Featuring Ashe

my new favorite artists Ash. Hello, everybody, and welcome to this week's episode of the Let's Be Real podcast. This week is so exciting because I get to talk with one of my favorite musicians. Ash. Welcome. That's so nice. This is your first podcast. Yeah, this is so exciting. Wow. I also I already said this earlier, but wow, I love the way I sound. It's microphone with the headphone. It makes me want to talk really low. Oh, it's like you just want to like do a whole meditation.

You could do like a narration. I was like, your is so soothing. It's soothing in person, but then when you're talking anyways, that's so funny you say that because I don't like the sound of my voice. Really yeah, even right now talking it's fine. It's just listening to it back, I'm like, oh, I like it a lot. It's thank you so much. Welcome. Just kick this off with compliments, you know what. I think that's the best way to start off any podcast. It was a little

self love on my part two. I was like, I sound good, just to you know, shoot your own horn a little more. I've been listening to Ray NonStop. Can I tell you that I think the not only the lyrics and the storytelling, but the instrumentals and the music. It just hits different. Thank you, It truly does. And I'm so excited to talk to you about it and what everything that's happening. The first thing I want to talk about is, I know you've talked about how you're

making an album. It's kind of a snapshot of a moment in time in your life. Where were you in your life when this album was made. What's funny because it is the perfect snapshot of where I currently am. But when I was writing it, it was kind of like I was manifesting this current era. Weirdly love that it was a manifestation yeah, because I was still in a pretty like long term committed relationship at the time.

I was still wearing my turtlenecks. Like when I was working on this album, I was kind of like wanting to be and like graduate into this new era, but I wasn't there yet, and I like, weirdly making the album kind of launched me into this place because like I can be the girl on another man's jeans, and then I broke up with my boyfriend and then I'm in somebody else's chains. How you are you should be? I was like, wait, but when I wrote that song, not in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be

here now. Isn't that funny how life works like that. It's just I'm a warrior and sometimes something I'm realizing. It's kind of it all it works out, it kind of does. Oh yeah, if you're a warrior, I would say stop. I mean, hey, listen, I feel like we all have like in inordinate amount of anxiety, and especially your generation and like below us. It's just there's a lot going on. But I will say, you're gonna waste

away your life worrying. Oh yeah, don't do it. I just gotta let it go, because things are going to be the way they are whether or not you like it. Like, do you know what this kind of reminds me of maybe a song called Emotional. Yeah, she did her homework, she listened to the whole thing, of course. Yeah, we do emotional honestly though, Like I love that song and it's the energy of it is like, let's just have

a good time tonight. But also I am a firm believer that like, let yourself feel all the things, you know, let yourself go there. Sometimes. I think one of the things that I think that you know you can relate

to is being a woman is really hard. And that's just a blanket, just a blanket statement, I know, and I've been realizing it more and more, especially going into school and just being on my own and just the pressures that come with it and how we're you know, it's almost like we're not meant to be like human beings in a way. We're kind of looked at and it's hard to it's it's it's just it's really hard sometimes.

And I know you've talked about these themes and your songs and your music, and I was wondering where that stems from and if you've dealt with it personally as well. Oh my gosh, yeah, I like what you just said. I feel like you kind of hit the nail on the head with like it's almost like we're not supposed to be human beings. Sometimes, like the expect some of the expectations on us are like just so out of this world, like be beautiful, but don't be too manufactured

because that's fake. But if you're too natural, and then like work out and be fit, but like don't be too thin, don't be too thin. There's so many there's like all these double standards are like I just started seeing this guy and like all these things are coming up for me. Of like it's fine if like he like, okay, this is so dumb, but like parts in front of me, but I'm like I could never because I mean there's a whole there's a lot of other stuff around there.

But like I'm even being just like anybody else. And I definitely I think we're we're programmed to be like you have to be perfect in every way, and when the standard of perfection changes, then you have to change with it. And you better you better know when it changes because sometimes it changes overnight and you miss it.

But I totally relate to you. And I think that I surround myself with a lot of really good humans that see me as a human, like men and women alike in my life and and everyone in between, that I I have been really well protected. Now, like I got to a place in my life where I don't have anybody in my life who doesn't expect me to like be real, you know, yeah actually on words got him? But yeah, what's going on right now in school? How

is that? How is that reflecting in school? Like what's coming up of like, you know, not feeling like you can be a human. It's very interesting because being in film school, I'm realizing already there is not only is like the film industry very male dominated, but I already had experience where I was directing a scene and a guy completely was like in my face trying to distract me and tell me I was doing it wrong? What?

And I'm like that was freshman year already. I'm like, why can't It feels like sometimes the voice that we're given isn't enough or it's not taken seriously enough. So I think something that I'm really trying to do and established for myself is make my what I want clear and because frankly, no one else is going to do it unless I do it. Yeah, you're you have to care more than anyone else. Oh absolutely. Also I love this.

My mom always told me that you teach people how to treat you, so like it puts the ownership back into your court of Like, yeah, people can kind of out the gate, maybe treat you poorly, but then you immediately either validate them and say that's okay, or you stand up for yourself and you're like, well that's not gonna fly. And you're constantly everything you do, from the moment you walk up to someone and hug them or shake their hand, you are teaching people constantly how to

treat you. And so I feel like in that scenario, it's like this person is violating your personal space, your he's obviously being super disrespectful, and like, in that moment, that sucks, but you know, we learn from it and

we grow from it. And because that's all you can do from it, I feel like sometimes you just have to be like I feel like no, no, and I feel like something you mentioned about being in this new era, I'm kind of in a new era myself kind of just like, Okay, we're twenty now, it's a new decade. Oh my gosh, we're just it's it's a new decade, and I'm very excited for what's to come and for everything that I'm gonna learn. How how have your twenties been?

Giving any advice? God, yeah, I got some advice for you. Um, My twenties have been interesting. I've always felt like, even through a bit, I've been through a lot. My twenties were I got engaged, I got married, I got divorced, I said another relationship. I graduated college, moved to Nashville, moved to San Diego, and moved to l A. M hmm, moved around and bought a house, got that divorce. I had to sell that house, give half of my money to somebody else who did not deserve it, and then

piping hot tea, um, um, divorce is messy. Oh yeah at such a young age, Yeah I was. I was twenty five, plenty of time to go through it all. You're gonna love it. Um. So that was interesting. And then I got into a very safe, lovely, kind relationship with someone who just became my best friend and then got to a point where I realized I was in a friendship, not not like a romantic relationship. It's a fine line, but the line it's very it's it's it. I needed it, like it was perfect for the time.

It was right for as long as it was right, like it was. I also was in a really like emotionally abusive relationship in my marriage, and so like needing to be with someone who was really safe and kind, I think was exactly what I needed, and he taught me a lot of like, Okay, these are non negotiables moving forward in relationships. Here's what I know that I want um, and knowing what you don't want is also just important to oh my gosh, Yeah, relationships are great,

Like I feel like they get a bad rap. It's all the breakup albums that give them the bad rap. It's all the breakup albums that's all everyone listens to, or the divorce records. Yeah, I mean, hey, it's just which is they're great songs, but like, yeah, there's just some lessons that you don't learn through other people, like you have to learn them on your own and like go through a relationship. But anyways, what was my advice to you in your twenties. Wait, um, what do you

wish you knew going into this the decade? I do feel like a little bit on the emotional lane. I do feel like I took things far too seriously in my twenties. I take things way less serious. And my twenties are almost over. Like I I'm getting to that point where I'm like, I think people take life, just make things that aren't important way too important, and then they take over your life and then you're losing sleep over these things or over people who don't you don't

even like. You're trying to get approval from people you don't even care about. Then they don't care about you either. It's for this abstract concept of approve. You want them to care about you. You want them to care. But also, like in your twenties, in your twenties, something that I'm trying to figure out is being content with myself and just needing myself. And I feel like that's like the journey that I'm currently on right now. That's amazing. Yeah. I went to the summer. I was the summer was

all about self growth. I went to Europe by myself. I was just wanted to see if I could do it, So that's bold. Where'd you go in Europe? I went to Paris for a week by myself. It's my favorite city. It was so pretty. The thing was, I was so anxious the first couple days. I couldn't enjoy the food. Oh no, doesn't that suck? Like well, I mean, but we got to enjoy Paris. So after the first three days you chilled out. After my body was like, no, are you learning it? No, you were there. I was

just going listening to music and Apple maps. That was how I got good. Okay, not talking to any French people, No, I did. Look, it was great for people watching. It was so good for people watching. How did you order food? You know? There was a they gave me English menus what in Paris? Yeah? Or and if it wasn't, I would just like like go on Google Translate and then see what it said. Oh like the scanny that's genius. Yeah,

honoring technology. Man. I'm so proud of you. I don't know that I wouldn't know you well enough to be proud of you, but I do feel pride that you went on your own and it's been a week there. That's amazing. I feel like after living through a pandemic. I'm like, you gotta get out of here. You just got to get out and explore the world at this point. Yeah. Yeah, And I love that this has been the summer of self growth for you. I think it is. I mean I don't know. That feels like the energy a lot

around a lot of people. I know right now, what about you? Oh? I mean always I went on this like fifty four show headline tour. Incredible, that's certain, April and it just kicked my ass. It was amazing and I I only got to like connect with all these fans that like I've just been like we were dating, were dating each other on Tinder, like it's an online relationship. We got to have in person. Yeah, we finally got to like not fully like hug everyone because I'm on stage,

but like just like connect in a real way. Why did I say that? Oh growth? Yeah. That tour completely changed my basically my entire existence, like the view I had of myself, like seeing myself through my fans eyes. In the beginning, I had a really hard time with it.

I like went through a whole existential crisis in the first two weeks a tour because I was like, no one deserves to be loved like this, Like I remember kind I've gotten over it, and now I'm like love me, love me and more love me, or like let okay, well we'll get there. But I was like I'd walk out onto stage and like the intro, I have this crazy elaborate intro, and then I walk out in the music cuts and like it's like a wall of screaming hits me. And I had a really hard time adjusting

to that. It was the first time I had ever experienced it. And while like your whole life, you like, I want to be successful, I want to be in a room where people are screaming my name, and then it actually happens, and then you're like, how do I process?

No one should feel this way, like putting me on a pedestal, Like I'm I'm a human being, You're like, and then you're putting another category of not only on my woman that isn't supposed to be a human being, but I'm also an artist, which is a whole other there's a whole side, another bag of expectations, like and listen, this isn't a what was me? I love my life? And I got to a point where I got to like, oh, okay,

but the beginning was really hard. It's a transition, just like anything, it's changed, yeah, and I was really feeling the growing pains of that. And then I realized the big realized nation was people are going to fall in love with the version of you they have in their head. So and even like our closest our parents are the person you fall in love with, it's they're falling in love with a version of you that they've created, and like,

only you get to fully intimately know you. And so what I stopped doing was making all of my fans wrong for loving me, because I'm like you, I'm like when you know yourself deeply, like stop it, stop it. And then you get to a point where you like, oh no, I'm gonna just let them love whoever they've kind of made me out to be in their head,

and I'm going to be her for them tonight. And suddenly I was able to like process everything so much better because everyone views you in their own way, and so it's it's it's is it a whole interesting concept, but it's so true too. Yeah, even like your friends are like if your friend met you prior to the summer of growth, you know, would be a different person. They might even be like now, they'd be like, well,

why are you acting this way? And you'd be like, well, I'm evolving and I'm changing, and but they have a version of you and they love and so like. I find Actually that's why a lot of friendships, it's like the best test of those friendships. It's like if you can grow together instead of just stay stagnant or let you grow and continue to like, let their love evolve while you evolve. Just got deep. It's called let's be real real. We're so real. Guys, were so quirky, were

so deep. Oh my god, we're so quirky quirky. I don't even try, my god, I would never Okay, we have to take a quick break. But when we come back, so much more to talk about, from how the media treats people in the spotlight, your new album raight, and how you bounce back if things don't go your way.

We'll be right back and we're back. One of the things that that's so interesting you bring up because one of the main themes I wanted to discuss my podcast is I feel like the media and society we put these people on a pedestal and then we forget their human beings, that that bleed that they're just human. And I feel like something that I'm really trying to do is let everyone know that, because sometimes when I see headlines, I'm like, you're not treating them like a human being.

You're treating them like an object. And I feel like, also when you see these tabloids, especially with people like my age or stuff that are going through stuff, and it's then they're covering and I'm like, but they're just a teenager, And I feel like we should all be more accepting of that. Everyone's just going through their own thing and we should just all accept people as people. Yeah, I mean, wouldn't that be nice? Wouldn't that be so nice?

That's an ideal where I think. I think part of it like you really have to take responsibility on your own end, because the world is not going to jump onto that bandwagon. Like I mean, hey, you're going to change like whoever is listening to this podcast, You're going to change their lives and you're gonna impact them in

a you know, intimate and cool way. At some point I had to go, I'm going to stop being mad at the world all the time for doing what it always does and and not say like, hey, it's okay for you to treat me wrong or anything. Not say that. And you you do advocate for yourself, and you do stand up for you what you believe, and you do

make a podcast that creates change and impact. But at some point I had to be like, I'm gonna stop being mad at the world for like telling me that getting older is ugly or that you can't be successful as you get older as a woman, and like, yeah, I hate that. Yeah I'm always going to hate that,

but so a waste of my time and energy. You just gotta do what you gotta do to get by, and you just gotta not listen to it and do your own thing because that's all you can ever do and try to like you, definitely, I definitely grew thicker skin in my twenties, for sure. How do you not from everything you've been through though it makes you the person you are today? Are you grateful for all those experiences and the person you've become today or do you

wish some of them didn't happen? Oh that's a good question. Well mm hmm, Yeah, I mean I really love myself. I really like who I am. I got there in my twenties. That was a good thing. I hope you are there or you get there. That's one of those things like when you look in the mirror and you're like, she's dope, you should like, what a waste of time to think anything else, because you're stuck with you forever. So wherever you go, there you are, you might as

well like her, you know. Um, But I so I am this person that I like because of all the things that I went through, So no, I probably wouldn't have like asked for them. But like my brother died two years ago in the middle of the pandemics, Like there's so many other like so many things happen in my twenty I'm like, now, I'm You're like giving me a moment to have perspective over the last how many of years of my life And I'm like, wow, down,

isn't that cool to see how far you've come and grown? Yeah, it's really Yeah, I appreciate you for giving me a moment out of my day to think you need to acknowledge it. Absolutely you do. Thanks. This is good for me, of course, because like we could we go through everything, and like, if we don't appreciate and learn from it, then the only way of failing is not getting back up. That's the only way you fail. Quote. I love that absolutely. The only way you're failing is if you don't get

back up. It's not if you fall you just get back up. Oh no, because the fall is inevitable. No, the fault like it's gonna happen. You might as well embrace it, just like embrace the awkwardness. I've actually been trying to this. I've been trying to live by two things as a reason, which my friend told me, the one percent rule, which is to do something that makes yourself one percent better in one aspect of your life

every day. So it could be something small like going to the gym or doing yoga or doing something that helps move a goal forward. And then just being comfortable with the uncomfortable. Ah so one thing. Yeah. The second is to do one thing that makes you a little bit uncomfortable. Okay, how's that been going? My goodness, it's been so stressful. Actually, it's been making me so uncomfortable. But the universe, I've never been more. I've never live

my life. I truly like I have just felt like my stomach turning in and out this week, but it's been so good because I feel like the universe has been rewarding it. Can you give me a couple of examples things that have made you uncomfortable? So I asked three different people out to coffee. Okay, you don't know, but it's at a coffee chop that's like has books and it's very chill. So it's like, you know what, I don't know these people. It's a good environment, so

we're going to do that. Or I last minute, I like to go to bed early. My friends invited me to go hang out with some friends, and I would so like little things like that, we're saying hi to people that I wouldn't normally say hi do, or going up to someone and complimenting them, like little things. I also feel like the rule too kind of plays into Rule one. It's like, yeah, like you're making yourself one percent better by like saying hi to someone you wouldn't

normally say hi to and being like gracious too. That's amazing. I love this. I'm going to do this person because when my friend told me that, I was like, we can all do something one person to make us one person better. That's just like even if I do nothing all day, I can send an email that would or draw something or do anything. I feel like it's like one percent moving forward, moving forward in growth because I feel like there is a big out of a stigma.

If like, if it's one percent better, then it's just growing innately like saying maybe something's broken or something's wrong with you, because I feel like we do have to get out of the wrongness of ourselves, because we're constantly like this about me is wrong, this about me is wrong.

I were so hard on ourselves. But I'm like, yeah, I like the one percent, but I'd say maybe like one percent growing ya, moving forward or something because you're not broken, you don't need to make you're you're not sick, you don't need to get better because you're perfect as you are and wonderful. You know, I appreciate that. Yeah. I've also been living my life in three months chunks, so because I realized how much I change at the end of like three months, like I'm like a different person.

Well seasons seasons. So I just planned my life in three months and it helps so much. It makes things less overwhelming, like a five year plan person. Because if if the pandemic taught me anything is I can't control a fucking thing. So I do it in three months. Yeah, three feels much more realized, fels much more manageable. It's a length of a semester. I'm just like, Okay, my mind is a semester. I like that. Do you do like chickens? Like before the three months start, do you

like journal? Here's where I'm at. And then at the end. I've been trying to get into journaling. It's the thing is, I have so many thoughts. I have so many thoughts. By the time I have to write it all down, my hand is so exhausted. I'm so smart, I have so many words in my brain. I just can't stop writing. Like it's just NonStop at the point. I know, but I do video diaries sometimes. Oh that's cool, and it's fun to look back on, like a year later, like,

oh my god, that poor girl. Look at her, that poor thing, look at her. She done so much. She didn't know. She didn't fall apart. The imagine you at nine watching your twenty year old self, and I'm sure you feel like grown. And I know I'm only at the start. I know. I'm only at the start of it too, girl, I'm only at the start. We're all years ahead of you. We're j Loo said something about that. She she was like, I feel like my life is

just beginning. And she's like fifty. She did just get married again, I know, and she looks better than both of us. Oh, she's so cool. She's the coolest. Oh my gosh. Anyways, I don't know how we got to, j Loo, but I don't know, but we got there, and that's what's important to mention. That's what's important to mention what we got there. But we got there, and that was the whole point of the day. That was

the whole point of the day. Um. Something that I really want to talk to you about is breakups because I feel like I we have some viewers that are going through it, and I think we need to talk to them because I've got some messages some people and some friends, and I know a lot of people that listen to your music that you've really helped through their breakups. And I was wondering what your biggest piece of advice is in moving forward and not looking back. Oh my gosh,

it's a hefty one. I know, well, was someone who recently went through a break up. M how recent like four months ago. I'm sorry, that sucks. It's good. I'm in love, Okay, cool, great, Yeah, yeah that was easy. Um well that's another thing. You know what you want as you get older, you just started just like I know exactly what I want, what I don't want. Anyways, that's not the point of this next thing. Um, advice

going through a break up, how to move forward? I think that it's it's so relative to what the relationship was. So for instance, my marriage was very toxic, very hurtful, and unhealthy. So for me, a really good way of moving forward was it actually helped me to remind myself, like as I was leaving, I had to really give my person, my self permission to leave, like I was

really stuck. It was also we were in like a cycle of abuse and there was a lot else going on there, but like I needed to give myself permission to Like I would literally write down all the reasons like after I left, like of why he was not good for me and how I was mistreated, not to focus on the negative, but to get myself out of

the romanticizing so sad. Yeah, oh that was so paint like oh no, like, yeah, you start going like I was validating the girl, like hack, yeah you left because X y Z and you just wrote down all the X about all the YU. Yeah, well yeah that was necessary. But like, for instance, in this last relationship, there was nothing wrong, And I think that's why there doesn't have to be though too. It just could just doesn't always work. It just wasn't right anymore. And we weren't meant to

be each other's romantic partners. It just wasn't how it was supposed to be. And but moving on from that, it was such a big What I found helpful was like I did the opposite, Like I honored that relationship by like remembering really sweet times and being like, oh, I'm so grateful, Like I'm so grateful that I had this person in my life in that way for as

long as I did. And instead of sitting in the wrongness of the situation to break up how much it sucks, you thank yourself for all the reasons why you know you were in it for as long as you were. I mean, those are again, I say that because they're so different. Sides are so many different situations and aspects like I would have to ask them what they're sort of break up in tails and like are you friends with this person still? Did they break up with you?

Did you get cheated on? Did you cheat on them? Like there's so many there's not a blanket answer to like how do you move? Are so complicated? Yeah, because there are people. It's people. Everyone's complicated. If we try to simplify people to as not bad, then it's just like I have the answer, here's what you do. I will say. In both those situations I talked about, I was writing, So journaling it really does help you. I need to get into it. It's just committing myself to it.

Just like helping you process your own life. Something about writing it down I get more clarity. That's so interesting because I got into it last year for like a month, and then my anxiety got really bad and I was like, no, I'm not going to do this any Did you find that you got more anxious because you were writing? No? I felt better after I was. For some reason, I just stopped. I know, twenties for getting back into journaling,

twenties for journalingaling. Yeah, I can't recommend enough, even if you're just getting up in the morning having your coffee or whatever. You you don't Arnold Palmer, right, I have at okay? Good? I was like, even if it's just like a couple of sentences, just something or like a paragraph, just like literally starting your day with like here's where I'm at, or like who am I today? Sometimes I'll start with that question who am I today? Who am

I today? I love that because I while all versions and different facets are me, different days call for different parts of me. Do you do different outfits to show your different styles? That's what I do? Yeah, So who are you today? Oh? Um, I'm hot? Yeah, I am confident, I am chatty. Hell yeah, I feel like opinionated. And there's a boy in town, so I'm like feeling sexy

love yeah, but like so thriving. For instance, for days ago, my mom was in town and I was in my pajamas all day with her and we were watching movies, and that girl was just like, who am I today? If I ask a question who am I today? I would say, I'm RESTful, I'm like appreciating the present with my mom. I'm meditative, I'm chill. Do you meditate? No, I've been doing it, and I don't have the patience.

But I've been doing like five ten minutes meditations on my two like in the morning, and i do it for like ten minutes because I'm already half asleep, so it's like I'm already in that zone. Kind of think it's helping so much. Really, I noticed a big difference in my day. I can send you the YouTube link I use. It's for confidence and for manifestation. Okay, I will watch your meditative YouTube if you commit to start

journaling again. Okay, I can actually do that. Do you feel like I'm going to place where I can do that? You do it? So it's kind of like when you're like I'm gonna like start working out more, and then the first thing you do is like buy a cute workout I never I didn't just do that. I didn't just buy a second workout top. I would never o'n't take one yoga class and bought a workout top. Why would I? It's part of inspiring yourself to keep going. But like buying a cute new journal maybe at the

cute bookstore that you go and have. Do you have journals? I bet you'll want a journal when you get your fancy new like cute journal and you're like, oh that you can't wait to read this in thirty years. Okay, have you read your journals or are you waiting for a certain time like I'm when I'm fifty or sixty I'm gonna look back? Or do you just go through? Honestly, I think I'm going to burn them all? Why because I am so ratchet and too honest and I don't

want my kids to know. You have to know, and I need to know, like I would write things down that I wouldn't want someone to find. End, Yeah, say out like I get to be. I let myself be as real as possible and kind of as ratchet as possible, and so like I let out some anger, I let out selfishness, I let out jealousy, and it's not cute,

like sometimes that girl in the page isn't cute. I think that's what my issue is with journaling is that I tried so hard to like pick my words so carefully and be like this was my day and today in this But I think I just need to go be honest and just right. I would say, have you ever read the artist way? I have not, but it sounds cool. Okay. The Artist Way is a book that changed my life. And there's this thing that it's called

The Morning Pages. Writing it down, Write it down, Julia something, Cameron. Yes, I have two copies. I should have brought one. Um. I talked about this book so much. But the Morning Pages is like a practice that you do, and it's kind of to like unlocked, like de clog your vision and artistic inspiration and creativity. So no burnout, so less burnout. I have to be honest. Show tour and sharing music videos and getting ready to go to New York Fashion Week and then going to put out an album soon.

Like there's a lot going on, and I am so well rested. How are you mentally, I'm fantastic. That's amazing. I've never been happier. Yeah, thanks, that's awesome. I feel like also I also know when enough is enough tour, I was like, I cannot do another show for a little while, and that needed like I needed to set my own boundaries. And now I get this good nice break, put out the album, and then I go to Australia and I play like four more shows before the end

of the year. Are you performing anywhere else that I can see you at. I mean next year, next year, I said that. Next year, Um, where else am I playing? And then I do a festival in Mexico. I'll be fun to this year in November. Yeah, I've never been, so that'll be cool. It sounds like two is just your year. And so when you do look back, you're like, actually, that was pretty rocking. I was pretty bad. We did Seth Myers. Yes, yes, which, oh my god, yeah, I um,

I have really Yeah. I think I've just made my peace with my life. It's not like I don't get tired. I let myself get tired and then I rest, Yeah, I sleep, yeah, and then I I only do what's fun for me to like good. I just choose what's fun. I'm so glad you chose this podcast. I know this is so fun. We have to take a more quick break, but when we come back, I want to talk about your new album Ray, your favorite collaboration, and much more.

We'll be right back and we're back. I think something I'm I'm very excited for for this new era for everyone to listen to Ray. Is it the variety on there. Every song feels different and That's what I love about it. It has like some different vibes to it, and this new era it's all about being sexy, being a badass, loving yourself. What else is this era for for you? And this album? What does it represent for you? Freedom?

I think freedom from like not even from other people, but just like from my own sense of like who I thought I was supposed to be, I was supposed to look, how I was supposed to sound like it. It's definitely take off like a filter for this new era. It feels very like I'm kind of bearing it all in a lot of ways. I mean literally, I'm like

fully naked at the end of a music video. I mean I'm covered in the right spots, but like just a little making just a little covered enough, but like really and authentically bearing it all in a way that I've never let myself go there before. And it's been so liberating, and I think, I guess my hope is that other people will feel liberated as well by listening to it. Well, I've been feeling really liberated when I've been overthinking it. I've been listening to it and it's

been very helpful. I've been going on my mental health walks and I listen to another man's jeans and I'm like, hell, yeah, it's just fun. It's fun. It's fun music. There's definitely a couple like Introspective count on Me I Love and Love You Need are two songs that when I heard, I was just like, I think Love You Need is my favorite. That's one of my favorite too, because it's like it's so true. If you haven't listened to it,

you know what I mean, it's so true. Yeah, it's just like a really sweet, beautiful song, like so wholesome, and like the piano part is so inspired by Carol King like that it just makes me immediately feel like comforted. Can I tell you that my mom said that you reminded her of Carol King and a mix of Carol King and Sheryl Crow and Sheryl Crow like she said a mix, And I was like, okay, that's a really

good I agree with the Carol King. I have tellten Ryl Crow to see you, but I agree with Carol King, Oh for sure, Sheryl Crow. All I wanna do is have some fun. You realize how a Caryl Crow? Yeah, oh my goodness, No, You're not the only that's such a good song. Any collaborations that you want to do or that are happening, there's one. There's one collaboration on this album, and I I can't I can't even wrap my head around it yet, because this person has been

my idol. Literally, this person I wish I could just play the voicemail I have. Uh. This person is Diane Keaton. Yeah, and I like she. I've watched every film she's ever made. Her personality has informed my personality, Like I she made me. She made me I am meeting I am objectively who I am because of her, like I love that I am because of my mom and because of a lot of things. Right now about Diane Keaton, Um, I just think she's one of the most wonderful people in the world.

And I have the honor of meeting her in the studio. She came to like our grounds. She was on my turf when I met her. That like meeting Diane Keaton, You're I felt like a superhero. I was like, you are, and I'm also a human beings a superhero and he does it all. Um. It was really like empowering because she was recording vocals on a song that I had written and I'm like there vocal producing her, telling her what like helping her through yeah, like you know, sitting

with the line here, or like let's just repeat that. Well, let's just sing this in the room together until we get really comfortable, and like it just was such like I couldn't what a strange way to meet your hero, to like be coaching them. What was that moment? Like was it just surreal or did not hit you till afterwards? I tried to be very present because I didn't want that to happen I didn't want to like black out for the experience and then like be like what happened?

So I was pretty present for it And did you just go over it all the time ever since it happened? Yeah, I still like I it's just one of those things that I think, like again, maybe acknowledging some manifestation, like I my whole life have looked up to her and to be in a room with her, not just meeting her at like an award show or yeah, like oh my gosh, I'm your biggest fan, like literally having her in my space and her singing words I wrote, how did you like I'm living a miracle. It's like I'm

if I die tomorrow, I'm good. Yeah, you're just like you're like you're chilling. I'm good. Yeah, I'm so happy. So I think, Yeah, moments when life gets hard or tiring, I'm just like, shut up. You're like Diane Keaton, if you complain one more time, I whar to god ash like you have. Yeah, Diane Keaton literally is singing your song. So just literally, have anyone say that to you if you ever feeling that, just dying keating those words, and you'll be like, yeah, you're right. You'll be like, oh,

you're so right. She's my iPhone background. She really Yeah. My lock screen is the boy I'm saying, Oh, I mean with I'm with him, it's not just a him um. And then my home screen is me and Diane Keaton. It should be. Then I'm like, my life is amazing. Are there any other manifestations you want to put out there right now? Because like you did for the album WHOA, I don't know. Honestly, it's dangerous. Careful what you ask for, because in my experience, I get the things I want. Well,

let's do it. I'm scared. I'm scared. Why are you scared? I don't know. I'll go first, I manifest have Linman when Rando my podcast, his dad came on my podcast, Anthony Ramos came on, We're so close, yet so far has to happen. That's around the corners um and then being content within myself and if anything else that's added. I love that your turn. That's I was just thinking

about me going careful what you manifest. I literally, for like two months in December of last year, I really wanted Chase Stokes to do a music video with me, and I would literally journal every day like I'm so grateful that Chase Stokes is the co lead in my next music video, so grateful that I get to work

with him. And we just signed the contract. Like I literally am like just saying like it's already happening, and because he's not, we're not doing a music video together, but we're friends now, and bend him this clip maybe yeah. I literally he was like he hit me about the song that I originally imagine him being in the US. I hope you're not happy, Oh okay, And I was like I really wanted to like do this whole like love or montage thing with Chase Stokes I just feel

like it would be so hot. Would you ever direct a music video? Heck, yeah, I could see it. That would be amazing. I just don't I honestly, I love the director I work with, and it takes a lot of the pressure. What I don't want to do is direct a music video to say that I directed. You want to do it because it's your vision. You want to execute it? Yeah, you want it because I have to do it, not to say not to be like and I directed it, and then you don't come about

the title. Don't die on the freaking that cross. I don't care. So, and what I love about my amazing director is he like he takes off so much pressure of me. So it is my vision and I am doing a bunch of the directing, but someone just helping you ask execute it. Yeah, that's fine. I don't know. That was random. Um, I would like to One day we're with Harry Styles, I can say I'm going to Harry Wean, which I'm so excited for us. Oh my gosh, that's gonna be so much fun. I'm so excited to

know how or when or in what. Literally, maybe it's not even a song, Maybe it's just like we write a book together, maybe we do a podcast together with Harry Styles. Yeah, like it doesn't have to be I feel like oftentimes the universe will be like, okay, it's like me, my whole manifesting Diane Keaton. I just wanted to meet her, and then the universe was like, how about she sing on one of your songs? And then I was like, that's so much better. So I'll let

the universe decide how Harry and I will hang out. Yeah, that kind of happened to me. Actually, it's kind of how the podcast happened. I didn't expect to get anything. I just wanted to well, I originally wanted to really interview Julian Michaels because of her song Anxiety really helped me. And then I pitched it and they're like, yeah, you get a pilot. Have you interviewed her? She was the pilot. She was the and then because of her we got

renewed and now we're launching our fourth season. So you know know, but well, you manifest. I didn't even think it would I'd get an episode and here we are over forty two episodes later. What was that like for you when you got to interviewer about the song that helped change your life. It was really helpful because it was because of that song I got to get out of my own head um and that's what created the podcast. So I owe so much to her and which was a lovely moment. So like, I bet she really I

bet that really touched her. Julia Michaels. Yeah, you guys should work together. Oh that collaboration, Oh my goodness. You know. But the only thing with me and her is we do the same thing in the room. So I'm imagining like, but that's why I feel like it would just be like that on steroids, like even better, or we're fighting each other the whole time. I don't think it would. I think I think you have very similar vibes. Really absolutely good. Like I've not I've ran into her in

passing once, but we've not hung out. You may not be manifesting it, but I'm manifesting it for you. Okay, next album, it will just be like, oh my god, featuring Julia Michaels. It'll be like, oh my god, that would be cute. Right, I'll let you manifest that for me to the future, to us into ray and your twenties and the next chapter for you. Fine, yeah, well everyone go listen to Ray. Ash. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk and chat and get

real and just being yourself because it's so wonderful. Thank you, It's been such an honor. I've had a really good time. Thanks for having me, Thank you for coming. Amazing, so fun. I just want to thank Ash again for coming on my podcast and taking the time. Make sure you check out her new album Ray. It is absolutely phenomenal, highly recommend. Anyways, I will see you guys next week with a new episode. Oh feels good to say that again. Bye guys. M hm.