Ashlynn Malia (19 YO/TikTok Star/L.A. Indie Pop/The Orchard)
Interview conducted March 25, 2021
By Dan Locke
Ashlynn Malia shares “open,” the lead single off her upcoming EP rather be alone, due out this summer via Jullian Records/The Orchard.
This song breathes. There are quiet, simple moments followed by moments of slightly distorted sonic outburst that gradually intensifies as the song goes on, reflecting a person who is slowly opening themselves up and letting the listener in on more and more of their inner chaos. This is one of the more cinematic songs on the EP.
What is your upbringing?
I was born in New York City but raised in LA. As a kid, I worked in the entertainment industry to make money for college. My childhood was pretty normal until I was about 12 and toured with a music group for three years. Because of that job, I couldn’t go to school anymore and had to switch to online. My life became rehearsals and music video shoots and traveling to a new city every day and i wouldn’t have traded that experience for the world.
How did you discover music?
I can’t pinpoint a specific moment or time that I “discovered” music. It’s always been a part of me. I sang before I could talk. it was something that no one had to tell me to do. But my family started a music school when I was 6 and from then on, I actually started working on music and learning instruments and everything.
How did you start to write music?
I started writing music as a form of therapy. When I was 11 I had really bad anxiety. Like, really bad. And I didn’t know what to do about it. I wasn’t taught much about mental health growing up. I thought there was something wrong with me. I remember being on the phone with my mom, crying, terrified of I don’t even remember what. And she suggested I write to try to make the problems in my head a little smaller. Singing always comforted me so I wrote a song. It was probably very bad but it was honest and it helped me a lot. From then on songwriting became my diary. I store fragments of myself in every song I write.
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
Hahaha YES! It was this pink sparkly daisy rock guitar that my family had at the music school, and I had been wanting it for a while. Anytime I was there I would play it but I couldn’t take it home because the other students used it too. One day my dad asked me if I wanted to keep it and I was over the moon excited. What I didn’t know is that someone had dropped it that day, so the back was cracked and covered in duct tape. I still have it, duct tape and all.
What is your favorite guitar now? Year, make and model and does she have a name?
My favorite guitar is my blue Epiphone Les Paul named George. He’s gorgeous.
You play piano, guitar, bass, drum, and ukulele. How long before you get to your goal of 10 instruments?
It’s probably gonna be a while. Right now, I’m just trying to get better at the instruments i already know. There’s a lot to learn.
How was it to be a part of KIDZBOP?
It completely changed my life. It was an insane experience. I honestly didn’t know how much went into a tour until boot camp started and our days were full of dance rehearsals, vocal lessons, fittings, media briefings, etc. I’m really glad I had the other people in the group. We definitely leaned on each other for support and became family. I learned so much from working for that brand.
Describe your music.
My music is constantly changing, usually depending on what I am listening to or where I am emotionally. I’d say the music I’m putting out right now is a mix of pop, R&B and folk music. Lyrics are extremely important to me. You’ll never hear a song of mine that isn’t honest or pulling from a real experience I’ve had.
What was your first performance at like?
My first performance was terrifying. I was in second grade and it was my school talent show. I remember I had a cold on the day I had to perform and I thought the world was ending. Definitely sang a song from Hannah Montana.
Do you remember your impromptu performance at The Disney Wonder in which you performed “Rolling in the Deep”? Who was your guitar player?
Wow, you did your research! I absolutely remember that but I don’t remember the name of the guitar player. I was literally on a family vacation and my dad and I were walking around the ship and saw people performing in a lounge and he’s like, “why don’t you sing something?” Don’t know how we finessed that but a couple of minutes later I was performing for a bunch of random adults who definitely did not show up to this lounge to hear some kid belt out Adele.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Yes, i belong to BMI
What makes a good songwriter?
Someone who can make you feel like you wrote the lyrics.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Oh god I don’t know if my first song had a title. I do remember it being about friendship, though.
You just signed to Jillian/Orchard. How did they find you on TikTok?
They actually didn’t find me on tiktok. We found each other through my incredible managers.
What is the process of writing your music?
I usually write words first. It’s what comes the most naturally. The notes app on my phone is full of phrases or poems that randomly come to me. Sometimes those words have a melody, but I don’t worry too much about rhyme or structure until I actually sit myself down at an instrument and make a song out of whatever I’ve written. The biggest thing I’ve learned though is to just write and save my judgments for the editing process. That way there’s room for honesty and room for genius disguised as a mistake.
How was it to see your music on the small screen (CBS The Stand)?
It was insanely cool. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little. Just hearing something that I wrote in my bedroom on a major series felt surreal in the best way.
Tell me about your debut single “Desperate”?
I wrote “desperate” during a time in my life when I couldn’t figure out how to feel worthy without external validation. I looked for it in every relationship and interaction I had, and even when I got it, I felt like it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t last. I brought the song to my producers and the process came pretty naturally. We started throwing production ideas at the wall and seeing what stuck. There was a lot of experimentation, but we were moving with a common vision, always wanting to give the song a haunting kind of darkness.
Tell me about your latest single “Open”?
Open is probably the most cinematic song production-wise. When I released it, I told listeners to go stare out of a window and cry or contemplate their lives. To me it’s a monologue directed at someone. It’s an explanation to the people in my life who I could never really be vulnerable with. The song breathes – there are moments of calm and moments of quiet, followed by bursts of sound and energy. The production is constantly changing dynamics and taking you on an emotional journey.
Tell me about your EP “Rather be Alone”?
The theme of this EP is loneliness. Not necessarily in a sad or pathetic way. I think solitude is a beautiful thing and a lot of the time, probably healthier than some of the relationships we get ourselves into. As a kid in the entertainment industry, I didn’t have much of a social life – especially when I started touring. When that was over, I found myself in this place where I felt like I was “falling behind” socially and had no idea how to navigate those deeper relationships. It was something I had craved so much, but now that I was in the position to make those connections, all I wanted to do was withdraw from society and all the fear and pain and confusion that comes with human connection. I made this EP over the span of two years with my producers Andrew Weitz and Koby Berman. We like to call the genre of the songs we made “Dark Pop.” A ton of the sounds you hear in this EP are original. The first snare in “desperate” is a heavily processed recording of me biting a carrot. The pulse in the final song is the ticking of a giant clock that we found in Koby’s studio. I think we all genuinely enjoyed working together and finding our collective sound. Looking back at the start of this project, we’ve all evolved so much since. We poured our time, energy, hearts, and souls into this body of work and it’s extremely personal and special to me.
What is your favorite track on your album?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, honestly. I will say that the final song on the ep is lyrically the closest to my heart.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
I haven’t been great about it in the past, but since i started working and performing again over quarantine i definitely learned how to listen to my body and what it needs. I’m trying to fill myself with less processed foods and hydrate a lot. I meditate, too. That’s been huge for my mental health.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Digital for finding new music and new artists, but I love having tangible copies of the albums and songs that mean a lot to me. I can’t really decide!!!
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Covid-19 put live music in a coma. It’s not dead. It’s definitely going to come back once it’s safe, and I feel like people will cherish it more than ever. I know I will, as both a performer and a listener.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I guess at this point livestreams and music videos are the best ways for bands to interact with their fans. I know that I’ve remained a fan of certain bands and artists just because of the music they’ve been putting out and the ways they’ve been interacting and showing love for their fans via social media.
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
Hmmmm. If i wasn’t doing music I’d probably be a novelist. I love storytelling more than anything. It’s why I write songs.
What is your happy place?
My happy place is the ocean. I don’t know why, but being by water has always been healing for me. If I’m going through something or just have a lot on my mind, I get up early and drive down the PCH to watch the sunrise on the beach. Sometimes with people I love, sometimes alone.
