Ashe at the Loft at City Winery

Originally from San Jose, California, and raised in San Diego, a six-year-old Ashlyn Willson took piano lessons and studied classical music. She began writing songs toward the end of high school and became known by the mononym Ashe, adding an "e" to her nickname to pay homage to Carole King. After a brief stint at a community college, her passion for music led her to decide that "it was Berklee or bust" and she enrolled in the Berklee College of Music, majoring in Contemporary Writing and Production. As graduation approached in 2015, she chose to ground her music career in Nashville, Tennessee. Ashe wrote a song for Demi Lovato ("You Don't Do It For Me Any More") and collaborated with EDM artists including Louis the Child and Whethan. Ashe released her seven-track debut EP The Rabbit Hole today.

Taking a quick step away from a tour opening for Lewis Capaldi, Ashe performed a music industry showcase at the Loft at City Winery to celebrate the release of her debut EP. Singing and playing an electric piano, accompanied solely by an electric guitarist, Justin Gammella, Ashe was less the electro-pop singer than a singer/songwriter with a powerhouse voice. Her vocal styling incorporated vintage jazz inflections, light, airy and soothing as her melodies scaled octaves. Her lyrics, clear as a bell, articulated her insights into the human condition. Even songs about disillusionment and disappointment, like "Sometimes People Suck" and "Used to It" were sung with a sunny disposition. Ashe offered more mind and soul than the typical EDM artist; this singer-songwriter route seemed like a better fit.

Visit Ashe at www.ashemusic.us.

Setlist:

1. We Get High
2. Mine
3. Sometimes People Suck
4. Choirs
5. Average Girl
6. Used to It
7. Real Love > Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper cover)