"Home is like a hypnotic slumber; in a bed slept in so often we forget the springs are made of barbs - and they know exactly where to stab you so that you never leave home forgetting your scars." - Calithornia by
Ashley Zarah
Child of sweat, adversity and laughter; Ashley Zarah is a singer/songwriter and Dark-Pop performer hailing from Los Angeles, CA. Merging millenial pain and pop culture, she is allowing pop listeners the opportunity to finally feel something real and relatable, the way she felt during the emo wave in the early 2000s.
"I feel like fans in other genres get to cathartically rage about heavier topics such as suicide, social anxiety, self-deprecation and identity; and their audiences are healthier because of that – they're able to expel this tension from their psyches. That’s what’s so therapeutic about music. Pop tends to be about glamor, happiness, attraction, fun – but you can have fun and still be honest, and that’s why people really resonate with all this."
(Ashley Zarah & the Boston Voyager)
As a young kid who struggled finding a group and culture to identify with, Zarah decided to invent a space of her own where all the beautifully complex were welcome; hence, the home of Dark-Pop. Despite being scattered from her native West Coast to the Eastside, the doors to her house are left wide open. Riddling Boston with lyrics and melodies that the local scene calls 'captivating and chillingly astute.' Audiences are quoted as having an "overwhelmingly emotional experience from start to finish" during her live shows. Needless to say, Zarah finds her fanbase growing each day.
Despite stemming from a background of non-musicians, there was no shortage of music in the house. Zarah was raised on artists ranging from Pink Floyd, Madonna, and Natalie Cole to Iranian stars such as Sima Bina, Dariush, and Haydeh. Scouting on her own, she would discover eclectic inspirations such as; Christina Aguilera, Linkin Park, The All-American Rejects, Justin Nozuka, and LIGHTS; all whom inspired her to pick up instruments and gear to perform the songs we now hear today.
While on scholarship at the highly prestigious art institution, Berklee College of Music, she revealed herself to be both a prolific writer and expressive vocalist; one that stood out from the hundreds of singer/songwriters on campus. During those three years, she released three emphatic and powerful singles (Control - Demo, Banshee, Surrender) and a nostalgic Pop/Rock EP titled "This Song Again."
Her Middle-Eastern influenced 2-track single Awake (produced by New England's Producer of the Year 2013 and 2018, Sean McLaughlin) is available now with both songs featured in the upcoming LA indie film, Back In the No.
Most recently released, "Like I Do" is a Pop-EDM/Dubstep collaboration with electronic producer MKBLV. It debuted on the world-renowned music editorial, The Hype Magazine followed by a feature on NPR's Sound Opinions "Buried Treasures" segment.
Zarah's highly anticipated project, the Better Mess - LP, is currently in pre-production for release in the Summer of 2020.
A welcoming blossom of a performer and untouchable by the world's judgment, we are excited to see Ashley Zarah teach the world that life is a startling chapter book: "it will always be bad, and it will always get better. So may as well enjoy each part, no?"