We're starting the year right with New Jersey-born, Sydney-based singer/songwriter Ashli. With a voice dripping in liquid gold, Ashli's debut EP Only One features her vulnerable lyrics across six tracks, spanning R&B, pop and soul. "...The EP has been sitting in my pocket for over a year. I think if it was a CD, I would have truly burned a hole through it by now; I’ve listened over and over so many times," says Ashli. "It has been the soundtrack to my grey desk job days and has allowed me to dream of a reality where I get to connect with people all over the world with these six 3-minute stories. Maya Angelou wrote, ‘there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you’, This EP marks the beginning of telling my untold story. It is a sample of what is to come and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with the world." We spoke to Ashli about creating Only One:

We love Only One. It’s such a strong project, you have one of our favourite voices. You’ve said you wouldn’t be where you are today artistically speaking if it weren’t for this EP. Tell us about what you learnt about yourself and your sound while creating it?

"Thank you so much for your kind words 😭🎀❤️. I think I’ve learned that I love telling stories. When I’m writing it’s like I’m finding the pieces to a puzzle, seeing where they fit and what looking at the picture it creates - do I like that picture? Do I want to change it? I’ve learned that in singing I find my fire but my pen is my fuel and I can’t have one without the other. I’ve never had an experience where I was able to freely write songs and present them as a full body. It isn’t perfect but it’s what I had to give at the time and this EP has gifted me with a greater passion for growing as a storyteller."‍

Who did you work with on Only One that has been instrumental to crafting your sound?

"The first songwriter I ever wrote with was my best friend, Rebekah Ferro. I met her before I had any art at all to give to the world and she took me under her wing. She is an incredible vocalist and songwriter in her own right and has been instrumental in the person and writer I am today. It is so special having a song we wrote in her bedroom (NLTP) on this project. But, it wasn't until I met Oscar Sharah and wrote the song ‘Only One’ with him that I felt my sound come together. He produced all and co-wrote most of the songs on this EP. I said to him the day we released the single ‘Only One’, “working with you really changed my life”. He is such a talent but so incredibly kind and open. He let me explore my sound whilst simultaneously weaving in his own. I am so grateful to have met and worked with him."

Who or what was inspiring you while you were writing the EP?

"I was really inspired by the concept of ‘coming of age’, I think during that time being that we were just coming out of the height of Covid, I had so much nostalgia for being 15 again. I wanted to live in a world where the most intense things in my life were the crushes I had and give justice to those all encompassing feelings."

Each song is so different, yet they flow so seamlessly. Is there a song you’re most proud of on the EP?

"I think I am most proud of ‘Only One’, I feel like it's a song my younger self would be blasting in her headphones before getting off the school bus. It was the first song I had that I felt truly proud of."

Tell us about your musical journey. When did you begin singing? You were born in New Jersey and are now based in Sydney. Do these cities inspire your sound?

"I get this question a lot and I feel like I am always struggling to answer it, it’s like trying to pinpoint when you first began thinking or breathing - they are natural parts of life. Singing is the same for me, I've always sung although there were times in my teenage years I strictly committed myself to only singing in the shower aha! I started writing songs originally because I was so inspired by Taylor Swift. I even wanted to be a country singer at one point! Growing up I was exposed to so much music, my Mom always made sure of that. In one day we would go through Bruce Springsteen, Whitney, Mariah, Alicia Keys, Carole King and so I’ve naturally carried pieces of these artists with me into my own artistic journey. I think this is why I feel so uncomfortable when people label me as an R&B artist, it can be quite restricting to be labelled as one thing when there is a culmination of inspirations bubbling inside of you. My life is split perfectly (in years) between Jersey and Sydney. I feel an attachment and disillusionment with both places. I think more than the cities themselves it is the people in these places that have influenced my sound the most. Whether it be artists like 070 Shake or collaborators like Oscar."‍

Who would you love to work with? From producers to other artists to directors, etc?‍

"Musically, I would love to work with Monte Booker and Jack Antonoff. Robert Glasper would be an absolute dream or Frank Ocean (just thinking of that makes me nervous lol). I’ve had the privilege of building really lovely supportive friendships from making music, so whoever I get to work with in the future that will be the first thing on my mind. I want to be able to share the music we’ve made knowing it came out of friendship, fun and a mutual respect for each other's craft."

You recently performed your first headline show - congratulations. How did you feel performing these songs to a live audience?

"It was so amazing. The team at Phoenix are just the loveliest people. It was such a surreal moment because only a few months prior I was there singing BV’s and I thought to myself 'I really want to perform here', and it felt like a far-fetched dream. I’ve only ever heard the full EP in headphones and in my Car so hearing it in such an incredible space is a memory I will cherish forever. 

You look great, too - how important is this side of the world of Ashli? Do you have style icons? Any brands or designers you love?

"I love fashion. For me it is a huge source of inspiration when songwriting. At the moment my style icon is definitely Paloma Elsesser and I'm in love with anything Diesel.  I’m also obsessed with Chloe Felopulos, she’s an incredible stylist from NYC. I’m still figuring out my style but at the moment denim is always in my daily mix. Something about denim is so honest to me. I used to wear it a lot when I was a kid too, so maybe that's why I've revisited it now."‍

What has been the highlight of 2022?

"Definitely releasing my first single ‘Only One’. Maya Angelous wrote “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”. Because I wrote ‘Only One’ and finished the EP over a year prior to release I felt this kind of creative agony, I felt like I had been living through this song for so long and no one was a part of that experience. When I released it I felt like I could finally start to share my story with the world."

What’s next for 2023? Is there an album in the works?

"There is another EP coming! I am so excited. I feel like together with ‘Only One‘, this next EP paints a clearer picture of who I am as an artist and songwriter and I’m not sure it will make sense to some but I don’t really care aha! If I can try to portray my truest self in my music and people relate to that, I’m happy! <3"

Listen to Only One HERE.

@ashli.tv