Photo by ‘Marybeth Dinges
We recently connected with Ashe B and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ashe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I think a lot of creatives can relate to overthinking a decision, no matter how minor, & stalling to the point of inaction. That’s how I felt before playing my first open mic, then a first poetry night, acoustic night etc etc all the way up to throwing my own shows. I had to be honest with myself about finding the sweet spot where my brain feels ok, not great, but at least I’m putting something I’m proud of out there into the world. Being a perfectionist is a cute thing on paper when you’re collecting your flowers but the truth is the majority of perfectionists don’t put out enough work for the world to hear about them. People ask me before I perform ‘Ashe – do you still get nervous?’ I tell them – ‘The nerves never go away. I’ve just learned to work with them.’ I like to humor myself & compare it to how time slows down when you’re the star QB on the JV team & you can win the big rivalry game. But the truth is, yes, although everyone is watching you, they aren’t thinking about your every action or how far you may have veered from the original plan of execution. My shows are a beautiful disaster. You guys have to catch another one!
Ashe, 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?
I’m Ashe B. I’m a writer, singer, performer, producer, life enthusiast. My next song, MILE HIGH CLUB, comes out Dec 3, my birthday. I’ve always enjoyed art & playing music. Shy orchestra kid turned cheeky pop-star. String instruments especially. During the pandemic I was fortunate & healthy enough to take some big risks that resulted in my first EP, ‘Something for Anyone Vol. I’ which you can find under Ashe B on any streaming platform. I find that the world screaming itself awake has slightly stalled my creative output but everything ebbs & flows as a creative. It’s been over a year since my dark, stormy synth-pop song, ‘Darlin’ came out! M.H.C. is similarly a pop song about one of the many sides of love.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I really truly believe in myself. I know I’m great with people & I have some really cool, creative ideas. I just need to be prepared for that next step up or lightening strike of luck. Nothing worse than the opportunity presenting itself & you’re off balance with the wrong think in hand. It’s partly that & a mix of loving the journey as well as wanting to know I tried. The journey so far has made for some great stories with great people. They inspire me, drive me, challenge me, anger me, corrupt me, soothe me. All the beautifully weird parts of the human experience – I feel through the world around me as I interact with it. Sometimes you meet that really nice person or it’s an old friend that pauses you for a second to give you your flowers. Trying is uncomfortable as hell sometimes but it sure makes looking back easier.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
I know that society sees art as something disposable. They love to consume it but don’t love to pay what it’s worth. Every creative knows that feeling early in their career when they show their friends a new work & don’t get much of a response. Or that the work isn’t taken seriously. We shouldn’t count on freebies from our friends newly diving into small business ventures, we should blindly support them the way we do corporations & celebrity. Dreams cost money & working 2-3 jobs can really be a drag. Every dollar helps – words too. There’s so much people can do from their phones to support artists too but whatever man, definitely repost that barstool meme.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/asheb/mile-high-club
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashe__b/
- Other: Be sure to hit that presave link & log in to spotify to hear the new track when it comes out! all my other streaming is under ASHE B – here’s Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/3HgtNDjt6RduA1udWp3sbQ?si=0syP9SOrQEK7XgL9d9dBXA
Image Credits
not applicable