Inspired by the unrealistic portrayals of relationships on TV, particularly from the Real Housewives franchises, No Sex challenges the notion that frequent sex is a measure of a good relationship.
Andrew Ash’s heartfelt lyrics convey a message of love, attraction, and contentment in a long-term relationship, even when the desire for sex isn’t always present.
Ash hopes the track brings a smile to listeners’ faces and reassures them that they’re not alone in their feelings. Andrew Ash is an award-winning pop singer/songwriter from Portland, Oregon, known for his unique blend of contemporary and vintage pop sounds. Drawing inspiration from 80s icons like Phil Collins, Andrew’s heartwarming, catchy melodies have earned him recognition, including features on MTV’s ‘The Hills’ and ‘The Jersey Shore’ and performances on Portland PDX Pride’s main stage.
As a proud, openly gay man who has navigated life with dyslexia, Andrew uses music to authentically express and connect with others. His tenacity and authenticity continue to resonate with audiences, making him a rising pop sensation.
Whilst lead single No Sex releases on 28th June, fans will be able to stream the full album ‘Pep Talk’ from 5th July.
The 7 track project includes Andrew’s previous award winning single I Think I’m Ready For Love which received praise across the board, being coined a “powerhouse single” and described as “a gem from the inside out.”
What made you want to write a song about this? Was there a specific show you were watching that prompted you to reflect on this?
I really enjoy writing songs about the stuff in relationships that couples don’t like to talk about out loud. The amount of sex that is had in a relationship seems to be one of the most disliked subjects to talk about. I was watching an episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and a group of women on the show were talking about how much sex they have, and they were judging other women for not having a lot sex, and it triggered me because in all honesty I don’t have a ton of sex in the relationship I’m in, but I am so in love and so attracted to my husband, and I don’t like when people plant the seed of “well, if you don’t have a ton of sex then you shouldn’t be together” because it just isn’t true. I wanted to write this song for other couples out there who might be feeling the same way, and let them know that they aren’t alone, and it’s totally fine and normal to not have sex three times a day. It is very surface level, and even though sex is important in a relationship, there is so much more that couples should be focusing on.
When it comes to reality TV, you’ll see a husband or wife in a confessional talking about how strong their relationship is, or how attracted and in love they are with their spouse, and then there will be a shot of them hanging out together and you can just see by their interactions how much they hate each other. Cut to the next season and they’re filing for divorce. I truly believe if couples were more open with each other, and had a dialogue around their uncomfortable thoughts, there would be a stronger relationship and bond, or they would just find out sooner that they aren’t meant for each other and they could lay the relationship to rest instead of slowly bottling up resentment for years.
What’s your own relationship with relationships?
I was once a big commitment-phobe, and I played the field a lot in my 20’s; which I think was totally necessary because with each person I dated I learned more about what I need, what others need from me, and what I’m willing to compromise in order to find the right partner. I am now two years married, but I’ve been with my husband Brady since 2016. We have found that saying the uncomfortable stuff out loud is what has kept our relationship strong, and because we’ve tackled the uncomfortable stuff so much, it has become easier to talk to one another when something is bothering us. I’m having the time of my life in this relationship.
What’s your advice to live love and sex in a healthy manner these days?
First I wanna say that not every relationship is the same, and every couple or throuple is gonna need something different to keep the love alive, so take my advice with a grain of salt. For me, open communication is by far the most important part to a healthy relationship. Get comfortable with talking about the uncomfortable. Set expectations for your conversations, like “I wanna talk about xyz, and I just ask that you listen, and then we can discuss afterwards.” Don’t go into a tough conversation guns-a-blazing! When it comes to sex, in my house we compromise. If it were up to my husband we’d be having sex three times a day; if it were up to me it would just be whenever the mood hits me…which isn’t often, so the compromise we made is at least once a week. I believe that if we had sex all the time the excitement of it would wear off. Too much of a good thing applies to everything. I also believe if you’re having absolutely no sex at all…maybe look into that.
You draw a lot from the 80s era and style. Who are some of your main influences from back then?
The list is massive, but I’ll try to consolidate. My number one influence from the 80s is Phil Collins, and I think that might come across in a lot of my songs. Before I record a song I pull a bunch of reference tracks for my producer so he understands the vibe I’m going for, and 9 times out of 10 there will be a Phil Collins song in those references. I also used “The King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West as a reference for many tracks, including “No Sex”. A lot of the chord progressions and sounds were inspired by Tina Turner’s “The Best”. As of recently I’ve been really drawn to the discography of Daryl Hall & John Oats.
Who are some of your influences from today?
Chappell Roan is really lighting up my gay little heart right now. I am fascinated by everything she does. Dua Lipa has been on heavy rotation since “Don’t Start Now”. I’ve been loving her new album “Radical Optimism” and cannot get enough of the track “These Walls”. It is so delicious for my ears. I’ve also been a huge fan of Kylie Minogue for such a long time, and her recent success with “Padam Padam” has been such an inspiration for me. She truly deserves all the amazing things that happen to her.
What’s the most fulfilling piece of feedback you ever got from a fan?
Whenever another gay man compliments my music it is the most rewarding feeling, because the gays are hard to please. One time a friend of mine came up to me after a show and was complimenting me on the performance, and the guy he brought to the show was just standing there pursing his lips, shaking his head, snapping his fingers, saying “yass” every now and then, and that was the best feedback I’ve ever received.
What kind of goals are you trying to achieve with your music?
