram: @ainsleycostello_official
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ainsleycostelloofficial/
- Twitter: @ainsleymusic07
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJz5GAsJ3ReEml47YqIjivg
- Other: My TikTok handle is @ainsleycostello