A positive force in pop music, British songstress Ivy Ash has slowly but surely amassed a series of uplifting, bright bangers, often drenched in disco energy and electronic lusciousness. Touching delicate themes such as mental health, feminism and body positivity, Ash aims to inspire and empower the listeners to be the best version of themselves.
A bold, fierce and courageous figure, Ivy emerges as a bright icon in a world that’s often dark and scary. Her latest single ‘Permission’ will certainly help with that: a groovy, playful anthem, the record is a certified summer bop, further enriched by Ash’s evocative and powerful vocals.
Intrigued by the talented creative, we caught up with her to learn more about her upbringing and artistry; we recommend you read it, as it’s pretty interesting and honest. Interview below!
Hey Ivy, how is it going? We have just been listening to ‘Permission’ and we are impressed. Such a fresh, catchy single with strong and inspiring lyricism. How proud are you of it?
I’m so glad that you’re loving the new single! From the start, “Permission” was all about creating a vibrant and unapologetically inclusive space to celebrate individuality. I’m really proud of this release, and it came about so effortlessly during the writing process, which isn’t always the case with songs! Like many people have experienced, I’ve found myself in situations where others have tried to belittle me or label me as “too much” or “too this” or “too that” – pretty much everything! This song is for those who are determined to not let others’ judgments negatively influence how they live. Your sparkle should never be dimmed for someone else’s sake.
Your current work is the result of a long journey; What first drew you to making music?
I’ve always had a deep love for music, but there are parts of me that can be quite shy and hesitant to try new things. It took a lot of hard work to reach a point where I feel just as comfortable expressing my creativity in public as I do in private. Whether it was a lack of self-esteem or outside pressure, including that to get a “real job.” Honestly, I’ve heard it all.
With songwriting, I didn’t experience the joys of that until much later. I truly never imagined that this would even be a career option. But once I started putting my thoughts to paper and pushing past my comfort zone, I discovered a whole new world of possibilities. It sounds so cliché, but it was truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Creativity is so important. Life is short, it’s worth taking chances and finding ways to express yourself.
Before we go on, the reader should know that Ivy Ash is not just a talented artist and musician, but also an empowering human dealing with fibromyalgia on a daily basis; how does this unfortunate experience inform your artistic journey? and do you have a message for any readers out there that relate to your circumstances?
Songwriting is my therapy, and all life experiences influence my songwriting process, whether good or bad. Dealing with fibro has been such a massive part of my life over the last few years, and it took me a long time to fully understand what was going on with me. Initially, the GPs thought it was ME, but then they officially diagnosed it as fibro in 2022, which I’d never heard of until that point.
I find that pacing myself, setting goals, and maintaining structure are essential for managing things day-to-day. Regular exercise and proper nutrition also play a huge part in controlling symptoms, too! I’ve been referred to numerous fatigue and pain clinics, but honestly, I’m still experimenting with different treatments to find something that works for me. It’s important to be kind to yourself; it can be so easy to get frustrated and negative when your mind and body are going through so much.
Going back to ‘Permission’ – what should the listener look for in the lyrics? how did the songwriting process unfold?
It all started when I teamed up with the amazing US producer/songwriter, Collin Derrick. We actually connected during an online sync course and hit it off right away. We decided to work on music together online to make our writing sessions happen despite the long distance, and we were pretty much on the same page from the get-go. Collin is such a talented guy!
Our inspiration was to create a track about breaking free from judgment, embracing who you really are, and just owning it with confidence. Lyrically, the chorus talks about being “fearlessly deluxe,” and I think my favourite part is the bridge with “I’m not here to conform to you, I defy expectation breaking through.” Overall, “Permission” takes you on a journey from feeling insecure to finally loving yourself, so it comes full circle. I’m so happy that we get to release this track during Pride Month, too!
Do you feel more confident writing music alone, or within a team?
It all depends on who you’re working with, what you’re working on and what headspace you’re in. For the most part, though, I love working with others because I’m a people person anyway. When you have multiple people in a room, you can share ideas, get different viewpoints and see things you may have missed initially.
Artistically speaking, what challenges have the last two years presented you with?
As an indie artist, a lot goes on behind the scenes to get new music out there, which people don’t always see. Especially if you’re self-funding projects, it’s a constant cycle of working round the clock to get funds, to do a million and one things ready for release, to release and then go again. Eat, sleep, repeat kinda vibe. It’s so hard when you’re going up against so many artists and labels with unlimited resources and money, but I guess that’s why many indie artists stick around and stick at it, even if it’s not financially making sense a lot of the time; we love what we do, and it means a lot to us emotionally and artistically.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
After this release, I have a few others I’ve been working on, which I’ll be ready to share soon! I’m so excited about that! I also plan on getting more writing sessions in. Being in the studio is the best feeling, so I’m putting the material quality at the forefront and seeing what I can create for the rest of this year.
