Asha Pieper

Asha Pieper's new video for "Voices" is a gorgeously crafted piece that clearly comes straight from the heart. Shot completely in black and white, the video sets the tone for what many women face in their lifetimes:

"There was a period of time, that many of the relationships I held as secure and sacred, exploded. It took me a long time to realize, and to accept, that the world is heady, and complex, and even if it doesn't end with a happy ending, at least it's over. And that can be something good"

"Voices" pairs a cinematic aesthetic with Pieper's soaring vocals and delicate harmonies to create a one-of-a-kind single that's both beautiful and deep from start to finish. Keep up with Asha's latest releases on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. - Paste Magazine

Hailing from Toronto, songstress Asha Pieper is a breath of fresh air. Her new single, “Voices,” makes her standout as an artist to watch as we head into the new year. Her sultry jazz-esque vocals delight as she brings a deep tonality into the piece. The melodic track is rich and memorable as she speaks of issues facing women of the world today.

Pieper shares of the track:

“There was a period of time, that many of the relationships I held as secure and sacred, exploded. It took me a long time to realize, and to accept, that the world is heady, and complex, and even if it doesn’t end with a happy ending, at least it’s over. And that can be something good.”

Dive into “Voices” here: - Modern Mystery

Asha Pieper shares her infectious new single “Voices” with the world that ends the year with a bang. With stunning elements of violin laced throughout, Asha’s soulful voice lingers in your ears as her haunting sound takes you away. Taking a page out of the books of artists such as Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, she carries a message of issues for women in the world today. Her lush instrumentation and enchanting vocals add elements of Jazz that intrigue us from start to finish. 2018 is bound to be a big year for Asha Pieper and we’re excited to hear more from the rising star. - Music Existence

Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

I grew up in Calgary, which is great if you love cold and mountains. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of either, so I spent a lot of the year inside, and since my parents didn’t like me staring at a TV all day, I had to get creative. I read a lot, wrote stories for myself, and pretty much lived inside my head. Education is a big deal in my family, and the more you can learn, the better. I did learn piano, some violin, but really got into music once I started in theatre, and thus, singing. It never crossed my mind there could be a future in the arts, but it was something I enjoyed and kept doing. I’m still doing it now, but I don’t know if that makes me an artist, or just incredibly persistent.

Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

Grill your ten thousand hours. It’s really easy to generate content, and posts, these days. But if your goal is to be the strongest artist you can be, there’s no substitute for practice. Learn as much as you can, from as many different sources. Find your own voice as an artist. Be confident in your craft, and what you create. There are many people who may try to take advantage of you in the beginning. Be wary. But don’t let that wariness make you jaded; you’ll be surprised by who will be of help when the time comes around. Take on mentors. Learn about the industry, (that means finance, marketing, and taxes!). Meet local musicians, and bar owners, and promoters. Be your own manager. Most of all, be persistent, be patient, and keep your sense of humour.

Exposed Vocals: Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

The best part of performance is that it happens in real time. And anything, and everything, will influence it. If I don’t make a mistake, I know it’s because I’m not risking anything. And if I’m not willing to risk anything in that moment, why should the audience care? That’s not to say you shouldn’t be prepared. Know your material. Know your set. Know it well enough to get lost in it. A flub on the keyboard, a crack in your voice, these are all things which are you, authentically, in that time in space. Engage with the music, forget your ego, and you’ll always have a show to be proud of.

Exposed Vocals: Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

This will be the first time I will be touring my own material. I am both exhilarated and terrified, which is probably the right combination of emotions. I will be announcing dates in the new year, as well as behind-the-scenes, interviews, and other highlights of my day-to-day as this project comes to life. Follow online, say hi; I’m weird, but friendly.
Exposed Vocals: Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?I use my home studio for demos and practice only, but a new mic is high on the priority list. I use a simple Steinberg audio interface, my trusty SM58 for quick vocals, a uni-directional M-ONE cardioid condenser mike hooked to a vox guard and stand for clearer vocals, and my trusty Nord Electro4. She is my pride and joy and takes all the abuse my fingers dole out. Logic and VST’s fill out the midi sound for arranging, though I’ve taken to learning Cubase recently.

Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

Locally, digging into your network of everyone. It’s a small community out there, so engaging with and supporting artists in your area is always a great first step. Then, hello internet. Such an amazing array of blogs, and promoters, and writer’s, and music makers who are so supportive of indie artists and their projects, (thanks, Exposed Vocals!). It’s the beginning phase for this project, so I’m sure I’ll have more to say with experience.

Exposed Vocals: If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

Number one would be Nina Simone. She is such an inspiration, and, I think, one of the seminal artists of the 20th century. Her musical vision is so complex, and dynamic, as was her social awareness. She had such a breadth of passion, and displayed herself wholly. I will always admire her work, both in music and life. I’m also really moved by Ben Folds and Regina Spektor; both piano-based, singer/songwriters who have such a unity of lyric and harmony. I find myself replicating their music in hopes of internalizing some of that same cadence. And little pre-teen me would not be complete without Fiona Apple. I’d never heard anything like “Never Is A Promise” on radio before. It was transformative.

Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

Absolutely! I’m so excited to announce a new single, and video, coming out very, very soon. I also finished some work recently with producer Rob Wells, release date TBA. Stay tuned.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?Thinking about making music.

Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?

The release of my first EP, coming early in 2018. Some snazzy collaborations. And, of course, shows!

Exposed Vocals: Any Shout-outs?

Huge thanks to Greg Gooding of G-THREE records; you have been a mentor and mediator to the madness of these last two years. Michael Arthurs, I wouldn’t have gotten through Tenor Styles without you. Jim Zolis and Rose Room Recording for your time, space, and diligent hard work. Marty Smyth for your precious ear. All the musicians who suffered through damaged charts and multiple takes to make History. My family, and friends, for being the source of my strength, and my mum, for being the source. - Exposed Vocals

Hi Asha, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Thanks so much! Happy to be here. I’ve been very well. It’s a busy time of year as we’re finalizing all the details of this current project. But it’s a great kind of stress to be had.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “History”?

Of course. ‘History’ was original meant to be written as part of a singles project, an undertaking I began after participating with an artist entrepreneur program run by Coalition Music here in Toronto. Prior to this, I struggled in connecting with my writing artistically. I could write in different genres, and had experimented working with producers, and other artists, but there was this chasm between what I wanted to achieve technically, and how I connected to it personally. It was through fate and good fortune I met my current team, and ‘History’ kind of just spilled out one night. It’s the first release from my new project, and I’m very excited to share the rest!

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

I think it was a culmination of a lot of things. At the time, I felt incredibly frustrated, unable to translate what I heard in my mind out in the real world. And I could see, as I think most people do, the safety of youth fading. There’s a great pressure in growing up, in having the answers, in being the ‘go-to’ adult of your own life. It’s a terrifying responsibility, and one I’m still not sure I’m wholly managing. The permanence of adulthood, seeing the patterns of your past and watching yourself make the same mistakes in the present; it’s an infuriating experience. But there’s also comfort in knowing kind of letting that go, in claiming the imperfections, and being okay despite it all. That kind of inspires me, and I hope it does for others as well.

Any plans to release a video for the single?

Actually, yes! We just released the video. It was shot by Jay Baskey, and can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIXvl4MsALE&t=5s

How was the recording and writing process?

We had to opportunity to stretch the recording over six months, which was great in many ways, but also created problems of it’s own. There were a few different iterations of the song, particularly when it came to the intro. I’m really lucky to work with amazing players, and after a rehearsal, we pretty much settled on the groove, and the feel, and recording that was the same as performing live. We had this beautiful space at Rose Room Recording, and all the players were able to kind of see each other, which helped in landing all those shots and musical cues. It was a very organic, smooth process, and we pretty much had it nailed after a few takes. The writing process, I’m afraid, was much less interesting. I had been toying with some chords in my mind, the first line specifically had kind of ear-wormed into my brain. Then I just kind of sat down one night, very late, in the dark, and it sort of spewed from me whole.

How does acting influences your music and the other way around?

My background was in theatre, and also served as my introduction into music. I began singing because of musical theatre, and shortly thereafter, playing piano as well. I think there’s a certainty in acting. You know the choices that character is going to make, you’ve studied and lived in their skin. It’s not quite as assured as being your own person. Because we, ourselves, are in a constant state of flux. I suppose if there were a correlation between the two, it would be that acting, and music, allow you to see the world in a broad and different way. You can assume different identities, different points of view, and they all feel real, and validating. I think it’s opened me up to be, I hope, less critical, and more understanding of others.

How’s your new EP coming along?

It’s coming, in fact, it’s very nearly finished! I can’t believe it’s almost three years now in beginning this process. I marvel at artists that can pump out yearly projects. It’s really difficult, especially as an independent artist, to balance your creativity, with all the other aspects involved in doing a project. If it weren’t for the help of my amazing team members, I don’t think it would ever see the light of day,
Any tentative release date or title in mind?
Absolutely! We’re looking at a loose release date of mid to late February. It both feels very close, and very far. You can follow me online to keep up-to-date with further releases, and also fun behind-the-scenes stuff.

What aspects of Jazz music will you be exploring on this new material?

Jazz to me has always been about the unexpected. It’s improvisation, it’s being in the moment, it’s reactive. There’s a certain harmonic structure, the texture of extensions, that I really get into. The recorded material is more on the side of contemporary music, but when it comes to live music, it’s always a different show. The songs are able to take their own life, in reaction to the crowd, to my own state of mind, to what it is we’re communicating in that experience.

Any plans to hit the road?

Absolutely. We will be confirming the show for EP release party, and come spring and summer, release our travel dates.

What else is happening next in Asha Pieper’s world?

Finishing up this EP is pretty much the center of my life at the moment, and I’m very much looking forward to the holiday season to take some time off and visit with family. They live on the other side of the country, so it’s always a treat to go home and visit. The cold, on the other hand, I am not prepared for. At all.
I’ll also be releasing a second single in the upcoming weeks, so stay tuned! Thanks so much. - VENTS

On today's installment of Video Voyeur, we catch up with budding songstress and Toronto-native, Asha Pieper. The musician who has just shared her new video for "Voices," is beautifully shot in black and white as she brings an insightful vision and message to the table. We had the pleasure of catching up with Asha Pieper for our latest installment of Video Voyeur, in which we dive deep with the buzzworthy artist about her creative visions for the piece. Let's dig in, shall we?

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

I have a strong, visual connection to “Voices”, from the moment it was written. The simple repeated sections, the chant-like background vocals, the use of layered strings- were all meant to create a fluid, film-like quality. I purposely wrote the lyrics to be subtextual, and have an open, dreamy feel, and be furthered by visual accompaniment. I also held a strong image association from the writing process, so when it came time to meet with filmographer, Leib Kopman, (http://www.leibkopman.com), it was the perfect mix! His work as a documentarian brought a new dimension to the work, and I think, through our collaboration, we were able to achieve a solid visual for the song.

What was the inspiration for the video?

I grew up watching old movies, and always loved the feel, and intensity, of black and white film. I love horror movies, new and old, and initially wanted something Hitchcock-esque, but with a more surreal approach. As I began my research, I came upon “Eyes Without A Face/ Les Yeux Sans Visage”, (1960- Georges Franju), and was immediately obsessed. It’s a film I wouldn’t have discovered without looking, and frankly, what a happy surprise. We looked at this, and cuts from Godard, and compiled differing notes, knowing we wanted to use long shots, simple lighting, and, as an unobtrusive a film style as we could.

Keep in mind; we had many, many, sessions, talking over the different storylines this would take. Verging from a massive crew of dancers, to a group of cabaret performers, to massive props; vintage cars, and driving shots… not to be cliché, but we ran the gamut of possibilities. As an independent artist, it can be difficult to straddle the feasible, the artistic, and the budget-able. By luck, Leib was at one of my gigs, and while, “Five Miles To Midnight”, played on-screen during set-up, we were both struck by the visual style, the feel, and the use of minimal cuts. From then, it clicked. So, except for the costume style I had sketched back way, way, at the beginning, the entire video transformed. We were able to cut the excessive, while still keeping the technical and emotional centers we sought. Sometimes it takes exploring every angle, only to return to the beginning.

What was the process of making the video?

In terms of costuming, I have certain prominent pieces to the project. One is the necklace/earring set you’ll notice apparent in my first release, “History”, (https://youtu.be/KIXvl4MsALE). Growing up, I would always admire Mum's, or my Auntie's, wearing these beautifully, ornate sets to important family events. The second, while not featured exclusively, was the Kanga, or head-wrap, worn through the majority of the video. It was a gift from my cousin’s wedding, and probably the most utilitarian piece of clothing I own; (Is it a sarong? A skirt? A beach towel? A shirt? It. Is. Everything).

Anyway. This entire project is a showcase of my own history, bringing me to this point. What is in the past is never discarded, but actively used, as we all incorporate our past to our present.

I’ve also always had an infinity for vintage style. Most of my high school life resulted in Mum’s unfortunate wardrobe appropriation, (sorry!). I couldn’t commandeer her own trench, but from House of Vintage (@HOVtoronto), was able to replicate something similar.

And now, a secret. The location? Whoops! Leib and I are committed to keeping it just that, though, being the internet, I’m sure it won’t for long.

Finally, we took great time in vetting locations, because we truly wanted something impermanent. Something which stood beyond a certain time, or place, because the song itself is meant to be an idea that is beyond that same scope. It was very difficult to find, and scout, and test, but through the magic of film, I think we were able to capture something both timeless, and contemporary.

Also, it was very cold. Very. Very, cold. - BuzzFeed Community

Toronto based singer/songwriter Asha Pieper has delivered her single (and music video) Voices which features refreshing musical arrangements, a warmly welcomed jazz aesthetic, and a distinct vocal style which engages and charms the listener from the first note.

Voices sets the tone for women’s struggles in the modern era. With a hypnotic voice, plenty of instrumental surprises and a unique blend of elements which encapsulates the best elements of doo-wop, jazz, oldies, musical theater and music that came from entities such as Stax and Motown; Asha has carved a lane all her own.

Her sound is distinct, refreshing and elegant. Consider me a fan.

About the single, Asha states,

There was a period of time, that many of the relationships I held as secure and sacred, exploded. It took me a long time to realize, and to accept, that the world is heady, and complex, and even if it doesn’t end with a happy ending, at least it’s over. And that can be something good.”

Watch the video for Voices below or subscribe on YouTube.

Connect directly with Asha on FB, IG or Twitter. - Middle Tennessee Music

Thoughtful and delicate, Asha Pieper crafts a mysterious, mystical world on the gracious style of “History”. Chamber pop anchors the piece while Asha Pieper draws from jazz and folk to deliver a fully-formed whole. Framing the entire piece in a slightly theatrical context, Asha Pieper lets the piece evolve with such deliberate pacing. How Asha Pieper allows such a wide variety of instrumental color into the mix while retaining its highly-refined spirit feels particularly masterful. Right in the center of it all rests Asha Pieper’s lyrical poetry, which reflects upon the world with great thoughtfulness.

Stream: https://soundcloud.com/ashapieper/history-asha-pieper

Small gestures introduce the track. From this tiny space, Asha Pieper allows greater elements to hesitantly at first enter the mix. Piano has a delicate touch that perfectly accompanies Asha Pieper’s vocals. Her voice truly serves as the highlight of it all, as she shows an uncanny ability to let it simply soar into the sky. The choir ebbs and flows at first, and eventually becomes a full-fledged element of the overall spirit of the track. Off in the back the strings give the song a meditative quality in sync with Asha Pieper emphasis on the oftentimes overwhelming nature of history. Focusing on the idea of hindsight, the way that hindsight can inform future actions gives it a feeling of hope. Additionally, Asha Pieper further reinforces this opinion as the piece simply grows into a great sweeping gesture.

https://www.facebook.com/AshaPieperMusic/

On “History” Asha Pieper sculpts a clever pop song, one whose message and melody linger in the mind.

By Jack Dawsone - Skope Mag

See link for podcast interview. - Loudini Rock And Roll Circus