Retrospective: Gossip

So most of you know Ashleigh Ashley 'does Music'...and more of you still know that making music is an expensive business unless you're spending someone elses money lol! Anyway to pay the bills and fund my crazy music making schemes I work in video production and a recent job saw me working for Black Dog (a music video divsion of Tony/Ridley Scotts production company RSA Films) on a production for the Gossip.

We shot in an old disused boarding school OFF of endz lol, an enchanting/labyrinth-like building that looked liked it belonged in the Hogwarts. I would have explored the entire place if hadn't of been for the "Beware Asbestos" barriers lol. My main job for the day was making sure the band and the dancers got to and from set when they needed to (a 2nd AD of sorts) so of course I adopted my best American accent and 'chilled' with team Ditto and the Glam Sqaud lol!

Working with a band that have essentially done all the things that I'd like to achieve in my music career was enlightening...and for a second it was easy to visualize what my life could be like if I keep on my grind! Seeing shoots come together has always amazed me and I felt the dancers/costumes and location completely nailed the spirit of the song.  Well done to Director Price James for getting it just right hehe, I only just got round to seeing the results...

   

 There's more to the day of course...but if you want to know about that you're gona have to check out the Gossip's behind the scenes video *slow smile* HERE

@sh.x

Shades of Blue - Official Video...

 

If you want to download the song hit this link!  Will you have one of the first 100?:  http://soundcloud.com/ashleighashley/shades-of-b

And thats a wrap! :D
@sh.x

The Blue Rose...

Wiki says that historically the Blue Rose has the following significance:
"In some cultures, blue roses traditionally signify a mystery, or attaining the impossible, or never-ending quest for the impossible... Blue roses also convey inner feelings of love at first sight, being enchanted by something or someone... In Chinese folklore, the blue rose signifies hope against unattainable love.[8]"

How fitting lool!
#shadesacoming

 @sh.x

The Shades of Blue Crew...

(2 DAYS to go)!!  Producing Shades in Dam was an epic personal achievement for me...but this post is dedicated to my uber-talented CREW...and all of the people/companies that helped make Shades of Blue happen!  When you finally watch the video...I want you to keep every single one of these guys in mind because it couldn't of happened without them!!
The Crew:

NEIL RAJA - Camerman/Photographer (timelapse) - Neil Raja Studios

CHARLIE MILLER - Cameraman/DOP - formerly of Drum'n'Bass Areana

JACK MCGLOUGHLIN - Cameraman/Editor - Neil Raja Studios (and formerly Drum'n'Bass Arena)

PRISCA HOFER - Hair/Make Up/Continuity

NIRJA RAAM - Photographer/ PAP PAP

MARLON ZENDON - Location Scout/Guide/'Bad Guy'

JONATHON HOCKLEY - Navigation/Kit Monger/Producer of Shades of Blue

Locations:

SECOND LIFE MUSIC Record Store

Shades HQ - STAY OKAY (Zeeburg)

Costume:

MILLICENT ASHELY - Fashion Designer /Co-designer & Maker of Shoe Dress

ANNA DEVI NAGTALON - Designer/Maker of Button Chest-Piece and top

And there we have it !  Thanx soooooo much ya'll!  I can't wait to show the world what we achieved on no money and BARE heart!  Also want to say a massive thanx to Editor Leigh Brookes @ Fire Belly Films, Chris @ Second Life Music, Stefany Rietkerk @ Artcore, Rob @ Budgetcam and Marlon Zendon for putting Prisca and I up!!

GO TEAM SHADES!

#shadesacoming

@sh.x

Shades-a-Coming 251211...

So as the countdown to 251211 continues in the next few posts I figured I'd let you guys in on a few behind the scene secrets from the Shades of Blue journey...including a few taster stills we took while we were on it!

When asked why I chose to take a team to Amsterdam for my 1st video instead of shooting in London (which would have been much easier/cheaper lol), the short answer would be that I couldn't help myself! But the truth lies much deeper than that...and it has nothing to do with my ganja-holic tendancies lol.

First off Amsterdam is such a photogenic city...beautiful canals, interesting architecture, amazing street art...it's a location scouts dream! Secondly, it was the first place I landed when I ventured into Europe solo for the 1st time! This trip turned out to be almost like my passage into adulthood, a time of learning and healing wounds that I'd been ignoring for the longest time!

Shades of Blue was inevitably written on this trip...a song about betrayl, and love-loss...conflict, making peace and moving on! Everyone we love will leave a trace of themselves on our emotions, everyone we love will leave a shade of blue on our heart...some darker than others, but all help to define the way we relate to people around us.

All Photographs by Neil Raja

 Shades of Blue is a song about embracing those shades as part of who you are. It's tough, but only by accepting them can we 'free' ourselves from the people who put them there in the first place!
How many Shades of Blue are you?

#shadesacoming

@sh.x

A Taste of BLUE...

WhOA!! Shades of Blue people...where do I start?? This track was produced by Riffioso last year! My brief to him: 'can I please have a track that...soouuunds like me' lol! Most producers would be like WTF! but Jon embraced it and shortly afterwards I received an instrumental called 'Purple Fruit'! Some time later... It was Xmas 2009 and after a rocky year I decided that I'd had enough of London and the people in it, so I booked a train ticket to Europe and didn't look back! Amsterdam for Xmas (WilD), Berlin for 1night (Reflective), finishing up in Prague/Czech Republic for New Yrs (Messy lol)! Travelling alone, by train gave me ample time to write! And with 'Purple Fruit' pumping in my headphones, and picturesque landscapes gliding past my window seat it was inevitable for Shades of Blue to be born. Later still... I re-visited Amsterdam in March 2011 - but this time it wasn't to party :P! I took a team of 6 with me - to shoot a music video for...you guessed it...Shades of Blue lol! Jon 'Riffioso' Hockley, Prisca Hofer, Jack McLoughlin, Charlie Miller, Neil Raja and Nirja Raam jumped on a coach over there...with all our kit (the funniest thing if u see the size of Charlie and Jack :o). And with a budget as big as my back pocket :/ we did something spectacular!! 

  

Here's a little taster of what we achieved...the full video SOON COME :D
@sh.x

Back into the MiX...

As I've been plotting to take over the world it seems I've kinda neglected keeping you guys in the loop, and it's been 5 weeks since my last confession lol! I always go through phases of non-communication, but sitting here getting a trim, I felt the urge to update ya'll!
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I've been running round like a mad woman generating new content for the AA project. Gibbi (my guitarist) and I did a Roofhop at the beginning of August and met all sorts of interesting people along the way lol! Here's a sneaky pic, and details from the day to come VERY VERY soon!

Rooftop in Notting Hill- Gibbi: AA: Artcha
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It was an honour to play a gig at Hawley Arms (home to songstress Amy Winehouse - and she sure left her mark on the place!) It was the 1st time Social Deficit was performed to an audience and I'm pleased to say it got a BanginG reception :D

Next level eulogies. (I can imagine this door needing to be repainted in a year or so...only for the tributes to start building up again - think Abbey Rd)
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I've been writing endlessly, and you guys have got a couple of collabs (with the likes of Pr0ximas,Obscene Locals and Lincoln Savage) to look forward to towards the end of the year!
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The EP is also taking shape people! Thanx to old comrade Jon 'Riffioso' Hockely I've been able to translate the sounds/voices in my head to tangible shniz that the band will hopefully thrive on playing! It's sooo surreal hearing it all come to life!
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AA has teamed up with Sistova to hold a monster event in Nov...more about that later!
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The long awaited Shades of Blue music video is getting it's finishing touches :D YAY!! The trailer will be hitting the netwaves in the next week or so...followed promptly by the vid itself - I'm so excited to get it out there and...well see what happens! It's a somewhat docile taste of what to expect from the EP!
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Oh and on the circuit!... Well well...it's be a really exciting couple of month out there. There have been amazing nights thanx to Unsigned Hype at Lockside Lounge! Rizzle Kicks performance at WIRED was soooo much fun lool! And it was kinda exciting bumping into them again at Ed Sheeran's Album Launch! Will treasure the spontenaity of freedom I felt singing - drunkenly I might add - a rendition of Yellow with Ed, on the corner of The Worlds End! The energy in the air was infectious :) I really felt the power of ye ole "la-la-la"!

That's all we got time for folks! I don't want to bore ya'll with the nitty gritty! Couple of dates to remember:
Sunday 25th Sept - Dalston Roof Gardens - acoustic for Lyrix Organix as part of the Uprise Festival
Friday 30th Sept - East Village - full set at the epic Rock The Belles :D
Look forward to seeing some of ya'll there!!

@sh.x O.U.T

REALISM from the depths of the Underground...

I was lucky enough to meet Kasha and team Vivid Imagery at the beginning of 2009! Kasha (who featured on my track Stereo Addict) is a dope rapper/wordsmith from the Southeast. He's been on the scene for years having started out on D'n'B circuit and I was honored when he entrusted me with the task of styling the leading ladies in his new music video!

(The VI crew)

Having listened to the track 'Realism' like a million times (it's kinda addictive like that lol) I was ready to get researching the brief I was given! Kasha wanted a tribal/Mad Max feel for the video...with a hint of glamour! HOW EXCITING!!

The VI boys found the most AMAZING location to set the scene for this music video...




Life being as crazy as it is I was really pushed for time to get all the 'tribe-glam' accessories ready for the shoot...so I enlisted the help of my trusty mum :D. These are a couple of snap-shots of the results:




Obviously the beautiful ladies I had to dress: Carmen and Carmel (you can imagine how confusing that was lol) made these pieces look a damn sight better!! This is just one set of costumes, you'll have to wait to see the other outfits in the video!





Jonathon from VI rocking his mask to the strings of his violin :D


The final cut of the video out NOW...click here! So you should be seeing it on a TV/Laptop near you very soon! Til then though here are a couple pics from behind the scenes! Well done Kasha & crew ... I have no doubt this vid is going to bring a bit of Realism to the masses!!





@sh.x