Check out our interview with singer/songwriter as well as self-proclaimed pop diva Ashlyn Marie who just release her new single “So High.”
“So High” is a trippy pop anthem with lofi beats, soulful, rangey vocals, and a vibe like never before! This sound is best described as a dream rotation with Ariana, SZA, and an alien from outer space.
Follow Ashlyn @ashlynmariemusic
Hi Ashlyn, please tell us a little about you?
I am an independent artist and singer/songwriter from Simpsonville, SC. I am also a Vocal Performance major at Clemson University and I love telling stories through my music! Just like our queen Hannah Montana I live quite a double life as a Performing Arts student/babysitter by day and aspiring rockstar by night.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Fun , Sparkly , Sweet
We’re sure you have been asked this million times but how did you get in the industry?
I started singing and writing songs when I was a little girl and would only show them to my siblings and a few close friends. I always dreamed of one day recording and releasing and performing my originals, but didn’t really know where to start. The music industry can be really intimidating and even scary as a an independent female artist, but in 2021, I recorded my first single in Nashville, TN and was hooked from that moment. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Describe your sound in 3 words?
Upbeat Unique Catchy
Do you play any instrument?
This summer I started learning to play guitar! My sweet boyfriend and guitar player, Wes, bought me a Taylor ad17e “American Dream” this past July and we named her “Lola”.
Do you ever get nervous?
Totally! I get more excited than anything, but I definitely get butterflies. I get the most nervous when I’m about to release new music, but it’s all part of the game! I love the rush of it all.
Tell us about your new single “So High?”
“So High” is a trippy pop anthem with lo-fi beats, soulful vocals, and it has a really space-y vibe to it. This song was originally a beat introduced to me by music producer, sam!am. We connected through TiKtOK, and decided to collaborate. Over a Zoom meeting we listened through the song together and I was immediately hooked. The first time I heard it, I heard the lyrics to the chorus in my head- “Now I’ve never been so high and I just love this feelin’”, and I couldn’t get the melody out of my head. Sam sent me an idea he had for the melody/chorus, and I took our two lyrics and put them together for “Weight off my shoulders, now I’m light”. The rest of the song came together so easily!
What’s the story behind the song?
Sam and I both knew we wanted the song to have a trippy, cosmic feel, like you’re in a rotation with Ariana, SZA, and an alien from outer space. Or like you’re driving through the city at night where the lights start to look like stars passing in a spaceship. So we took that vibe and ran with it. It was even more perfect when I went to record the vocals at Maximus Music Recording Studios in Charlotte, NC, and the booth was decorated just like space. The lyrics, though, are a lot deeper than that. It’s kind of like when you meet that person who becomes more than enough to fill a hole in your life- like someone who’s love is actually physically intoxicating.
And about the success of your first single “Blindhorse Blues?”
“Blindhorse Blues” feels like my first-born child! I have so much love for that record, and I am so pleased with everyone’s response to it. The bar that it was based on, The Blindhorse Saloon, has played the song and the locals seem to love it. I hold that song so close to my heart!
What is fun and rewarding about what you do? And what’s not?
There is good and bad in every job, I think. But I have the most fun every day doing what I do. It’s stressful sometimes being an independent artist, because you wear so many different hats – manager, booking agent, social media manager, stylist… it goes on, but at the end of the day it’s always worth it because I’m doing what I have always wanted to do: singing my own original songs and sharing them with the world. As long as I’m doing that I can handle anything!
What’s next for Ashlyn Marie in 2022?
I’m still sitting on a few unreleased songs and they’re set to come out before the end of the year. I’m also doing lots of fun shows with my boyfriend, Wes. We play in my collegetown, Clemson and other bars and venues around the southeast- and we’ve had so much fun playing, meeting new people, and getting more comfortable onstage.
Any loves other than music?
I love a lot of things- my family, my dog Simba, my sweet boyfriend, my girl gang, my school, and lots of other things. I am a pretty happy person, and I love being happy!
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’d love to meet Elvis Presley. My Papa is an Elvis impersonator in the upstate of South Carolina and I’ve been going to his shows for most of my life. My Papa taught me everything he knows about performing and being onstage, how to engage with the crowd and really have fun in that moment. I will always cherish all the weekends I spent with my grandparents traveling to his shows- setting up, selling tickets, sometimes singing during intermission, and meeting all kinds of cool people on the way.
How’s a typical day in your life?
If I’m in school, I’ll wake up, have breakfast & coffee, either go to the gym or work out in my apartment, and start getting ready for the day. I go to class around 10, and in the afternoons I nanny and babysit! Pretty much every day, I make time to practice guitar, write a song or two, and make content. The best of both worlds!
What is you favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
I Have Nothing – Whitney Houston
What is your own definition of happiness?
Being free and independent.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I am a sucker for avocado toast! That’s healthy, right!?
And your favorite cheat food?
I cheat every day! It’s all about balance. I love both sweet and savory. If it’s got carbs, I want it!
How do you see yourself in 5 years?
I’ll be on a stage somewhere! As long as I’m singing and sharing my songs I’ll be happy.
How would you describe your fashion style?
Sparkly, unnecessary, definitely overdressed, and usually secondhand- I love a good thrift find.
Where we can follow you?
I’m on all social media platforms as @ashlynmariemusic
Movie: School of Rock, Sleepover, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Travel Destination: Disney World ofc!
Sports Team: Clemson! Go Tigers!
