INTERVIEW: ASHTON NYTEi - RockRevolt Mag

Anabel DFlux of RockRevolt Magazine had the opportunity to pick the exquisite mind of musician extraordinaire Ashton Nyte about his most recent release, Waiting For a Voice. Known for his work in the popular goth band The Awakening and collaborations with MGT, Beauty in Chaos, and more- Ashton returns with an anticipated album under his solo moniker.

Listen to the full audio interview here:

Ashton Nyte holds a reputation for deep lyricism and enchanting melodies, throughout his various escapades. 2020, however, reveals the singer’s most personal work yet- an album under his solo project, accompanied neatly with a book. What prompted this multi-medium release, we asked him: “I think with the nature of the album being so lyric-focused – essentially, it’s poetry set to music – it just made sense to give people the option of reading the poetry, separately from listening to it in the context of music. I felt that the songs looked good on a page, so why not let them live there as well? That was the impetus. I started writing little stories and thoughts and other bits and pieces and before I knew it, the sketch turned into a portrait of sorts. It made sense to me to put them out together. It’s definitely my most personal album and there is an element of bravery needed to expose yourself in that way.” By exposing his innermost personal thoughts, Ashton felt that his listeners may be able to relate to the thoughts, feelings, and journey encompassed in the songs. The timing of the release itself was interesting to begin with, considering the world is currently facing a crisis. “You know, it was all written before covid-19 descended upon us all but I think I should say there are similarities in how we deal with these things. This is another type of trial and another type of difficulty we are all going through. Though the album might not have been written specifically about these events, hope is applicable in any situation, right?”

It’s of no question that each song on the release takes you throughout a myriad of moments, all of which the creator himself is proud to have been able to release. That being said, not all of the music was written exclusively for this album. A few of the songs had actually existed before this album came to fruition. “I have an affliction I refer to as “compulsive songwriting” which has resulted in lots and lots of unreleased songs. In the book I refer to them as ‘living in a box under the stairs’ or something, and that’s how it feels. Creating something new, and in doing so…I think we are all the sum of our experiences, and many of my experiences include these older songs that I’ve written, that honestly just didn’t have a home before. [Waiting For a Voice] Is not a concept album or anything like that. It’s just very much where I’m at, what I’m thinking about, what I’m trying to understand, and what I’m hoping to share with the journey that I’m on. Those three old songs just fit in with a particular frame of mind. Now they’re all part of the same family.” Ashton tells us. This being said, the arrangement of the songs on the album are worthy of mentioning as well, with each one taking you on a ‘coaster of feelings (with hope being a common thread). “I had done a tour with Wayne Hussey of The Mission and we played 36 different shows in 36 different cities all over Europe and that ultimately gave me the confidence to just strip everything down to my voice and my guitar, which is how I performed with Wayne. That’s how I approached writing the songs, which may sound obvious, but I’ve written songs from so many different directions – from a melody up, from the beat up, from an atmosphere, from a lyric, or when I work with others and they send me music first. There are so many ways you can actually construct a song or give birth to a song in the more natural way and these [songs] were just very organic. I had something to say and I’d start saying it and a little melody would pop into mind and I’d capture it. [The album] felt like it was telling the story. So I just paid attention to what was being told and what was happening.”

In regard to the production, for those familiar with Ashton’s array of work (from The Awakening all the way to the collaborations), you’ll likely find this album to be going a somewhat different direction. “I was quite conscious of not wanting to go down the production rabbit hole. I didn’t want to add all the bells and whistles and layers and layers of stuff. I wanted it to feel intimate, and I guess ‘intimate’ can only exist in a relatively stripped-down environment – it needs to feel like a conversation. I wanted it to feel like I was in the room with you. I’ve had friends, and family, and loved ones literally plead with me for years to do something like that – to stop getting caught up in all of the production wizardry, and trickery, and let it breathe a little more.” With Covid-19 keeping more and more of us in the comforts of home, Waiting For a Voice really does deserve to be heard in a quiet room with no ambient sound, allowing the melody to fill the space.

But of course, no interview could truly be complete without picking at which song on the album strikes the creator’s fancy. Ashton tells us, “The title track [Waiting For a Voice] is very special to me.” The track also features a self-made music video that helps express the concept to the viewer even further. “The video starts off with an almost apathetic ‘waiting for a voice’ and the journey that begins as you are essentially chasing down that voice. Then you are sort-of proceeding regardless and I think that’s a strong and positive message. Originally there was hardly any footage of me in it at all. I am trying to shift focus. I think being in touch with nature is such a strong source of inspiration for me.”

For those that had pre-ordered the album, a special tribute was included- a cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Although originally a stand-alone, “Heroes” found its way into the album itself as well. “David Bowie is a magical being who deserves to be celebrated at every opportunity [laughs]. I just wanted to pay tribute to someone who has had such a massive impact on my art, and the way I appreciate art. Ultimately, Heroes is a song of hope and I think we could all do with as much hope as we can get! Then there is the aspect of Heroes being one of the two songs that was played at my father’s funeral, which adds a layer of emotional complexity to an already complex relationship with this song.”

Photo: Christian Fraude (Hamburg, Germany)

Speaking of fans, Ashton had been immersing his audience in live streams leading up to the release of Waiting For a Voice, a new endeavor in this virtual era. “We had personalized concerts where fans could request very specific songs that I have to then learn out of the catalog [laughs], and VIP event listening parties for the album in the virtual reality we found ourselves in. It is shifting gears from traditional PR parties that you invite people to, and everyone hits the bar and doesn’t listen to the record, right? So in a way this worked out pretty well [laughs]. With how music has changed and how people experience music, we have to keep finding ways to engage people, to make it exciting. In an ideal world everyone would care about everything and rush out to listen to your every minute of every thought. That is not the way it is. it does force one to find new ways of connecting and that’s a subtext of this album – a renewed sense of connection.”