Tempo Talks: A Conversation with A_Shes

THE RELEASE

A_shes, an alternative pop luminary, bridges the worlds of Malaysian-Bornean heritage and the vibrant UK scene, oscillating between London and Cambridge. He invokes the spirit of early 2010s indie music that once thrived on Tumblr, enthralling listeners with a sound that's both instantly recognizable and achingly nostalgic. Known for his candid exploration of young adulthood's turbulence, a_shes has earned praise from notable outlets, including Earmilk. Prepare to travel through time with him as he flawlessly combines past and present into a grabbing sonic patchwork.

"glory days," A_shes' newest track, is a thrilling exploration that gently waltzes between sorrow and exhilaration, all while drenched in the alluring colours of synthpop. The tune takes the listener on an emotional trip with his silky voice, brilliant sample integration, and a rhythmic crescendo building to an enticing chorus. It serves as a meaningful letter to his younger self, negotiating the hard journey from childhood to maturity, via sincere lyrics. It's intertwined with ethereal synth components, echoing the spirit of luminaries like Lorde and Troye Sivan, and it reverberates with the poignant feeling, "Don't know if I'm ready for this story to start, but I'll keep all our dreams until death do we part." "glory days" provides a cinematic hymn for people who are afraid of the unknown, granting solace in uncharted futures.

THE INTERVIEW

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

Oh! I don’t think I’ve ever had this question phrased in this way to me before. I’m not really the kind of person to dive into an individual’s body of work and get lost in it - I was sort of a breadth over depth kind of kid. I was consuming anything and everything that spoke to me, which ended up being the thematic approach to both the song and the upcoming record. So I can’t really pin it down to 4 distinct people. I guess in terms of musical artist, Lorde was a massive inspiration for me, seeing as she’s one of the few artists who’s entire discography I’ve familiarised myself with, and was very influential to my music taste (alt pop tumblr girlies rise!). In terms of family I’d say my sisters as they were just as, if not, more artsy than I was - I was and STEM kid growing up and they were the ones who got me interested into poetry and musical theatre, thank god! When it comes to my writing, I consumed a lot of spoken word poetry growing up, which blew up all over YouTube in the early 2010s. I watched a lot of button poetry stuff almost to a fault haha. I was a poet before I was a songwriter and that has really shaped my music. And lastly I would say my teachers - I can’t really pin a single one but my English and Drama teachers in high school exposed me to things I never had the opportunity of coming across myself. So to wrap things up I’d say: Lorde, my sisters, an assortment of Button Poetry slam poets, and my teachers haha.

Were there any specific experiences or events in your life that influenced the song's lyrics?

Moving to London for university and then graduating into a pandemic haha. I started this project over covid where I started thinking a lot about who I was 10 years ago and where I am now. I was constantly mulling over whether or not what I was doing at the time was what I really wanted to do and realised I never really worked towards the creative pipe dreams I had as a kid. I was always trying to be practical - but with the economy crashing and the world ending I was like screw it I’m gonna start making music before I regret it! That experience shaped most of the themes on the upcoming record but this single in particular spoke to the relationship I had to my inner child at the time, and how I let him down and let him go in order to move on with my life and accept reality.

Can you share any interesting anecdotes about the song's development with your co-writers or producers?

Hmmmm… well I was the sole writer of the song haha. It took me a long time to get it to where it is now - i had started writing the song some time last year and finalised the lyrics and melody literally the day before I went into the studio to record in like April. In terms of production, I had taken it to a really good friend of mine in grad school who was finishing off his masters in music. He had told me that he would love to be a full time producer someday so I thought ‘Hey, why don’t you work on a couple of my songs to build your portfolio’? He produced the record’s opening track for me from scratch but with this one I already had a garageband demo made, so it was really a matter of polishing up a few parts and adding in / replacing some much needed samples!

What was the biggest takeaway or lesson you learned while creating this song?

Finish the record fist before you start dropping singles haha. It helps to keep everything cohesive and stops you from having to go back to your sound engineer every week or so because you spotted something ‘off’ in the master.‏

How has your recent growth as an artist influenced the direction of your future work?

I really can’t say tbh… I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to make another single, or record for that matter. So I’m hoping this one sticks the landing. But what I will say, is that from the first song I ever wrote to this one, my songwriting has improved tremendously, to the point where I can’t listen to my old stuff without cringing!

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