Credit: Jason Kent
Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, Ashlee discovered her love for music at a young age. She made her Broadway debut at only 6-years-old, playing ‘Gretl’ in the national tour of “The Sound of Music” (alongside Richard Chamberlain). Shortly after, she was cast as the lead role of “Annie” at the famous Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia.
Ashlee has since been seen as a contestant on CBS’ “Star Search”, a member of Radio Disney’s “Up and Coming Artist” Incubator Program (performing for artists such as Demi Lovato, Keke Palmer, & Raven Symone), in acting roles in movies such as “The Bandit Hound”, and with her holiday single “Ice Kingdom” featured in Coca-Cola’s ‘52 Songs of Happiness’ campaign.
Ashlee loves to use her platform for good, giving back to philanthropic organizations supporting women empowerment and the LGBTQ+ community. Over the years, she has worked closely with GLAAD, Girl Up, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Outside of her music career, Ashlee likes to stay active with her passions for fashion, dancing, Pilates, make-up, traveling, and fitness. She also loves spending time with her Pomeranian puppy Koko.
What inspired the remix of a classic holiday song? Do you have a soft spot for Christmas?
I listened to that song all the time growing up, and I just wanted to make it my own! My vision was Christmas in the club. And yes, I do have a soft spot for Christmas and the holiday season in general!
What’s the story behind the music video? How do you usually come up with visual ideas and storylines?
I just love sparkles, I grew in New Jersey where everything is extra. In every one of my videos, you will see something shiny. It depends on the video, but I usually want the vibe to be very fun and outgoing. For this specific video, I had an idea in my mind that I wanted to give holiday cheer with a little bit of sass.
Saucy was a homage to LGBTQ+ rights and female empowerment. What made you want to do that?
Honestly, I didn’t plan on it becoming an anthem, I just kind of write how I feel and hope it inspires my listeners. I have such love for the LGBTQ+ community, so it means the world to me that it brought happiness and inspiration to them.
Tell us about ‘In The Air.’ What’s the main theme of the song and what do you remember about coming up with the idea?
I walked into the studio not knowing what was going to happen. The producer played a few tracks for me, and I picked the one that stood out to me the most. I actually was supposed to have a co-writer come in that day to help me out, but they never showed, so it was on me to write the song on my own! I vocal produced the whole thing myself. It was really fun, and it was a really cool process. It definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but I had a great time. “In the Air” is all about the feels you get when holiday season starts. I also like to say it’s me manifesting a holiday romance for myself!
What can we expect from your future? What are your goals as an artist and woman?
Big goals, baby! I’ve always been a dreamer, so I have so many things on my to do list. I’ve been able to manifest some of my goals this year. I had the opportunity to host, I’ve performed at festivals, and did some other live shows. I hope to do some more acting things and go on tour soon. I would also love to do some big shows and collaborations.
