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ASHLEY ALLEN - Recent Press and Highlights
- Ashley Allen’s Highline Ballroom show was featured on NY1
- The “Let’s Go” Music Video received over 200,000 views within the first two weeks
- AA opened for Chris Wallace / Z100 Show
- Ashley Allen’s song “Let’s Go” is being used for Promotional Commercials on Australian Television’s Channel 9
- Ashley Allen Performed a WNBA Halftime Show
- Ashley Allen’s “Let’s Go” Music video premiered on Artist Direct
- Ashley Allen will be performing at an Official CMJ Music Conference Showcase October of 2013
- Ashley was a featured performer at the 2013 Operation Smile Benefit along with Aloe Blacc
- “Ashley Allen is, a surprising, fresh, young, and provocative new talent who is putting some substance into the pop world with a batch of infectiously catchy future hits that make you want to sing, dance, and wild-out on the surface, but think, dream, and wonder on the inside” - Examiner.com
- Ashley Allen’s Live “You Ruined Love” Video premiered on Zimbio
- Featured on URB Magazine in the article “What Do Ashley Allen and R. Kelly Have In Common...?”
- The Prom Jam fashion shows will feature rising pop star Ashley Allen and Bravo Televisions Project Runway stars
- Ashley Allen featured article on ALTSOUNDS
- Ashley was a featured artist on Reverb Nation
- AA performed at NYC Fashion Week 2013 Caravan Studios Party – “Not only did the Caravan Stylist Studio and the Carlton Hotel have a fashion show but the fantastic up and coming singer Ashley Allen was the host of the fashion show plus gave everyone a taste of a few of her hit new songs.”
- Performed at the 2013 Winter Music Conference in Miami
- Ashley Allen did a 2013 Australian Tour
- “With catchy introduction videos, Ashley Allen, certainly grabs attention. Songs like “Body Say No, Heart Say Yes” have a certain Katy Perry-esque playfulness to them. In fact, songwriting may be her ticket to success.” - Label Recruit
- “The remixes are really good. Some of them remind me of Lady Gaga in her ultra-early days” - Camp KC - Ashley Allen
Please watch video at
http://www.frequency.com/video/ashley-allen-on-ny1/91648511 - NY1
So what do they have in common? Every time we hear R. Kelly’s renown single “Bump n’ Grind,” we’re constantly reminded of his quagmire about his mind telling him no, but his body’s telling him yes. It’s a snafu that many of us have to juggle with on the regular.. or not. Enter Ashley Allen, a 23 year old singer/songwriter and native New Yorker who’s amidst the promotional campaign of the video for her new single “Body Say No, Heart Say Yes.” It seems that her issue is somewhat contrary to the Trapped In a Closet frontman, in that her body says no, but her heart says (or ‘say’) yes. Seems like we’re not really left with any common denominators amongst both artists after all, well aside from their talent that is. Well, if you’re looking for more of explanation to Ashley’s new video, that could be done easily, and without the R. Kelly comparisons. We’re basically just dealing with a feel good, up beat, and positive melody that promotes being young, having fun, and taking risks. Pushing the malarkey aside and taking chances because life is too short, is the message that lies beneath this song. Although it’s easy for a person to perceive that this song is about the ol’ ‘bump n’ grind’ or a sort of significant other, that isn’t the case.. at all. The only relationship that exists in this song is the bond between yourself and life, sorry R. Kelly. Time to party, but first hit the jump for the visuals… - URB
Like The Sledge Grits Band, Ashley Allen packs a lot of danceable pop. Unlike The Sledge Grits Band, she does so in provocative fashion. Case in point: watch the promo for her first single "Let's Go" in which she dances on a NYC subway. On a related note, I hope she had a lot of anti-bac after that shoot. Anyway, Allen is currently opening for pop star and fellow Long Islander Taylor Dane (remember that mane?) and will soon drop her full-length album which consist of catchy tunes with substance. Last week, she discussed songwriting and more at the Conservatory where she filmed an A-Sides session. She also performed acoustic versions of two songs "Body Say No, Heart Say Yes" and "You Ruined Love." Watch the former (and interview) here, and the latter there. - Huffington Post
Please watch interview at
http://www.charged.fm/blog/post/3967/in-studio-series-ashley-allen-interview - Charged.fm
Please read article at
http://ventsmagazine.com/ashley-allen/ - Vents Magazine
There are always assumptions people can make when they don't dig a little deeper to find the truth. One could think an ambitious singer with a music industry dad got her deal handed to her, when in fact all she got was a strong work ethic instilled in her. Or one might think that growing up a bit above the norm means you don't have a trouble in the world, when it fact trouble was her middle name growing up. One could also think that a pretty blonde who likes to have fun and sings upbeat pop songs has nothing deeper to say.
On the surface, those assumptions could wrongfully be made about pop's rising star, Ashley Allen, but scratch that surface and dig a little deeper and you get a few surprises. And, that's exactly who Ashley Allen is, a surprising, fresh, young, and provocative new talent who is putting some substance into the pop world with a batch of infectiously catchy future hits that make you want to sing, dance, and wild-out on the surface, but think, dream, and wonder on the inside.
This 23-year-old singer/songwriter with looks more like a California beach blonde than the native New Yorker she is. "I went through a lot when I was younger, some really challenging times dealing with bullying, anxiety, depression, and eventually drugs. I was in a very dark place and my music is what got me out of it. It doesn’t matter where you grow up or what your parents do, everyone has unhappiness and struggles and I've definitely had my fair share." To escape her sadness, Ashley would hole up in her room and write poems and songs as a way to release her emotions and express herself. One early childhood song was called, "Love Will Find A Way," which is about learning to love yourself before you can love another. Wise sentiments for a fifth grader, who as a little girl would dance and sing around the house with her mother to the sounds of Barbra Streisand, Cher, and Celine Dion.
It was those troubling times that fueled Ashley's ambition and need to get these songs out of her. Her debut album is the product of going from dark to light, negative to positive, unhappiness to bliss. With influences ranging from pop princesses Britney Spears (her first music idol when she was a kid) and Taylor Swift to the intensity that is Marilyn Manson and the electronic dance sounds of dubstep to country chart-toppers Rascal Flatts, Ashley comes at her own music with an eclectic musical taste and a wide-ranging array of life experiences that she's poured into her songs.
The lead single, "Let's Go" show the Ashley that she is today: positive, fun, and uninhibited. “I wrote ‘Let’s Go’ as a power anthem to promote the fact that anything is possible. There is no other way to dream then big, and while society may look at things as obscure and out of the ordinary.. I say that the weirder the better.”
As a whole, the record is stamped with the artist's unmistakable "Ashley Swag," which she describes as "a little pop, a little indie, and a little dance-y. Sometimes I want to dance. Sometimes I want to get serious. It's a little bit of everything that makes the Ashley Swag." And, that is the mercurial force that is Ashley Allen: a mix of light and dark, funny and flirty, pop fun but with deeper substance, unassuming on the surface and delightfully surprising underneath, instantly contagious, and fun to figure out all at the same time.
Get ready for Ashley Allen: unassuming, instantly infectious pop music with so much more than meets the eye. - Examiner.com
Ashley Allen, Big Picture Media, and Infectious Magazine have teamed up to bring you a series of tour diaries from Allen’s Australian tour. You can buy concert tickets here and check out the first diary after the jump!
- Infectious Magazine
Ashley Allen just released her brand new video which already hit 90,000 views+ on YouTube in its first weekend. She just returned from a two week Australian tour having been featured in The Huffington Post and Charged FM. - Kings of A&R
Ashley Allen just released her brand new video which already hit 90,000 views+ on YouTube in its first weekend. She just returned from a two week Australian tour having been featured in The Huffington Post and Charged FM. - Kings of A&R
Discography
Let's Go - Single - Released in Australia on Smash Records
Ashley Allen EP - Released for Promotional Use
Ashley Allen - Let's Go / Remixes - Released for Promotional Use
Photos
Bio
Your craziest dreams can come true, so dont listen to any negative voices, says pop singer-songwriter Ashley Allen. And she should know. As a teen, songwriting was a private, emotionally cathartic activity, like diary writing, and, for years, Ashleys boldly original musical spirit was locked deeply within. Now shes setting that spirit free. The irresistibly anthemic Lets Go is her debut single, and the tracks euphoric video wracked up 200k views in its first two weeks.
I had to grow up and get to know myself, the New York native says. The biggest bully that I encountered was me. Nothing in your life gets better until you get better.
Ashleys vibrant artistry is a powerful mix of call-to-arms positive messages, blissful hooks, and uplifting dance floor anthems. The tastemakers of Brightest Young Things said: Her ultra-catchy sounds got a broad appeal without being even remotely watered down, which (in todays go-sub-genre-or-go-home world) is a total breath of fresh air, and definitely merits a listen. Ashley pulls from buoyant pop, moody and mesmerizing EDM, haunting dubstep, and the anthemic sincerity of modern country. Shes garnered favorable comparisons to Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Mika, Demi Lovato, and Lily Allen. Ashley has been featured in the Huffington Post, NY1, Charged FM, Joonbug and NKD Magazine. As a live performer, shes built a robust profile with dazzling performances at legendary NYC venues such as Rockwood Music Hall, Bowery Electric, and Highline Ballroom. Shes also undertaken a successful Australian tour. "Being in Australia was one of the most surreal experiences I ever had. It was a moment of truth that solidified my dreams. It made me love creating and sharing my music even more, she enthuses. Recently, she wowed WNBA audience members at a game during a stunning halftime performance.
Ashleys songwriting is unflinchingly optimistic, fizzing with life affirming self-reflections, sugary sass, sharp pop hooks, and undeniable beats. With sweet defiance she staves off negativity on Dancing In My Head. On Body Say No, Heart Say Yes shes triumphant over bedridden depression and exhaustion. I want to clarify that song is not about a guy! Its about not being able to get out of bed after a late night, she says laughing good-naturedly. Being a college girl, I cant tell you how many times it would have been easier to stay in bed. But everyday you keep on keeping on and live life to the fullest.
As a tender counterpoint to the up-tempo tracks, she balances things out with the very personal and moving ballad You Ruined Love. Its a sweepingly gorgeous track that begins with modern country guitars and then soars to blissful pop anthemics. You Ruined Love is paired with a warmly intimate and emotional acoustic video. This is another side of who I am; this is me being vulnerable and wearing my heart on my sleeve, she reveals. This song is about the person who changed my life. We havent talked in ages, but I will always care about him in one way or another. We all have that one person you can always look back on and still feel a pinch in your heart.
Ashley collaborated with producer/songwriter team CashCash (All Time Low, Cobra Starship) on her current tracks. Her creative process is assured and organic, with her bringing in original ideas to co-writing sessions or writing from scratch in the studio. Its always exciting and surprising to see what you come out of the studio with, she says. For the CashCash sessions everyone would get in a room with an acoustic guitar and build from there. Its been a transformative working relationship for Ashley. I learned so much from the guys, she says. Ashley is currently pursuing writing opportunities with some of pops biggest names.
Moving ahead she says: "I hope to get an EP out sometime this year, and then an album out the beginning of next year. I want to continue to write songs that can touch people and keep them listening. And, ultimately, my goal is to continue to grow as a person and as an artist and share my experiences with people and let people know that they're not alone."
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