Originally from Warwickshire, Ivy Ash grew up in the Midlands before moving to London in her late teens and France in her early 20s. She may still be young, but Ivy Ash has plenty of experiences to recount and stories to tell. “I think I must have been atleast 22 before it felt like life wasn’t one big uphill struggle. Even so, I value every experience I’ve been through, good or bad, because it’s made me who I am today.” As a supporter of positive mental health, Ivy started to make music as a way of expressing her struggles and overcoming anxiety. “I hope my music helps others to find their true voice and confidence. Even if my work resonates with just one person, it makes it all worthwhile.”
What made you decide that music is the right path for you?
Honestly, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Music is one of the things that drives me forward & makes me look forward to getting up every day. I’ve had periods of time previously where I’ve had a break from music for a few months here & there and just focused on a straight-forward 9-5 job, but something ALWAYS brings me back to music. I guess the creative spirit is in my blood, that’s probably why I’m so passionate about everything that I do!
What’s your writing process like? Do you write the music or lyrics first?
It differs every time. However, a lot of my lyrical content comes from old journals or diary entries. I like to write a lot day-to-day, whether it’s a short story, blog, or just doodling random words. I keep everything on paper, then every so often I reflect over my past work and it tends to remind me of particular things, like places or emotions. Once a word or phrase jumps out at me, I start to mess around with music ideas to fit the way I’m feeling/the vibe of the lyrical content. The whole process is all very random, but it also feels extremely natural. There’s also been times where a song has started with just a beat first, it depends what mood I’m in.
What’s the best advice you’d give to your younger self?
I’d tell my younger self to believe in ME more! The world can be really difficult, and sometimes it can seem tough to have the motivation to move forward or get through troubling times. I’ve held myself back SO many times in the past. Dear younger me, life is short, so enjoy yourself, do good and stop worrying about what other people think of you!
Tell Moggblog viewers about your latest release! What’s the inspiration behind that?
My latest track is called Third Degree and it’s another one that was penned from a past diary entry! With this track, I tried to make it really contrasting with the lyrical theme compared to the musical backdrop. The lyrics are quite dark and vulnerable at times, in comparison, the music is sassy and danceable. It’s finding that balance of showing various feelings (and dealing with many situations) at once, a little bit like the rollercoaster that we call life
This song was funded via the ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ fund by Arts Council England, and I was really over the moon that we got to do a video for this release too. The music video was filmed at Far Forest Studio in Kidderminster and combines a mixture of waterfall, graveyard and studio scenes. The whole music video process was so fun, and It’s definitely my most experimental video to date!
What’s in store for you for the rest of the year?
On 23rd November, I’m going to be releasing a piano/vocal version of Third Degree. It’s completely stripped-back and breaks down the walls of the song so you can really tune in to the meaning behind the lyrics. Before the year is out, I’ll also fit lots of writing sessions in, and I’ve recently started my 2nd year at BIMM Birmingham studying Songwriting and Music Business, so lots of assessment deadlines to be getting on with!
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