An interview with County Rock Singer/Songwriter Ashley Rose Lilly.
For more information on Ashley, find her on Spotify, Instagram or TikTok
How long Have you been singing? Since I was 8
Level:
emerging professional
Principal Genre: Southern pop rock
What Artists/Musicians have influenced you/your work? Sooo many! Definitely Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse, Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Loretta Lynn, and Tony Bennett to name a few
What does your dream gig look like? I would LOVE to have a sold out show at the Staples Center..err…”Cripto Arena”
Most Memorable Performance/Career Milestone: Definitely when I sang at “John Henry Days,” in West Virginia and “Country Roads” was requested and it was late and our band set was supposed to have been over, but my dad pulled out his guitar and we did it with just my voice and the guitar while everyone held out their phone flash lights and were swaying and singing, along. It was a very full circle moment for me coming back to my roots and to have people genuinely care about me and my music like that meant the world, especially after traveling from LA where sometimes things can be difficult and it’s easy to get caught up in self doubt at times, even for the most confident people. Especially singing “Country Roads” which may be a semi mainstream song that everyone has heard a billion times, but when you’re from West Virginia and have left it holds an incredibly profound meaning. Having the audience there like that and so engaged and there was just so much love…it’s not something I can explain, but the vibe was magical and it was the first time I got truly choked up on stage. It was very touching and is something I will always remember.
“Ah-ha” moment in your journey as a singer: My “Ah-ha” moment…I feel like I’ve had a few, but definitely I think just this year playing out more and having my songs begin coming to me more naturally…it almost begins to feel as if there is this alternate force writing the songs with me and I’m simply an instrument being used for it…it’s hard to explain, but it’s become incredibly spiritual.
What advice do you have for young singers/musicians just starting out? Don’t let anyone discourage you and be confident and true yourself because you are more than enough.
Why do you sing? I sing because it’s the one thing in this crazy life we’re all living that makes perfect sense to me. No matter how many heartbreaks, happy times, stressful times, good memories, or bad memories there are, there is always a song for it and it reaches across the universal human experience and brings such consistency and peace amongst everything including chaos.
What is your idea of the perfect “day off?” OR Tell us one fun fact about yourself A perfect day off for me would be being lazy by the beach on a warm day until I get that nice sleepy feeling, then getting some yummy food and a drink or two, then going home and watching a light heartened movie under the glow of my string lights. Tonsss of bonus points if it’s with a good friend!
Any upcoming projects you want to share? I’m currently recording about 5 new songs, hopefully more, and I’m very excited about all of them!
How can people get in touch with you or follow you?
All my socials are @ ashleyroselilly except for my TikTok which is @ ashleyrlilly , they can also go to my link tree: https://linktr.ee/Ashleyroselilly
Or email me @ ashleyrosewv@gmail.comb
