By Zach Collier
The first time I saw Ashley Hess perform was at a downtown Provo acoustic event called The Candlelight Concert Series in 2014. That night, she played with James VIII who, like Ashley, would go on to compete on national television as a contestant on American Idol. As I reveal this to her over milkshakes at Cubby’s in Orem, she laughs in disbelief.
“Wait. The one on Center Street?” she says. “Oh no… that was such a long time ago. That is so wild you were there way back then! That was right when I was getting started, so you’ve seen so much of the evolution of my artistry.”
Ashley Hess laughs about the “evolution of her artistry” as if there was some point in time where she wasn’t very good. But I’ve been a fan of her music for over ten years now. That’s a testament to how good that 2014 performance was, and how big of an impression it made on me. She was phenomenal then, and she’s phenomenal now. The soulful singer/songwriter has accomplished a TON in the last 10 years: in addition to a successful stint on national television (where she performed live with Jason Mraz), she’s collaborated with dozens of Nashville songwriters, gone viral with her Provo-based religious side project the King will come, and released STAGES – her debut solo LP.
“I had no idea I would be where I’m at now and I am so grateful and feel so fortunate to be able to do what I love in this way,” she says. Prior to meeting up at Cubby’s, Ashley had spent several days sleeping and resting. She had just returned home from a whirlwind national tour with the Atlanta-based worship collective Maverick City Music. “I had no clue how much work it would actually take. You have to be willing to make so many sacrifices, step so far out of your comfort zone, invest in yourself, commit serious time to your craft, and take risks that may seem crazy but have enough faith in yourself to see it through.”
About recent strides in her career, Ashley explains that there were plenty of past moments where she felt inadequate, unqualified, and oftentimes delusional for pursuing music. “I still do at times, to be honest,” she laughs. “But I always felt that nudge to keep going because it always simply felt bigger than me. If I could go back to my younger self, I would just tell her to stop fantasizing about the destination and fall in love with the process – because the destination she’s dreaming about doesn’t even compare to the journey she’s on.”
Going back in time to discuss life with her younger self has been a key theme for Ashley Hess in recent years. On STAGES, the lessons she’s learned from exploring that theme take center stage on the song “The Girl I Used To Be.”
“That one has been hitting me in the feels these days,” Hess says after telling me it’s her favorite song from the new record. In the song, the album’s closer, she writes a letter to her former self to give hope and encouragement. “What’s in store is so much better than anything she’s imagined. The process won’t be perfect or easy, but will be so incredibly rewarding.”
Ashley’s path as a working musician hasn’t been a fairytale. While the media loves to fixate on viral stars who become global phenomenons overnight, Hess’s trajectory has much more in common with Jon Bellion or Meghan Trainor. Both of them spent years writing and producing behind the scenes before earning a well-deserved chance to shine.
Still, Ashley Hess is always thrilled by unexpected opportunities. “American Idol was such an unexpected blessing for me. It came at such a crazy time in my life and I was hesitant to do it to be honest,” she explains. “I had just moved to Nashville and really wanted to focus on songwriting and building a community there, but God had other plans as He often does.”
She says she experienced a ton of growth in a short amount of time – and was forced to push through her fears and insecurities. “I had to perform on such a bigger scale than anything I had previously experienced,” Ashley says. “I got to learn from some of the best of the best and I walked away with so many incredible friendships and relationships. I learned so many things from that experience, but I would say the most important thing I learned was that my potential is only as big as my comfort zone. I can’t attain success unless I’m willing to risk failure. I was under so much pressure and had to learn how to discipline my mind and stay grounded and present so I could show up fully.”
As a longtime fan, it’s always seemed to me that Ashley Hess shows up fully everywhere she goes. And boy, does she show up EVERYWHERE. Over the years, her collaborations with the likes of Jay Filson, Mimi Knowles, Jordan Moyes, Jay Warren, Billboard chart-toppers GENTRI, and even the YouTube channel stories have popped up in my social media feeds. Every time that happens, it’s like seeing a familiar friend. With everything she has going on, how does she meet so many people?
“To be honest, I just really love people. Connection and relationships are huge motivators for me. I LOVE collaboration. Collaboration is key!” she says, growing more animated and enthusiastic. You can tell she means it. “I learn far more from collaboration than I do creating on my own. And it’s way more fun! Especially when you’re creating with people you love and admire. 10/10 would recommend,” she laughs.
As we talk, she stresses that building relationships is way more important than “networking.” Networking can be self-centered, sterile, and impersonal. When I list her past collaborators, she says, “While all of these incredible people you mentioned are wildly talented and gifted, they are even better people. Truly. I’m so blessed to know them.”
Then she shares a quote by Dale Carnegie.
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
“In addition to taking interest in others, showing up and genuinely supporting others is also so important,” says Ashley. “Watching other people do what they’re passionate about is so inspiring to me, so going to support others is a win-win.”
Her recent collaborations with Maverick City Music and the King will come have been incredibly formative for Ashley – especially since she’s gotten to express an important side of herself with them that doesn’t always take center stage. Hess isn’t a “Christian artist.” She’s been successful at maintaining a multifaceted career in both pop music and the Christian music industry. Still, whenever you speak with her, you get the serene sense that she’s a person of faith – without ever being preachy or judgmental.
“I love Jesus! My relationship with Him is at the center of everything in my life,” Ashley explains. “I am far from perfect and I surely don’t have all the answers, but my faith in God has brought so much peace and purpose in my life. I know it’s a tricky thing in the music industry to write and release music in more than one genre, especially when it comes to ‘secular’ and ‘spiritual’ music because for some reason we tend to want artists to exist within one specific genre or category. But I’m hoping to blur those lines a bit.” She flashes a sly, confident smile.
This sort of quiet enthusiasm and selfless charisma clearly has authentic roots in philosophies much bigger than herself. “I believe God to be my Creator and the ultimate Creator, so who better to draw inspiration from and collaborate with than the OG Creator?” she laughs. “Sometimes that sounds like a worship song, and sometimes it sounds like a breakup song. Sometimes it sounds like praise and sometimes it sounds like pain. If I can write or create anything that inspires someone to look up, look around, or look within, I’ll be happy. I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by so many incredible people who love and accept me for who I am and what I believe, even when their beliefs are different. That is so beautiful to me. I have been met with significantly more love and support than any hate or criticism and I’m so grateful for that.”
Ashley recently had massive viral success – and an outpouring of love and support – with her song “Yet.” She explains that the song truly felt like a co-write with God at a time when she needed it most. “I wrote this at the end of 2020 which was one of the hardest years of my life. I was grieving the loss of a relationship, the loss of a lot of career plans due to the pandemic, leaving my friends in Nashville and moving home, and I was struggling with my faith in ways I never had before. I just felt like I had lost myself and had lost everything I thought God had led me to.”
Feeling so alone, so heartbroken, so unsure, and so defeated, Ashley decided to pray for help. “The song started as a prayer and I couldn’t speak through the tears, so I sat down at my piano and just started playing a simple chord progression. When I finally managed to sing, I immediately started singing ‘God, don’t give up on me yet’ and the rest just poured out of me. Glory to God, truly. I felt like God was finally giving me the words to articulate the pain and confusion in my heart that I was so afraid to express. I wrote three of the four verses that night and wrote what is now the third verse in the parking lot outside of a drug rehabilitation center the next day before going in to perform for the patients that night. It was one of the most special and inspired songwriting experiences I have ever had.”
The song has proven itself to be a prayer many people have been unable to utter. Its widespread popularity speaks volumes about its resonant themes. There are 10.4 million streams across the 3 versions of the song that have been released to Spotify (one with Maverick City Music, one with the King will come, and one on Ashley’s solo album STAGES). And on TikTok, there are tens of millions more views. The far reaching impact of the song is almost incalculable.
“It’s one of the most honest and most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written,” Ashley says seriously. “I’ve come to find the things we are most afraid to say or share are the things that lead to deep connection and not only allow us to be seen and understood, but allow others to feel seen and understood as well.”
On the flip side of her songwriting is a fierce, inventive pop sound that would appeal to fans of Olivia Rodrigo and Alessia Cara. Nowhere is that appeal more obvious than on her song “Questions.” It seamlessly weaves all of her influences into one wildly inventive track. It begins with Ashley’s soft, R&B infused singer/songwriter vibe before introducing some rock-inspired guitars and then dropping into a wild pop breakdown.
“The album was inspired by the stages of grief (hence the name STAGES) and that was the song for the stage of anger,” Ashley says. She wrote the song in Nashville back in 2020 with one of her favorite songwriters, Annika Bennett. “We both had just recently gotten out of long-term relationships. The song was inspired by the list of unanswered questions you’re left with at the end of a relationship that didn’t give you the closure you needed.” xander. and David Francisco produced the song and gave it the oomph it needed. “My inner Angsty Ash feels so seen by that track,” she laughs. “I love how it came together.”
Whether you’re a fan of Angelic Ash or Angsty Ash, one thing is certain: Ashley Hess will show up authentically on every track and deliver the sucker punch to the feels that you didn’t know you needed. Ashley is currently in the planning stages for more tours, collaborations, and songwriting sessions. If you haven’t experienced her music yet, start now. With how vibrant and long-lasting her career has been so far, I can only anticipate greater things in the future.
Make sure to follow Ashley Hess on Instagram and check out “Questions” below.