Asa Ey

Though he's a formally trained jazz multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Los Angeles native Asa Ey combines pop, soul and rock with a California swag. His rhythmic, soul-inspired style (a-la Lenny Kravitz) is also influenced by alternative rock. Energetically, his songs actually harken back to early Foo Fighters. Asa's grooves blossom into solid arrangements from colorful chords created via guitar.

Asa was the creative force behind his prior indie alternative bands, and his music took them to Sundance Film Festival and premier Los Angeles venues such as the Troubadour, El Rey Theater and Hotel Cafe. Asa's credits include placements on major television networks such as NBC, ABC, the Hallmark Channel and MTV. Primarily, though, it is heartfelt, mainstream-friendly hooks and a well honed musicality that really make this soulful musician appealing.

Notwithstanding, with the singer's melodic sway come undertones of loss and heartache. The eldest son of a single mother, Asa grew up shouldering the burden of his his parents' divorce when he was just three years old. "I definitely had to grow up quickly, emotionally supporting my mom, twin siblings, and even my dad. But looking back, that also gave me a great amount of sensitivity and introspection."

Born in San Francisco and raised on a vineyard in Napa, California, Asa soaked in the slower pace of NorCal during early childhood. He was surrounded by trees and nature, taking solitary walks even as a young child, and found solace on hiking trails and in grape fields (this would continue in Topanga, CA in his teens). In fact, Asa remembers "the first time I drank wine was when I was four. I thought it was grape juice. So it was a quick, accidental swallow, but I actually had to have my stomach pumped. Now I joke that I got my party phase out of the way early."

Besides his rural surroundings, though, music was his primary refuge. His father had an extensive record collection, so Asa would retreat into a collage of sonic worlds - the music of Michael Jackson, Sade, The Police, Stevie Wonder, even 90's grunge and neo-soul. Asa can pick up any instrument, but his first was the drums, followed by saxophone then bass, which he studied formally as a music major at the University of Southern California.

Asa moved around quite a bit, but eventually landed in Pacific Palisades, between Santa Monica and Malibu. No doubt that his Northern roots shaped him, but exposure to the slick ads and chic brands of Los Angeles made the songwriter want to uncover people's feelings down under the surface. "LA is close to my heart, but it definitely has its fair share of bullshit," he laughs. On the flip side, he says that growing up in Southern California has imbued the music with a fresh vibe - west coast and beach influenced.

Asa Ey's buoyant debut single "Paradise" is an earnest song about unrequited love with lots of groove. "It's about having a crush who is your confidant, but who also boxes you in the friend zone. Watching a love interest date the wrong people again and again is hard. Especially when you know you would be perfect for each other." With his EP on the horizon, 2018 should prove to be an exciting year for the singer. "There is a saying that you have your whole life to write your first album, and I'm very proud of these songs."