VITUHMINS CATCH UP W/ Ashley Taylor
On this week’s episode of Vituhmins: Catch Up, we had the opportunity to sit down with Ashley Taylor, who we believe is one of Female R&B’s next powerhouses. Her music is deep and interesting, her branding is unique, and she has some of the most captivating conversational skills we’ve seen in one of our interviews so far. I felt smarter after writing this article. We’re confident that the high quality of her work, and her incredibly personable demeanor both point to a successful career, and so we are excited for you to join us in watching her rise to fame.
Decker: “So, starting off, who are you, and what kind of music do you make?”
Ashley: “Hi, my name is Ashley Taylor, and I make R&B music.”
Decker: “Amazing! And what upcoming or recent project are you most excited to talk to us about today?”
Ashley: “My new song, “All The Same”. It came out last night, on the 31st of August. It’s also a teaser for Do Not Disturb, an EP I’ve been working on for some time now.”
Decker: “Very cool. What have these past few months been like while developing that project and this single?”
Ashley: “Well, I’ve definitely found myself focusing in on my craft and my projects a lot lately; they’ve taken a priority. After moving to LA for college, I went though this phase of self love and growth. There were tons of pressures to socialize and be in relationships; I had to find the qualities that I like within myself, like being independent and being cognizant of my worth and reaching a higher level understanding of myself. Thats what led me to the title of the project.”
Decker: “Yeah, tell me more about that. Why is it called “All The Same”?”
Ashley: “Most of my romantic interactions with men and in relationships have felt the same. Instant gratification, hookup culture, etc. They’ve culminated to this point and have really stressed my desire for real true connection and good people.”
Decker: “And what would you say were the 3 biggest inspirations for the project?”
Ashley: “Can they be things, and not just artists?”
Decker: “Absolutely.”
Ashley: “Ok, then
Moving to LA being thrown in a deep end and having to swim has taught me a ton.
My independence. Learning what I require, not just need or want. Reflective moments have got me to this point; they’ve taught me what I need to be happy and that some things are not an exception anymore.
Learning what it means to really be alone. Having my own back
Summer Walker for sure, her vulnerability really sticks out to me. She’s able to articulate things and emotions in a way I can immediately relate to. She teaches me how I’ve felt in the past but couldn’t summarize in words at the time. She helps me find my words without having to sugarcoat things
Also, another thing I wish I could have included in my previous answer regarding the title, is that, in our generation, we often and popularly focus on drinking and smoking as our sources of fun. I like a lot of other things than that. I want thrilling experiences, but not just through these methods. There’s so much more to do and see and experience.”
Decker: “I love that. Speaking of Summer Walker, if you could work with any artist in the near future, who would it be?”
Ashley: “Jhene Aiko. She’s very unique in the way she creates music. Not to get spiritual, but she has this healing quality to her music. She has a good energy, and brings me to a state of calmness and peace. Being a creative in general, your mindset is chaotic; I wanna bring her calming energy into my own work. I think we’d have a ton of chemistry, and I really admire her emotional intelligence. “W.A.Y.S”, a song that tells you you’re on the right path and that you have to keep going, it’s very motivational. I actually got it tattooed behind my ear and on my neck.”
Decker: “Very cool! So with this strong R&B background, interest, and influence, are you from a place where R&B is very popular?”
Ashley: “Haha, I’m actually from Cincinnati, Ohio, so not really. It’s a little boring, but I was very lucky with the family and the parents I had. I went to a school called Cincinnati School for Creative Arts, so I would say that had the largest impact in building my love for art. I had originally went to a private Catholic school first, in the suburbs. I was always bullied and judged for being different, and always had been drawn towards music, singing and theatre as a result; a creative outlet. Going from a private catholic school to an intercity public school, there was no hierarchy anymore. So that definitely helped in my journey of finding myself. Overall, people in OH don’t want a lot for themselves, they often fit a cookie cutter mold.”
Decker: “Im sure moving to LA must have been awesome for you then?”
Ashley: “Oh yeah. Everyone out here is constantly motivated and ambitious. Not to toot my own horn, but some people were actually impressed by my creativity and motivation so I really began to flourish when I got to LA. I’m incredibly grateful for having been able to make that journey and change.”
Decker: “Being from Ohio though, I assume you must have love for their sports teams. Who is your Ohio team of choice?”
Ashley: “I would probably have to say the Bengals.”
Decker: “If you could give your younger self any advice what would it be?”
Ashley:
“Discomfort is growth.
If you’re worried about what others think of you you’re never going to be great.
Be yourself and people will like you”.
Decker: “So is the next step in your artist journey, after the EP, to make an album?”
Ashley: “I do want an album but I wanna focus more on my engagement and how it branding myself. I want visuals, I want to convey more of who I authentically am through social media. If I’m posting it want it to be something I’m passionate about; I don’t want it to feel like a chore. I’d like to put out more singles after the EP that involve more of my life than the subject matter of the ep. I also do wanna highlight my positive relationship experiences too, they do healthily coexist.”
Decker: “Why did you start making music?”
Ashley: “I didn’t really know how to express myself any other way. Summer Walker and Jhene Aiko helped me articulate my feelings. Verbally, I’m not as mature and developed as I am emotionally. However, music helped me turn feelings and experiences into art, and better find the words".”
Decker: “Why did you feel like this project was necessary?”
Ashley: “It was necessary to tell people that it’s ok to be alone and feel alone and it shouldn’t be something that should be deemed as negative. When you know yourself and are able to heal from your past you open yourself up for new experiences. Otherwise you find yourself stuck in the past.”
Decker: “Amazing, really lovely answers! And finally, because I always like to ask: whats your favorite food?”
Ashley: “Hmmmm, good question. Sushi, but I’ve been craving Crumble Cookies. They’re popular in Cincinnati. Kind of like Insomniac, and they change the flavors every week.”
Well great. Now I’m hungry. Thank you so much for chatting with us, Ashley. We look forward to seeing your rise to the top, and hope you remember us when you’re on top. Congratulations on the new single! And, @allofyall reading this, go stream “All The Same” on Spotify, now!
