British singer/songwriter Johnny Ashby has just unveiled his stunning and thought-provoking new album ‘Time Of Our Lives.’ The 12-track release walks us through his life thus far, giving us a personal glimpse into some of his most vulnerable experiences and ultimate life lessons. He speaks of transitioning into calling Los Angeles his home, far away from his loved ones, while also touching on the need for exploring and discovering new territories. 

From the magical “Wild” which narrates the feeling of wanderlust, to the yearning “Born Again” which declares the desperate need for a second chance, Ashby covers a range of emotions which we all experience at certain times in our lives. PopWrapped caught up with Johnny to learn more about the inspiration behind the album, his philosophical outlook and what we can expect from him in the future.

‘Time Of Our Lives’ is your first full-length album so it must’ve been a slightly different creative process compared to your previous releases. Can you give us a little insight into that process?

Definitely! I’ve always wanted to write an album but it’s really difficult to write a collection of songs that all fit together. Every time I’ve tried to write an album before I seem to have got stuck and ended up releasing the songs as an EP instead. So this time, I’m super happy and proud that I finally got around to finishing one!

Many songs on the album are very uplifting and have an underlying message of encouragement to live for the now, with one track even named “Living In The Moment.” Did you have a turning point in your life that gave you this philosophical outlook and was this an intentional theme you wanted present throughout the album?

Throughout the whole writing process, I had this longing for human connection. We wrote the record in the middle of lockdown 2020 and I missed playing shows more than I realised I would. It was a way for me to meet new people and make new friends and suddenly we lost all of that and the shows all grinded to a halt. So, I threw myself into writing these new songs. It was my first time writing and recording everything from home and I think that had a huge impact on my process.

Despite sounding really big and anthemic, in many ways these songs feel more honest, personal and heartfelt than my previous records have, which have been stripped back and acoustic. I guess it’s funny how that happened because I think usually it’s expected that the more acoustic and stripped back something is, the more intimate and honest it is. But I don’t think that’s the case with this record. The whole experience felt like I was more present in the process and I really lingered in the moment. I slowed right down and got lost in the music. Something I’ve been needing to do for a long time. “Living In The Moment” came to me one morning over my coffee, I was just right in that special place…no distractions. Present in the moment. There’s an interesting sense of relief when you find that.

Your lyrics are very honest, particularly in the track “This Is It” and sound like they come from a place of wisdom. Do you tend to write from personal experience?

I think sometimes I find it pretty difficult to write exactly how I’m feeling and it can be hard to make sense of that when I’m trying to write lyrics to music. So there are times when I try to hide myself behind the song. “This Is It” was a song I wrote initially for a TV show with my fiancé’s sister Emily Hackett. Writing something to script can be cool because it gives you a clear direction of where you’re going right from the moment you pick up the guitar and start writing. I was really happy with what we wrote but in the end the song wasn’t used for the show. I ended up going back to it and playing it for fun every time I picked up my guitar and noticed that the lyrics were incredibly self-reflective. It was weird! It’s definitely a song that I needed to write; I think it was trying to tell me something. But it’s funny how it happened unintentionally.

Throughout the album you can hear tones reminiscent of Oasis, with a definite British feel. How do you think your upbringing has influenced your sound?

Oh absolutely!! I was a sucker for Oasis and Blur and all the Britpop stuff when I was growing up. I’m sure that Noel’s influence has worked its way in there somehow or another. I recently started listening to Radiohead properly for the first time though. I feel like I missed out on it the first time round, so I’ve just been loving that right now.

You’ve said that “Time Of Our Lives” is your favourite track on the album. What is it about this song that stands out to you?

It’s the last song we wrote on the record. I guess it just sums up everything nicely. It goes back to that human connection that I was seeking. But I think it’s more hopeful and celebratory than some of the rest of the album which speaks about this sense of loss. “Time Of Our Lives” is that realisation of belonging and finding that togetherness again. 

Last month, you released a music video for the song. Was there a particular vision or influence you had when it came to creating this visual?

The whole record was co-written and produced with my friends Seb, Bill and Fred from the band Grizfolk. Seb and I spent a lot of time talking about visuals during the recording process and we wanted to do something to bring those visuals to life. The whole video was filmed in and around my stomping ground of Venice, CA and along PCH in Malibu. It was important to me that the video had a home-like feel because the album does too. Seb’s girlfriend Casey LaBow directed it and her cousin Gabrielle Haugh starred in it. We had a lot of fun filming it. Truthfully it was just really nice to make art with my mates! They filmed the whole thing on the new iPhone 13, which is insane!

Lastly, you’ve played at the world-renowned Troubadour in Los Angeles, which I understand was a dream of yours when you first moved to California. Now you’ve ticked this off the bucket list, what would you like to do next?

Well, I’d love to play the Troubadour again…I think I can hear it calling my name! It’s one of my favourite venues and I can’t think of a better place to play these songs live for the first time. I’d also love to play some festivals. When the sun’s going down…of course!

Give ‘Time Of Our Lives’ a listen below and for more information on Johnny Ashby, visit his website, give his page a like on Facebook or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.