Photo Credit: Austin Ciezsko
From touring in the Kidz Bop ensemble to utilizing TikTok, Ashlynn Malia has been setting the stage, and finally, the time has come as her debut LP is on the horizon. ‘MALIA’ drops February 2nd, but fans can get a taste of what’s to come with the brand new video for “Dying To Miss Out.” A great clip that continues to showcase her artistry just as “Cool Girl” and “Midas” have done. We talked about not only the music, but the best of both worlds, mystical qualities, and so much more in this back-and-forth exchange.
Kendra: Growing up with a family that had a music school, were you just naturally drawn to the arts from a young age?
Ashlynn Malia: Yes, definitely. I was honestly drawn to the arts before the music school existed. I’m just lucky I had access to a place that would nurture my love for it as I grew up.
Kendra: And back in the day you were looking up to the likes of Hannah Montana (which, those soundtracks still contain some of my favorite songs), but not too long after that show premiered, Lorde entered your life. Were you at the age where the teen angst started to creep in so it was just a sort of right age, right time to maybe push Hannah to the back burner and start to move onto an artist like Lorde, an artist that was delivering more of what you were feeling at the time?
Ashlynn Malia: Okay, thank god I’m talking to someone with taste. I wouldn’t say I went straight from the Hannah Montana days to Lorde’s teen angst era. I mean I followed Miley’s whole trajectory post-Disney and grew up along with her and those other childhood icons. Then I toured as a singer and a dancer as a preteen and got exposed to radio pop through that, which I had a huge passion for. It wasn’t until that whole touring phase of my adolescence was over that I got into the singer/songwriter, alt-pop world.
Lorde was my gateway artist. I remember so clearly hearing the song “Liability” from her ‘Melodrama’ album for the first time at 15. This wave of relief came over me. The song is so sad, but it describes a heavy feeling and a loneliness I’d been carrying within me for years. Listening to her made me feel like I wasn’t the only person in the world who experienced it. I’d felt so isolated for a majority of my teenage life, and her songwriting finally pulled me out of that feeling. I realized I wanted to dedicate my life to making other people feel the same.
Kendra: Now let’s talk more about the present because your debut LP, ‘MALIA,’ drops in February 2024, and being someone who is drawn to divination and has noted this record has a “mystical quality” to it, I’d love to know – based on the overall tone and feel of the record, what tarot card do you think would best represent it, and why?
Ashlynn Malia: AHHHHHHHH YES IT DOESSSSSS and I’m so excited about it!!!! Also, this question just made my day. I’m gonna go with the Star card, because of its dreaminess and loving vulnerability. I also think the balancing energy of the star card represents the process of bringing this album to life; the balance of logic/strategy with personal and creative intuition. The balance of owning my internal chaos while also using music to bring peace to those situations.
Kendra: Definitely a closed hand for a song like “Nobody Else” because that spawned from not wanting to text back someone who was someone who didn’t need to be texted. Now that it’s written, do you find yourself singing this one to yourself when those instances arise?
Ashlynn Malia: No, not really. While the song was born because of a situation like that, one listen to those lyrics and I WANT whoever it’s about at any given point in my life. It’s counterproductive for me, unfortunately. I’ve gotta listen to like, Megan Thee Stallion or something to maintain my dignity. Listen to my music if you want to validate those toxic thoughts a little.
Kendra: As for “Cool Girl,” this one really hit my heart dead center because it felt like you combined what I love about SZA and a bit of Midwest Emo with the sort of talking bit. Are you inspired at all by any of the old-school emo bands that were around back when Lorde first debuted?
Ashlynn Malia: I’m so glad it hits for you too. It’s easily one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written. I wasn’t necessarily a huge emo listener, so if I nodded to old-school emo with “Cool Girl,” I did it subconsciously. Which is absolutely possible since it’s had a pretty big impact on the current indie scene which I listen to a lot.
Kendra: On top of being a singer-songwriter, you’re also a multi-instrumentalist as well as a dancer. How do you think having those extra layers of performance in your back pocket has helped you when it comes to being on stage?
Ashlynn Malia: Well for one, I can accompany myself on stage, which is super helpful, and I have a decent understanding of what kind of live arrangements I need because of the instruments I’ve learned. Dance is a whole other story. It goes so deep for me. I’ve translated everything I’ve ever learned about movement and stage presence from my dance career to performing as an artist. While I don’t always dance on stage, the fundamentals of good dance performances are intention, storytelling, a sense of purpose, a magnetic presence, and commitment to what you’re doing up there. It’s a recipe for magic that can be applied to any kind of performance, in my opinion.
Kendra: Time for a side note – With it being January and us all starting a new year, I’d love to know what non-musical resolution you have set for yourself.
Ashlynn Malia: I really want to get good at pottery.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘MALIA’ out on February 2nd, what else can fans be on the lookout for as we get into 2024?
Ashlynn Malia: If I’m being honest you’ve caught me in a period of my life where the future has a nice thick layer of fog over it. I can’t tell you anything for sure. All I can guarantee is there is so much more music. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you guys and just continuing this journey, whatever it looks like.
