Ashley Renae is no stranger to us here at Born & Bred. We’ve been following her career since she was a teenager playing covers at local festivals. But now she’s older and with that age has come original music and ideas that have culminated into her first release, an EP called “Awaken.” We spoke with Ashley and talked about her processes and inspirations and her first time doing a full recording.
BB: You’ve obviously got a pop influence. Who are some of your obvious influences but who are some musicians that inspire you that people might not expect?
My biggest pop influence is Taylor Swift. She has been someone I have consistently looked up to since her first debut album. I’m also inspired by Kacey Musgraves and Ruelle, along with some indie pop artists like Emily James, Lizzie McAlpine, Cordelia, Conan Gray, and Maggie Rogers. A fewartists people may not expect would probably be Elvis and Aerosmith.
BB: What was the recording process like on this EP?
I had written these songs a while back and had a specific vision for what I wanted them to sound like. When I took them to Brandon, he was able to execute my vision seamlessly and was also able to offer ideas I had not originally thought of. These songs were created with film and television in mind, so we included a lot of strings and synths. We began with a rough version with a guitar or piano, and as we started building the songs out, they continued to evolve.
BB: You worked with Brandon Wood on these songs, was he involved in the creation of these tracks or did he help shape the existing tracks into what they have become?
I brought these songs to Brandon in the studio, and I had the basic shell which included lyrics and a melody. I was able to explore new territory in the studio and experience the excitement as we started from scratch and created what you hear now. His ideas were genius, and I am so grateful I get to work with him.
BB: How much did you learn in this process?
I have learned so much from this process, such as all the tiny pieces and elements that go into making a song you hear on the radio. There are numerous moving parts that many people overlook if you are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes. This is the first time I have been able to make something to this caliber. Previously, I had only been familiar with acoustic settings, so this was like immersing myself into a completely different world.
BB: Where do you get your inspiration for what you write? Is it experience or do you write by putting yourself in others shoes?
I get a lot of inspiration from my own experiences, but I also write from the perspective of a situation I have heard about or seen others go through. Lately I have found myself being inspired to write after watching movies with a storyline thatcompletely engulfed me. Nothing can spark inspiration more than being moved to tears when watching a movie or tv show.
BB: What is your favorite track on the ep and why?
I think my favorite track on the EP is Awaken. This song didn’t exist when I originally started this project, but it quickly became a contender and then ended up being the EP title.Certain things came to fruition in my life during the time I was recording this album, so of course I had to write about it.
This song has become very close to me because it was written about how sometimes the people who we think will never hurt us are the ones that have the power to hurt us the most. In a situation like that, you can only hope that someday they will wake up and realize what they have done, even though they likely never will. I think everyone goes through something like that in their lifetime, so I hope others can find themselves jamming out to it as a form of therapy like I do.
BB: Do you have songs that got left on the floor in this process? And if so was it heard deciding which songs to include?
I have a few songs that I have been holding onto for while. I thought about including them in this EP, but I have decided to hold on to them a little longer and release them as singles instead. Choosing which songs to include can sometimes seem impossible. I chose these songs because they each bring something a little different to the table.
BB: Have you thought about what’s next? More music? Playing out? What does 2024 look like for you?
There will definitely be a lot more music to come. I have been writing constantly and I cannot wait to take these new songs to the next level. Recently I have been limiting the amount of shows I do so I am able to focus more on writing andrecording songs in the studio. In 2024 I hope to release more music and find a landscape where my music fits.
BB: Where can people find your music?
My music is on all streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, etc. All my socials are ashleyrenaelive, so you can follow along there to see what I am doing next.
