Big Dumb Baby's Big Time Debut
Ashley answers the zoom call with an immediate shot of her cat on her pillow — he is the size of the pillow.
office— He’s so big!
Ashley— Do you hear him purring? He’s so good. Living with furry creatures has actually changed my life for the better.
Where'd you grow up?
Nashville, Tennessee.
I can hear the Nashville in your music. What was that like? Did you have a musical upbringing?
Not really, to be honest. My family is pretty non-musical. My parents didn’t grow up putting on records, but I grew up listening to some good local radio stations. When I was like, five years old, I remember getting singing lessons. My parents’ reason for that wasn’t because I loved music, but because I had a really squeaky voice and they were like, “We gotta fix this” [laughs]
I didn’t have a stage mom, but I’m glad I didn’t. My parents were ultimately super supportive of whatever I wanted to do, even if they didn’t get it. My dad was a Cuban immigrant trying to be a doctor, but I will say they had great records at home — they just didn’t have a record player. So, they did have it in them — they just had to let it go when they had kids. I do remember though, last time I went home, my dad was like, “Have you heard of Wet Leg?” And I was like, “How the fuck do you know Wet Leg?” [laughs] Shout out my dad.
Shout out your dad. But that’s so funny. That would be like if my dad was like, “Have you heard of boygenius?” I’d be like, “Who taught you that?”
Growing up in Nashville helped me out, because so many people there are already musical because their parents worked in music. And I did take piano growing up, but I never really expected to do music at all. It’s just kind of something that happened and I went along with it. I was actually a musical theater girlie. I have a full-ass degree in musical theater, but I’ve worked a long time to kind of rid myself of those isms. Now, I’m not embarrassed by it like I used to be.
I will say, when I started making music, I had moved back to Nashville after living in Argentina for a year, and I had written a few songs there, but I wasn't trying to be a musician… I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. But I started dating Ian — we were together for three years — he’s in my band and helped me produce my first two EPs — he’s my best friend and he really helped me out of those isms. He would hear my songs and say, “I’m not saying this is bad, but you sound like a theater girl. Too much vibrato” And I was like, “I don’t want to sound like a theater girl!” So I kind of had to learn how to not sing like that.
You said you were living in Argentina for a while, when did you come to New York?
After I graduated college in 2018, I went to Argentina for a little under a year. And when I ran out of money, then I moved back to Nashville. At the time, I still wanted to act, so I moved back home to save up money and figure out what I wanted to do. I stayed there for a little over two years and then moved here in the middle of 2021 or 2022. I’ve lived here for a little under two and a half years.
I’m actually flying out to LA at the end of this week to DJ my friend’s wedding and walk her down the aisle, and she’s my best friend from high school and we lived in Argentina together.
When you were writing songs in Argentina, was your sound different from the sound you have now?
Completely. I was writing very Joni Mitchell-esque folk music. When I started musical theater, they had a songwriting emphasis and I did that, but I was writing songs on piano. And when I moved to Argentina, I was like, “I’ll just bring a guitar and learn to play it.” That’s when I started writing on guitar, which changed my sound. And it’s just evolved over time as my interests have changed.
You taught yourself guitar just because it was easier to carry?
I would say that I still don’t really know how to play guitar. I don’t know what I’m playing. In Argentina, I brought it just as a means to write, adn I was just kind of moving my fingers around. That’s still kind of how I do it now. Eventually I wanna learn more guitar and be a better player, but I still love the freedom of not knowing what I’m doing.
Where's the name from?
Honestly, I don't really know. It was kind of something that me and my friends used to call each other in college, and it was gonna be my first EP name. But Joseph was like, “Why don’t you just name your project Big Dumb Baby instead? It has more of a ring to it than your name.” And I think it’s kind of fitting. And it’s been good to have separation between my interpersonal relationships where I’m Ashley, and then this project where I’m Big Dumb Baby. It’s not too separate from who I am, but…
It’s good to have at least a little bit of demarcation. Especially when people only see you as an artist, or this public figure who has the capacity to give them something. Do people treat you differently as Big Dumb Baby versus Ashley?
No, not really — maybe because I’m so early on in my career that I don’t have a lot to give people.
Don’t say that!
No, you’re right. As a friend, I do have a lot to give people obviously. But in terms networking, I don’t know how much I have to give people. If they were trying to take something from me, I probably wouldn’t even notice just because I’m so “la di da.”
Honestly, the only weirdness I’ve ever gotten is at the beginning when people don’t understand my project. But I haven’t gotten that recently, or I’ve just learned how to get over it because I like the shit I’m making and I love my friends and the life I have. So I’m kind of unbothered by it.
How’d you find yourself in SXSW?
I just submitted online. I think I was one of the later rounds of acceptances. I was just thinking, “This would be a cool thing for me to do, and it would be the right time in my career to do this,” because I’m not on a label, I don’t have a manager, I’m fully independent.
Are those things you want for the future?
For sure. But I’m doing fine on my own. I have Joseph’s help with all the creative shit, and honestly, he kind of is a momager — always hooking it up. I trust him with everything. He truly is the best and as soon as I make money, he’s going to be the first person I pay — besides my band, obviously. But last year, I saw a lot of people go and I didn’t even think to submit because I hadn’t even released my second EP yet.
But this year, I was like, “I have some stuff published about me, I have things to submit, I have a new EP…” So I just kind of went for it. I wasn’t really expecting anything because hundreds — I don’t even know how many people — submitted and I know a lot of people’s labels submit for them. So I wasn’t getting my hopes up, but it was a really nice acceptance email to get. It made me feel like I’m on the right track.
I'm really proud of you. Because that's major and you're doing that all on your own.
I’m really proud of myself too. And I give so much of my own money to this project. I work so much and make no money — you know how the streaming industry is. I feel like I hustle really hard and sometimes it’s hard to remind myself that something better is going to come, but I’m really happy about this. Even though I’m going to spend literally every penny I have to get there, I think it’ll be a good opportunity. And I’m going down with my band, who are my best friends — it’s just going to be fucking fun.
Most of your shows are free, aren't they?
Yes, and I love it that way. I never want to lose that line to my audience. I have fun playing music and I don’t want to lose that. And I’m really happy with the shit that I’m making.
And you're doing it all independently.
I don’t have someone vouching for me — I don’t have anyone at that table in the SXSW conference room, so they must have just liked the music or wanted to take a chance — but either way, I wouldn’t be there if I didn’t deserve it, which is a big win for me. I’m holding out and trying to do things the right way. I never want to try and play any games because that’s lame. For the past few years, I feel like I’ve just been able to put my best foot forward, and — why are you whimpering?
What?
Oh sorry [laughs] not you — the cat. But I think the reason I do free shit all the time is that it gets so boring when things are so self-serving. The reason we do music is because we like it. We should just play more music with friends and it should be fun. It doesn’t have to be a job all the time.
