Meet Ashley Freeman

We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Freeman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Every morning on the way to school, my mom would play songs by Sade, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Toni Braxton, Ciara, Michael Jackson and more. Their voices were just so soulful and without even realizing it, I was studying them by feeling every single lyric. My mom is a huge music lover and she’s always had great taste in music. By the time I was eight I knew I wanted to be a singer. I remember standing in the kitchen saying to myself “I’m going to be a singer someday’’.

I followed my passion of music into college and I studied vocal performance. I immersed myself in many jazz ensembles. Within those jazz ensembles, I was introduced to scat singing. Scat singing was a big thing for me because it gave me this freedom to express without words. Besides jazz I was also involved in r&b/soul music. Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Sarah Vaughan are some of my biggest influences.

Music has always been my way through and now it’s the way I reach others too; that’s the beauty of it. I make music to feel better and in doing that, I get to help other people feel something too.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I songwrite, compose, and produce my music and I continue to learn more about songwriting, composition and production everyday; it’s a continuous learning process. The style of my work is personal, moody and rooted in deep emotion. I love being able to craft a world through sound that feels intimate but cinematic, where every lyric and melody can tell a story. What excites me the most is the freedom to create without limits and being able to stay true to my own identity.

I’ve got new music on the way and a merch line dropping as well which is gonna be bold, dark, and unapologetically me, so stay tuned!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three things that have really shaped my journey so far have been trusting my instincts, staying consistent, and embracing vulnerability. Trusting myself has helped me to stay true to my sound even when it’s felt risky, consistency has kept me growing even when progress has been slow and leaning into vulnerability has allowed my music to truly connect with others. For anyone just starting out I would say don’t be afraid to be real.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I step outside and take a long walk. The fresh air and movement help me to clear my mind and recenter myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AshleyFreemanMusic.com
• Instagram: @AshleyEFreeman