After spending the last year or so developing a strong and vibrant array of releases, Malaysian-Bornean artist a_shes is back to his best once again as he drops the shimmering new single 'glory days'.
Capturing more of that rich and immersive alt-pop aesthetic he has been building for himself since he first emerged, 'glory days' makes for a rousing return to form for the artist at the helm. With his sweet and dreamlike voice layered across a progressive production from start to finish, he is continuing to shine as one of the more euphoric names on the rise right now.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him of late.
-
What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Well the first instrument I ever learnt was the piano but I’d be lying if I said I liked it - it was more a means to an end (the end being learning music) if anything else. Plus, it’d be pretty basic of me to admit that the first instrument I fell in love with was the piano. If I’m being honest, and I hate to admit this, the first instrument I truly enjoyed playing was the recorder haha. I just liked the idea of playing a woodwind instrument and although everyone in school was forced to play it, the fact that I enjoyed it and took it seriously made me feel different lol. It’s actually a dream of mine to own and learn to play a tenor recorder one day.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Musical theatre... if you couldn’t tell everything about me. But actually, even before that I was a huge weeb / koreaboo as a kid, way before I became a theatre kid. I would exclusively listen to anime openings and generation 2 kpop up until I was like 14. It holds a special place in my heart.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Oh god is it blasphemous of me to admit that I wasn’t really an albums girlie growing up? I was more of a breadth over depth kinda kid - I was just dipping my hands into anything I liked sonically, I never really felt the urge to deep dive into an artist’s discography up until recently. My mum raised me on ABBA gold but I didn’t really ‘own’ that record... It was my mum’s copy. Well if we’re counting musical soundtracks as ‘albums’ then I guess the first album I remember buying for myself on itunes was the Spring Awakening soundtrack. Boy does it still hold up.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This question really is the mark of an artist’s skill - being able to write a song so relatable you make other people wish they had thought of that first, and kick themselves in the feet over the fact they never did. For me it’s probably Liability by Lorde: she was able to perfectly capture what was going through my head at 19 so perfectly I was mad haha. Like why didn’t I think to write that shit down??
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Jotting down a thought, or a line, or a word that would sound so sick on a song in my notes app - it’s just filled with random lyrics that haven’t quite found a home yet.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Well, Lorde is my number one and always has been, I keep on deferring to her when I’m out of inspiration, any one of my collaborators can tell you that haha. But at the moment I’ve just been doing lots of trips down memory lane, listening to the music that was formative to me as a young teen... no one specific tbh. Although I’ve been finding myself gravitating towards the Cranberries at points.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
When people come up to me and tell me they love my music, and that they relate to it, and play it on repeat. I attach a lot of my self-worth on validation, hence why I’m in grad school lmao. But it makes me feel like I’ve done something right when someone goes out of their way to let me know my art has reached out to them in some way - like, isn’t that the point of music?
And what is the most frustrating part?
The marketing lmao. Making all of these singles was not cheap, especially independently haha - I’m not struggling by any means, don’t get me wrong, but it would be nice to have both the capital and industry support to reach as many people as I could, you know? I know there are folks out there who would vibe with my music - it’s just frustrating figuring out how to reach them. And it would be nice to make back all that I have spent haha.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
To stop thinking about the money, and remember why I did this in the first place. I’m not saying money doesn’t matter, it would be nice for me to be able to make a living out of doing this, but the more I think about the loss I’m incurring, the less I’m gonna enjoy out of what is essentially a passion project for me. I’m an artist for christ’s sake, I’m doing this because I love it!
-
a_shes' new single 'glory days' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.