Ashley Kutcher
Interview conducted on April 18, 2023
By Dan Locke
Singer-songwriter Ashley Kutcher tells raw, real, and relatable stories through her music by candidly addressing her own mental health, pondering where a relationship might be headed, or discussing her emotions in depth. By doing so, she invites listeners to partake in her story as they live out their own. The Baltimore-born and New York-based singer, songwriter, and artist asserts herself as a consummate storyteller with a whole lot to say. She started to build a connection in 2019 as she performed countless gigs in local bars in between attending college for nursing. Gaining traction with her own music online, she answered a Twitter follower’s request with “Love You From A Distance.” After taking over TikTok and inspiring millions of “creates,” the song exploded to the tune of over 47 million Spotify streams and paved the way for her first EP, One Eighty, in 2021. It yielded fan favorites such as “If I Could,” “The Night You Left,” and more. In its wake, she notably sold out her first two headlining shows on the East Coast in New York and the West Coast in Los Angeles. Now, she is opening up more than ever with plans to drop her debut album later this year.
You are a Baltimore born/NYC based singer song writer. What is your upbringing?
I was born in Baltimore and grew up in a town called Bel Air, Maryland. I had a great childhood surrounded by amazing friends and family. I actually never thought I would leave Maryland until music became my career.
How did you discover music?
I started listening to music very young mostly because of my dad. I grew up on the water and I remember listening to a lot of Reggae, like Bob Marley and Jason Mraz. We were always boating or tubing or something on the bay and that was just the music that was always playing. Fast forward to high school, I remember really falling in love with music when I found artists like James Bay and Hozier.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
My first guitar that was ever really mine was a Seagull guitar. I got it as a gift when I was 16 and that’s when I really learned how to play. I even played my first show in high school with that guitar. Sadly, I don’t have that guitar anymore because I traded it in to get a new one. I wish I could have kept it but I did get the logo tattooed on my arm.
What is your favorite guitar – Year, make and model and does she have a name?
My favorite sounding guitar right now is probably my Taylor. To be honest I have no clue what year, make, or model it is! I got it used and it was my favorite sounding guitar out of all the ones I played. I did not name the guitar, I’ve actually never named one inanimate object now that I think about it. Even my teddy bear I’ve had since I was born doesn’t have a name.
Describe your music.
My musical style has definitely evolved over time. When I started making music, I thought I wanted to make pop. But as I continued writing and releasing songs, my outlook shifted. Now, I’d say I write pop music but with a very organic and slightly country-leaning edge. I love the blend of acoustic and electric guitar.
What was your first performance like?
My first show was our variety show in high school and I was probably about 15. It was honestly the best experience of my life because it made me fall in love with performing. Live music continues to be my favorite part of being a musician.
You recently ended your second headlining tour. How was this tour different then your last?
My first tour was really only two shows. This time I was able to play 10 cities all across the country. The experience this time was so different for so many reasons. It was my first time traveling in a tour van, it was my first time being in cities I’ve never been to, and it was also my first time really realizing I had people who wanted to see me play all over the country. I can’t wait to tour again.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first song release was in college and it was called “Leave Me Lonely.” I recorded it with a DJ that I met in college and recorded all the vocals from his apartment. That song actually got thrown on some discover weekly playlists and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.
What is the process of writing your music?
I don’t have one consistent way of starting a song. But I would say most of the time when I’m alone I just start playing very basic chords and the lyrics will follow. When I’m working with other writers or producers in a session, I always like to have options of voice memos and lyrical ideas we can build off of together.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I think vinyl is a very cool way of physically collecting music. I would love to make one for my upcoming album.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Right now what comes to mind is the song “After Tonight” by Justin Nozuka. This song reminds me of when I was a teenager and all of those feelings of being young and carefree. It reminds me of lying down looking up at the stars with this boy I had a crush on. It was one of those moments you just correlate with a song.
In the past if a musician stopped doing music, they found a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I believe I would be running an aesthetic/cosmetic nurse business, working in women’s health, or running my own brand somehow. I actually have my nursing degree and thought my life was headed in that direction before I started gaining success from my music. Right now, I am focused on my artist career but I definitely plan to dive into other passions when the time is right.
What is your happy place?
Definitely being on the water with my friends. Every summer we go boating and it’s always so fun. We basically boat around to different bars with live music or just hang out on a raft and blast the speaker all day. It’s one of the things I love about being from Maryland.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either.
With TikTok being the forefront of social media right now it for sure has impacted the streaming world. I wouldn’t be here in this position today if it weren’t for TikTok. I think in a year or maybe a few, there will be additional apps and we’ll also discover new artists there.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you so much for this interview!
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