Whenever you consider wonderful multi-hyphenate skills, Padma Lakshmi and Girl Gaga spring to thoughts. L.A. artist Ashley Miers belongs in that choose group, too. She’s a profitable songwriter/musician, actress, chef and meditation/restoration advocate.

It’s arduous to picture how one particular person – in a single lifetime – can write fabulous songs, have a SAG card, host an acclaimed cooking present and discover time to do an EP of Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers covers (due in August). In brief, Ashley makes most songwriters appear like slackers as compared.

We spoke with Ashley about how she manages to juggle all these issues concurrently.

You’re an actual “Renaissance” particular person, having had success in performing, music and non secular instructing. What initiatives are you most enthusiastic about in the mean time?

The initiatives I’m most enthusiastic about in the mean time are my new cooking present Dancing within the Kitchen, and a few upcoming music releases, together with a Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers cowl challenge entitled “Love Letters” and a collab of co-written authentic songs with pals/colleagues Elizabeth Russo and Ben Masters.  

Dancing within the Kitchen focuses on informing and uplifting its viewers by way of dietary training, mood-boosting wholesome recipes, and is ready to enjoyable authentic music.  The idea for this present was born out of my very own restoration journey that led me to begin teaching girls combating despair and different psychological well being challenges.  Via my teaching, I assist girls entry assist and be taught to implement self-care and efficient coping expertise, all in service of serving to them to like themselves and stay in additional full alignment with their objective and passions on this planet.

Elizabeth Russo co-hosts, and Octavia Klein movies and co-produces the challenge.  We additionally embrace “Music Aftershow” content material the place we discuss concerning the behind-the-scenes facets of the music and present creation, and we invite friends on for interviews to speak about their experiences with creativity, vitamin/self-care and psychological well being.  The theme music of the present is a canopy of  “Dancing In The Kitchen” by the band LANY.

My Crimson Sizzling Chili Peppers cowl challenge “Love Letters” is an EP of three tracks together with “Below the Bridge”, “Soul to Squeeze”, and a mash-up/remix of the RHCP music “Moist Sand” with the music “Vibrant Lights” by the band Cannons.

I made a decision to pursue this challenge as a result of RHCP has been an enormous affect for me all through my life – each artistically and in addition for instance of restoration and a consciously lived life.  I needed to specific my gratitude by way of the musical language our hearts share, and I’m doing so by reimagining their songs with feminine vocals and digital instrumentation.  It was nice enjoyable to review their songwriting and preparations from a inventive versus purely shopper perspective.  I haven’t traditionally performed on this enviornment a lot beforehand (masking the music of different artists), and I actually appreciated the entire discoveries I made in finding out their craft with such a centered and intentional method.  This challenge is produced by Ben Masters.

Lastly, I’ve been collaborating and co-writing authentic music with Elizabeth Russo and Ben Masters, and I’m excited to launch an EP of those tracks (in addition to an accompanying music video) later this yr.

I’ve many extra initiatives in varied levels of conceptualization and manufacturing, however these are my prime three inventive pursuits this yr.  Definitely greater than sufficient to remain busy and excited!

There’s a little bit contact of India in your cowl of the Stones’ “Paint It Black” and your music “Priestess”. How has kundalini meditation impacted your songwriting?

 It makes me so pleased to listen to that you simply observed this!  Kundalini meditation has been a profound affect on my psychological and emotional well being and well-being total (a lot in order that I accomplished teacher coaching in 2018 with Sat Siri at Wanderlust Studio in Los Angeles), in addition to on my consciousness and skill to take care of a constructive perspective amidst the ever-present challenges that proceed to come up all through life.

I used to be very excited to incorporate a Kundalini mantra “Adi Shakti” within the bridge of my music “Priestess”.  I’ve come to know sound and vibration because the primordial inventive substance of the universe, and thus a robust therapeutic modality.  I heard the quote not too long ago (I don’t know whom to credit score it to) “music makes you’re feeling a thought”, and it’s so true. Music evokes visceral sensations, catharsis, epiphanies. I do know that for myself, I’ve had highly effective and profound emotional releases and realizations as a response to experiencing sure music.

In Kundalini, mantra is used as a software to elicit such forms of experiences and responses.  Yogic philosophy goes as far as to say that the method of repeating a mantra causes the tongue to activate strain factors within the palate (the identical idea as meridians in Chinese language drugs and acupressure).  When these factors are activated with constant follow, it induces a physiological responses that really modifications neurochemistry and thus one’s state of consciousness.

Incorporating the Adi Shakti mantra into “Priestess” was nice enjoyable as a result of the music is a playful and sassy nod to the divine female pressure, and the mantra “Adi Shakti” is an invocation of that pressure.

Your music “Darkish Facet” is a moody masterpiece, in my view. Have you ever tried pitching that music (or others) to the film/TV sync market?

Properly, once more, I’m flattered.  And thanks!  In all honesty, no – I’ve not.  And I need to!  

For no matter mysterious purpose, I’ve by no means been as dedicated and motivated as it could in all probability profit me to be on the song-pitching entrance. Though I’m working to step it up in that enviornment now!

My companion Elizabeth Russo is a grasp at this (she’s had over 100 placements – we really had our first placement along with our co-written music “Tangled” again in 2010 on ABC Household’s present Make It or Break It).  It’s arduous to do the whole lot by oneself, so one factor I’ve discovered through the years is to companion with people who find themselves sturdy in areas that I’m not in order that we’re every bringing – and mixing – our strengths as a lot as potential to assist each other’s success and mutually prosper.

Who have been your musical favorites rising up?

Sooooo many. I skilled myself to sing and rap by singing together with RHCP’s Anthony Kiedis on their tracks. Different favorites come from a mess of genres from rock, to pop, to nation, to bounce: Tom Petty, Pink Floyd, NIN, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, Paula Cole, George Strait, The Spice Women (hey, I used to be 13 within the 90s). Nowadays I’ve been vibing rather a lot to Grimes, Kygo, Kiesza, Dragonette, HAIM, Trevor Corridor…and naturally, nonetheless RHCP.  🙂