Ashe Releases Much-Anticipated 'Willson' LP

Nashville-based artist Ashe has unveiled her much-anticipated third studio album, Willson.  In celebration of the new record, Ashe will perform a special release show at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on September 20, which sold out in under two hours. The show marks her first headline performance in a year and a half—and her only one of the year. 

Leading up to release, Ashe shared “Running Out Of Time,” co-written with Julian Bunetta, Steph Jones of Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Espresso,” followed by “I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t),” “I hope you die first” and a surprise release of “Ashe” earlier this week—watch lyric video HERE.

“Willson! The album that almost never got made, full of songs I wrote thinking they may never come out,” Ashe recalls. “I was really depleted and in such an unhealthy place when I took a pause on my career and had to work really hard to get back to a safe and healthy place, where I could even think about making this album… As I dipped my toe back into writing music again, it felt like each song was returning to myself.”

She continues, “All the songs, started at the piano in my living room in Nashville, are attempts to make sense of my relationships—with myself, music, love, fans, grief, my view of the world. Some songs are about disappearing and not being able to go on with the show and others are about finding my way ‘back’ and moving on. It’s a snapshot of my life during a very convoluted and dark and healing time and I love every little, complicated bit of it.”

Produced by Collin Pastore and Jake Finch (boygenius), Willson finds Ashe returning to Nashville and her songwriting roots, rediscovering herself after a bout of artistic and personal confusion. The project marks a notable new chapter for the songstress who made the decision to step away from music following the successes of her previous two albums Ashlyn (2021)—which featured the global hit “Moral of the Story”—and Rae (2022).

Ashe recently returned to the stage as a surprise guest at friend and frequent collaborator Niall Horan’s show in Saratoga Springs, NY. Together, they performed her hit song, “Moral of the Story,” on which the pair previously duetted. The track was featured on the original soundtrack of Netflix’s To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) after gaining billions of streams and reaching #2 on both the Global and U.S. Spotify Viral 50 charts.

Ashe’s meteoric rise to pop stardom over the years has led to notable collaborations and stages shared with some of the industry’s biggest names—FINNEAS and Horan included. Her previous EPs have received critical acclaim from Teen Vogue, FADER and more, while her subsequent debut album, Ashlyn (2021), saw praise from Variety, Billboard, and Nylon, with People calling the record a “profound listen.”

ASHE—WILLSON—LP TRACKLIST

1. Please don’t fall in love with me

2. Running Out of Time

3. Pull The Plug

4. Cherry Trees

5. I Wanna Love You (But I Don’t)

6. Helter Skelter

7. Dear Stranger,

8. Hornet’s Nest

9. Castle

10. Don’t do me any favors (Vinyl & CD Exclusive)

11. I hope you die first

12. Devil Herself

13. Ashe

Photo credit: Luke Rogers

To post a comment, you must register and login.