It's been a big year for Brisbane gal Asha Jefferies and with a new EP in the works, it's set to get even bigger.
From being shortlisted in the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition to sharing the stage with Ben Lee and Josh Radnor, things have been on the up and up for the teen. She has also released a new single, 'Chaos', which will feature on her upcoming EP.
'Chaos', according to Asha, is an ode to finishing high school and developing as a person. “As I graduated high school and I experienced a lot of chaos and fun times with friends, I think in terms of long-term personal health I realised that it was best to stick to people who were going to ground me.
“It was a big learning curve of knowing who the people to hang out with are, which I think is a big topic that a lot of younger people go through,” she says.
Asha started writing lyrics at the age of 13, at a time when she was just a young girl who “didn't really know how to articulate” but had “a really loud singing voice”.
“I decided that I could mix the two together and share how I felt in a non-weird way through music. I think that's how I got into doing it.
“When I was younger, it just kind of channelled all the subconscious feelings. It was kind of like the song was writing itself and then a couple of months later I would realise what the song is about. It's kind of still like that, so I don't know what I'll be writing about next or later on.”
Asha won the Byron Bay Busking Challenge at just 14 allowing her to play on stage at the Byron Bay Bluesfest, which she recalls as a “very, very big moment”.
“The crowd was was super receptive, which was super lovely. That's the one thing that I really look forward to in a show, people connecting to your art.” The biggest moment for Asha so far, however, came just a few months ago, when she opened for Radnor & Lee in Brisbane.
“After that show I was like: 'That's cool, I'm done, I can finish music.' It was amazing.
“I didn't really know what to expect, because when you're playing to a really big crowd they're either going to be super receptive or just not really that into it. But they were super amazing and quiet, and super loving, which was the most amazing thing. It was the best experience ever – all the things that could go well, went well.”
Just to top off her (already, massively successful) year, Asha has been in the studio with veteran producer Miro Mackie, working on an EP which will hopefully drop later this year.
It's the first time she's recorded with both an electric guitar and a backing band respectively, and the result is a “sound that hits the in-between” of her solo music and a full-band sound.
Asha Jefferies Tour 2018
Sun 26 Aug - Brisbane PowerhouseSat 1 Sep - Sunlit Sounds mini-festival (Brisbane)
4-7 Sep - BIGSOUND (Brisbane)
Sat 6 Oct - Outside Tribe Music & Arts Festival (Brisbane)
