Ashley Singh in conversation with FAULT Magazine
We had the pleasure of sitting down with the incredibly talented singer-songwriter, Ashley Singh, to discuss his musical journey and his highly anticipated second EP, ‘Waiting For The Blue.’ (Out NOW!)
On both his debut and latest release, Ashley Singh fearlessly explores the human experience through his stirring songwriting and expert lyricism. With all that in mind, we caught up with Ashley Singh to discover more.
Can you tell us about your upbringing in Stratford, East London, and how it has influenced your musical journey?
I spent the first 21 years of my life in Stratford. I come from a working class family and this has always provided me with motivation.
Your debut EP ‘Between Love and Lonely’ explored personal emotions and experiences – how challenging was it to put so much of your personal experiences out there to be both enjoyed and critiqued?
It’s a pretty natural process for me. I often don’t know exactly how I’m feeling until I’ve written a song. I don’t mind them being critiqued, they are a part of me and I’m proud of that.
The new EP includes Sweet Affection – can you tell us about the inspiration behind this track?
Sweet Affection came at a time I was at my lowest. My confidence was at an all time low and I genuinely believed that I wasn’t good enough or deserving of love. The chorus for this song poured out of me one evening while I was in tears at my keyboard.
Tell us about what You Can Think Of Him means to you?
You Can Think Of Him is pretty anecdotal. I met someone who looked a lot like my ex. Turns out I looked like hers too. A very short term relationship blossomed as a result. We were stopgaps in the moving on process for eachother.
What would you say the narrative thread holding the EP together would be? (if there is one)
This EP is all about moving on. All of the songs were written during a time when I was trying to do this.
Your debut EP received acclaim and amassed millions of streams – do you feel added pressure to match/exceed that success with this new EP?
There’s always a sense of pressure when releasing music. You’re putting yourself out there. The main thing that helps with this is when fans reach out and say how a song of mine has helped them in their lives. Knowing that the music is helping someone in some way is incredibly powerful. I set up Sad Song Society, which is a space for people to come together and talk about sad songs and how they’ve helped them overcome personal struggles.
What’s one takeaway you hope the audience takes away from your upcoming release?
If they connect or relate to it in any way then I’m happy. But I’d love for this project to show that moving on is on your terms and that there is no right way to do it. You do what you have to do when waiting for the blue to reappear.
What is your FAULT?
Overthinking. I do it so much that I’m overthinking it as my answer. It’s definitely my biggest drawback and it often takes the reins away from my instincts.