I have always been a huge supporter of local talent and watching one Miss Ashlinn Gray grow and evolve in her music, her personality and her look over the last three years or so has been an incredible experience.
I met Ashlinn when she was 18 and the young singer and songwriter had already made iTunes Top 40 charts and dominated the airwaves with her first single ‘Battleships’, charting on top stations across South Africa. Her release of ‘Need Your Love’ with Dr Bone, produced by Sketchy Bongo, was a Coke Studios ZA hit and Gray’s pop single #Nineteen charted on 5FM and Jacaranda, two of South Africa’s largest national radio stations as well as came fourth in the International Songwriting Competition.
Adolescence is a tricky maze and Ashlinn expertly plays with the light and dark sides of her struggle for truth and authenticity in an edgy way, surrounded by a world and society that dictates how we are to behave, dress, talk and live – too often we succumb to the pressure of the naysayers, the haters. Ashlinn Gray, however, is here to make her mark!
As a charismatic and unapologetic artist, Gray explores the intersection of owning ones power and the vulnerability of taking risks. Her latest release, ‘STFU’, produced by Abe Dertner, is a defiant stand.
She blends genres, fusing rock, pop and hip hop elements into a track that is as unpredictable as youth in 2019 can be. Her magnetic and clean vocals provide the listener with something familiar: the innocence of youth. This juxtaposed against the harsh, unforgiving production speaks beautifully to the challenges and rough edges of discovering oneself, formulating one’s identity and navigating this world as a young woman.
“We are all trying to figure our shit out. I’m here to own it. Embrace it. Communicate it. Speak to it. We can all help each other figure life out but I’m not here to pay any mind to those who are gonna rain on my parade with their negativity fountain. ” says Ashlinn.
The 21-year-old has now made a move to the USA where she recorded #STFU and performed shows at famous venues such as Hotel Cafe.
For more information contact info@ashlinngray.com
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