Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Ashe.
Ryan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Originally from the western burbs of Chicago, Brothers Conor and Ryan Ashe are full-time musicians living out their collective dream in Long Beach, California. Music literally is their day job. These guys are very passionate about the sound and quality of music that they produce and play. When you get a chance to see them in person, try to pay attention to the insanely high-quality vocals and harmonies. They take pride in generating sound that has depth and feel during their live performances. And instrumentally, they jam and shred! The brothers emphasize contributing in their own unique way to the overall sound of the band and not competing to see who can play the loudest. It is the experience of the audience member that matters to them. They understand how to build up tension during a set, slowly picking up the pace and volume to reach a crescendo of fun and excitement for their fans, then backing off the gas pedal and bringing it back down again to mellow the mood. Their creative passions and original sounds are inspired by the likes of The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd The Ashe Brothers eat, sleep and dream music and they are a joy to watch and listen to. Hope you have a chance to see them soon.
(This bio was written by our manager)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Despite the many terrific opportunities we’ve had, i.e. opening for reputable touring acts and touring Southern Ireland, the biggest challenge we face daily is breaking through the noise. Southern California is riddled with a plethora of highly talented artists and musicians. Being present in the community is essential, but can be a struggle. Many of us have scheduled performances at the same time.
With the advent of social media, there truly is no limit to the capacity of increasing our visibility. However, where overall awareness of what we do has improved in the past year, we’re still finding it difficult to expand our audience on a broader scale. Musicians we are, influencers, we sadly are not.
Our goal is to continue spreading the word and increasing online engagement. We also want to continue writing and recording original music to solidify our body of work. This too has been challenging, because we’ve been so busy performing. Not to mention, locking down additional musicians to facilitate the process can be tricky. Everybody has a lot going on. But hey, what can we say? That’s what makes Southern California a great place to be a musician!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We’re a dynamic rock band that blends psychedelic textures, vintage soul, and boutique guitar sounds. We’ve been known to have electrifying live shows and tight musicianship. Our sound has been appreciated for its grit, harmony, and groove. We’re proud of our DIY ethos, and the fact that we’ve been able to garner a modest but loyal following with our relentless gigging. Music truly has taken us to some very interesting places.
What sets us apart is the fact that we don’t try to chase trends. We like to bring an authentic throwback vibe with a modern edge. We like to throw in our original tunes with the most inspiring deep tracks from our biggest influences, as opposed to pandering to the crowd with overplayed hits. Our fan base is also a family. We call them “Asheholes.” Most have embraced this obvious term of endearment! In short, those who get it, get it.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
As much as we love to rock out on stage, we actually don’t drink alcohol and we’re quite introverted by nature. We love meeting people and making friends, but the social battery is constantly drained! We’re nerds who love classic cinema and weeknight gaming sessions when we have the time. We do our best to help support independent and up and coming artists.
Despite our love for music, we actually started out working in the film business in Chicago! My brother and I both worked 14 hour days on set all over the city on projects ranging from Adidas ads to DC universe movies! We were doing music on the side at this time, but as our demand increased we managed to switch over to gigging full time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashebrothers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theashebrothers?igsh=MWYycGxxNmFyZnl1bg==
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/theashebrothers/
- Youtube: https://Youtube.com/@TheAsheBrothers
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/579dSWV9OSDGg3YUvLQWuB
Image Credits
Nick DeCarlo
Randall Michelson Photography
