Cuddled up in a floral, retro armchair in her cozy Nashville home, Ashe exudes a warmth and energy that’s hard to miss, even through a video call. Her space is filled with vintage decor, soft light filtering through the windows, and her familiar laughter, which comes often. It’s the kind of setting that makes you feel like you’re chatting with an old friend rather than a pop star who’s sold out shows and garnered millions of streams. Not far behind her, she points out to the piano she’s historically used to create all of her songs. After a whirlwind few years, she’s back with her third album, Willson, and it feels like the perfect time for her to reflect on where she’s been, who she is, and what’s next.
There’s a sense of calm about Ashe today, a groundedness that contrasts with the more turbulent emotions she’s known to express through her music. And yet, as she settles deeper into her armchair, it becomes clear that this calm is something earned. After the emotional highs and lows of releasing “Moral of the Story”, followed by the immense pressure to maintain that success, Ashe took a step back. She paused to breathe, to reflect, and most importantly, to heal. Now, with Willson, she feels like she’s standing on solid ground again — stronger, more vulnerable, and more honest than ever before.
“I held all three of my vinyls today — Ashlyn, Rae and Willson — and it just felt like this full-circle moment. Like, ‘Wow, I could almost quit if I wanted to.’ I won’t, but there’s this sense of completion. This is the trilogy, you know? It feels like a blank slate now.” She laughs, but there’s an unmistakable sincerity to her words. For Ashe, this new album isn’t just another milestone in her career. It’s deeply personal — a reflection of her journey over the past few years, a journey filled with love, loss, introspection, and rediscovery.
However, Willson wasn’t always a certainty. After the success of “Moral of the Story”, Ashe found herself questioning everything — from her creative process to her place in the music industry. “I was really, really burnt out,” she shares candidly. “I had given so much of myself to my last record that I wasn’t sure if I could do it again. When I started working on Willson, I didn’t even know if I was going to release it,” she admits. “I was exhausted, burnt out, and honestly, I wasn’t sure if I had anything left to say musically. But then I started creating again, in secret, without telling anyone — not even my manager. And slowly, the songs just started to come.”
Instead of forcing herself back into the studio, Ashe did something she hadn’t done in a long time — she gave herself permission to stop. “I needed time to figure out who I was outside of all the noise,” she explains. “I took a break to just exist, to heal, and to process everything that had happened in my life. I wasn’t sure if I would come back to music, but when I did, it was from a place of healing.”
The result is an album that feels less like a follow-up and more like a deeply personal diary. Ashe didn’t write Willson with any particular audience in mind — something that feels especially rare in today’s music landscape. “This album was made in a bubble,” she says, her voice soft. “I wasn’t thinking about what would be a hit or what would resonate with fans. It was just me, processing what I was going through at the time.”
Much of that introspection was tied to her personal life. Falling in love again, going through heartbreak, and coming to terms with her own mental health all influenced the sound and storytelling of the album. “It was really cool to create in that space,” she reflects. “It felt honest. Like, I was doing it for me.”
While Willson still carries Ashe’s signature cinematic sound, there’s an undeniable shift in her music this time around. The production leans more into organic, live instrumentation — something she felt strongly about while recording in Nashville. “Being here in Nashville, surrounded by such incredible musicians, it felt like the right thing to do,” she says. “There’s still a bit of that bombastic, larger-than-life sound I’m known for, but this record feels more grounded, more real.”
The honesty in her songwriting also shines through. While Ashe has always been a storyteller at heart, she believes the lyrics on Willson are some of the best she’s ever written. “There’s a return to my roots in this album,” she says proudly. “Songwriting has always been my foundation, and I think I’ve finally been able to tap back into that.”
The album’s narrative is one that mirrors the ups and downs of life itself. It opens with the melancholy “Please Don’t Fall in Love With Me”, a raw, vulnerable track where Ashe lays bare her fears and insecurities. “That song came from a really dark place,” she reveals. “I was so depressed and just felt like I wanted to quit everything.”
From there, the album takes listeners on a journey through grief, self-doubt, love, and ultimately healing. “It’s not a linear story, because life isn’t linear,” she explains. “There are highs and lows, and this album reflects that.”
As the album moves forward, the mood gradually shifts. Songs like “I Hope You Die First” and “Dear Stranger,” bring moments of catharsis and self-realisation, while the closing, self-titled track, “Ashe”, is an acceptance of everything that’s come before — a poignant end to the emotional rollercoaster. “For me, “Ashe” is about coming to terms with who I am,” she says. “It’s about accepting the person I’ve become, flaws and all. And in some ways, that’s the hardest thing to do.”
Ashe’s music has always been therapeutic — not just for her, but for her listeners as well. Fans have often shared stories of how her songs helped them through their own difficult times, and with Willson, she hopes to continue providing that sense of comfort. “I remember when I heard Carole King’s “Tapestry” for the first time,” she recalls. “I felt so understood, so seen. That’s what I want my music to do for people. I want it to be there for them, the way “Tapestry” was there for me.”
Returning in the public eye has been a complex emotional decision, one she describes as a mix of joy and anxiety. After taking time off to focus on her mental health, the transition back to touring hasn’t been as smooth as she hoped. “Honestly, it’s been kind of up and down,” she admits. “I definitely started experiencing a lot of anxiety again, especially as I began reentering spaces that used to trigger me. I’ve been feeling some of that come up again, but I’ve recently started seeing a new therapist, and that’s helped.”
She pauses, reflecting on the weight of releasing Willson after a nearly two-year hiatus. “I’m putting out an album independently for the first time after disappearing from the planet, so of course there’s some anxiety,” she continues. “But there’s also been a lot of joy. I really missed this — getting to connect with fans again. Even if it’s just on social media, my fans have been incredibly kind. It’s like warm, fuzzy hugs in the comments section.”
That sense of community has been a welcome relief from the often brutal nature of the internet, something Ashe is acutely aware of. “The internet is so mean, but I feel grateful that my fans and I have cultivated this really positive space,” she says with a smile. “There’s this risk that when you get too famous, your comment section becomes scary and mean. But right now, I feel so loved and supported.”
As for what’s next, Ashe is surprisingly content with not knowing — especially now that she’s embracing the independent artist route. “I have no idea where my career is headed,” she admits with a laugh. “But that’s kind of the beauty of it, isn’t it? I’m not in any rush. I’m just enjoying this moment.”
Though she’s taking things one day at a time, there’s a sense that Ashe isn’t quite done yet. She hints at future collaborations — perhaps more writing with her close friend Finneas — and the possibility of a tour, though nothing is set in stone. “I’m scheming about the future, but we’ll see,” she teases. “I’m sticking around for a while, that’s for sure.”
For now, though, Ashe is exactly where she needs to be. She’s learned to embrace the uncertainty, to trust in the process, and to find peace in the not knowing. And with Willson as her latest chapter, it’s clear that Ashe’s story is far from over. “There’s so much more to say,” she says with a smile, glancing down at the piano beside her. “I’m just getting started.”
Willson is out now.
Interview Gennaro Costanzo
Photography Luke Rogers
