A New Name in R&B: An Interview with Ashley Taylor

Ashley Taylor is an R&B singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio now based in LA. Taylor has a sultry smokey vibe with emotionally vulnerable lyrics that speak about her struggles in relationships and fitting within the standards of this generation.

Where are you from and what was the moment you realized music was something you were fully passionate about?

I’m originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. It kind of felt like a bubble to me and I always felt different. I felt alienated by the people I grew up around because I was an artistic person. I used to do a lot of musical theater when I was younger, I also did choir, and I played piano. I’ve always had a vision of what I wanted to do and I was very adamant on getting it. At the age of ten I told my parents that I wanted to go to a performing arts school called Cincinnati School for Creative Performing Arts, where I focused on theater. After years of performing in theater and singing, I decided I wanted more out of what I was doing. I wanted to go more in my own creative direction. I had my mind set on California for music and that’s why I am currently attending the Thornton Music Industry Program at USC.

Who are some of your favorite artists and why do they inspire you or influence your style?

Summer walker, Jazmine Sullivan, and Jhene Aiko are some of my biggest influences when it comes to creating my own music and my style. I love the way they are able to articulate their feelings and express their raw emotions. These artists were able to express situations I had been in and illuminate what I was feeling so on the dot. They’ve taught me how to verbally express myself through my own music. I relate to their music immensely and that’s what I want to emulate for others with my music.

How would you describe your style of music?

I started out making pop music but this felt very safe and too saturated. I decided that R&B was more raw and soulful. It matched the best with the way I portray my feelings in my songwriting.

What song of yours would you put your listeners on first? Why are you most proud of that song?

I wrote ALL THE SAME about my experience moving to LA and about my life in general. I always found it hard to relate to people growing up and I felt outcasted. I didn’t have a ton of friends and I think that’s due in large part to my inability to connect with my generation. I’ve always had an old soul which is why I connect with deep thinkers and fulfilling experiences. It hasn’t been easy to find people that match with me on that level and when I came to LA I discovered that it can be extremely superficial. Being a college student also comes with a lot of partying which is fun but at the end of the day I find myself craving more substance whether that be traveling or meaningful conversations with people. This is something that is so rare and that I am still searching for here in LA. Despite being an open person and wanting something deeper, my past relationships with guys have been pretty surface level. I am not aligned with some of the values of our generation, like hookup culture it all seems very lustful to me. This is the concept behind ALL THE SAME.

What lyric do you find the most relatable to your own life that you’ve written?

"I love being alone and I hate being lonely." It's a lyric from an unreleased track that will be on my upcoming EP. I think this is true for so many people. There's something about being alone that is so peaceful and comforting. Embracing your own solitude is amazing but then loneliness has a way of sneaking in and making us feel down about ourselves. We start to crave social interaction which is human nature. I’ve always been very independent, which is sometimes a strength and a weakness. I think it’s positive in the sense that I am always chasing after what I want no matter what it takes to achieve it. There is no other option in my mind, I am going to achieve my goals. However, sometimes that journey can get lonely.

Why should people listen to your music?

People should listen to my music because it’s something that they can learn from. I think my emotional intelligence comes from my ability to embrace my solitude. I would say I have a lot of insight into my own emotions because of my maturity at such a young age. This is why I think my music can help people who don’t yet understand their emotions or have a hard time articulating what they are feeling. The reason I started becoming passionate about music and listening to so much is because it taught me how to express myself.