In the midst of a romantic comedy renaissance via Crazy Rich Asians and a cascade of Netflix originals, came a song that defied all of that and then some. ASHS did what many don’t, and penned a song that is void of love and wanting it all together. “More Than Friends” is for those out there not about that love thing, but even if you are – you can enjoy this one because it’s well, you can listen for yourself.
“More Than Friends,” along with the others on ASHS’ 3am Pt. 1 are as addictive as your favorite dessert and then some. Landing somewhere between Demi Lovato’s later powerhouse pop hits and the lyrical skills of SZA, ASHS talked with us about her love of lyrics, poetry and much more…
Kendra: What made you want to get into music? Was it a particular artist, song, album, concert, or something else?
ASHS: I have always been very into poetry. As a kid, it’s hard to articulate your emotions and process your experiences, but writing and poetry really helped me be able to understand things that I went through, and how I truly felt about them. I transitioned from poetry to songwriting and it has been how I connect with music ever since. I feel like there are people who get lost in the beat, and those who get lost in the lyrics. I’m a lyric person.
Kendra: You’ve said that you’re more about putting the music before everything else. Is that why you’re more of an enigma online?
ASHS: With my project, I didn’t want to fit into someones preconceived idea of who I was supposed to be as an artist. I just wanted to make music I really vibe with, and have people decide how they felt about it without being led in any type of direction. I try to be completely honest in my writing, and my music is the best reflection of who I am as a person and what really goes on in my head. In the end, I wanted people to really get to know me and connect in a non-superficial way out of the gate.
Kendra: Well, the music is speaking loud and clear. 3am Pt. 1 is a solid EP. It took me longer than usual to finish these questions because I had it on repeat. Were there more songs that didn’t make the cut this time around that we’ll hear (hopefully soon) on Pt. 2?
ASHS: I write daily, so there are tons of songs that I didn’t get to share this time around, but I liked the idea of consistently putting out little packages of music with smaller wait times in between. I get inspired by new things every day and it really influences my writing. I want the music I’m putting out to represent who I am at that moment so people can share that experience and grow with me. There are a few songs, in particular, I really want to share sooner than later. Songs that helped shape my sound as an artist.
http://soundcloud.com/user-470040412/more-than-friends
Kendra: 3am usually isn’t the best time to be doing anything. Most of the time mistakes are made at that hour. Where are you usually at when the clock strikes that time?
ASHS: 3am is when I live my best and worst life simultaneously. My mind usually gets chaotic at night so I always have trouble sleeping. I write my best songs at night though. Honestly, at 3am, you can either find me at the piano, out driving around with friends being dumb, or in my room playing Xbox.
Kendra: Your latest single, “More Than Friends,” is an empowering anthem of sorts. An anti-love song for those who don’t want to be bothered. Was that brought on by a lot stream of losers or are you just more focused on the music?
ASHS: I met this guy that seemed cool, but he had this underlying arrogance and IDGAF attitude I didn’t like. It felt like he was more in it for the chase than to actually get to know me, so I decided that instead of being an idiot and falling for him, I was going to be the one in control. It was almost like a protective mechanism. I made a conscious decision to just not care and focus on myself and to build myself up instead. Hopefully, on 3am pt 2, I’ll share a song called “Lie” that I wrote about the same person. It shows my other, more vulnerable, thought process during that relationship so you can see both sides of how I was feeling.
Kendra: Will we be hearing these songs live any time soon? Do you have plans to tour or play showcases as 2018 rounds out?
ASHS: We’re in the process of planning some showcases right now. I’m very excited for because I’ll get to play some of my unreleased music. When everything’s booked, I’ll be posting dates on my Instagram. We were also thinking of doing some surprise pop up shows too, which could be cool.