“With A Song”, released on March 4, 2022, had been out for a little over a month at the time of my interview with Mallaigh. This single contains one of Mallaigh’s most authentic sounds and is a song that she is really proud of. It explains the moment when a relationship begins and can feel so delicate. Based on her current relationship, “With A Song” is a track that she hopes will grow with herself, as well as listeners who find themselves in a similar position. 

“That’s kind of how I felt going into this relationship that the song is about. It felt like there was something really great happening but there’s the anxiety of does this person like me as much as I like them. There’s a table tennis almost going back and forth of ‘if I could make you fall in love with a song I would’ but ‘I think you like me, but I’m not sure’. That kind of mentality runs through the song.” - Mallaigh Ashton, for Tongue Tied Mag

I was curious if Mallaigh thought this song would follow her through potential future relationships, to which she referenced the Lucy Dacus lyric, “In five years, I hope the songs feel like covers / Dedicated to new lovers”. She has written about past lovers before, and of course will continue to do so, but is okay with the idea that “With A Song” could either remain about her current partner or would shift with someone new. A beautiful thing about Mallaigh’s songwriting is that she tends to associate her songs with a snapshot of time versus a specific individual. Her storytelling through music is extraordinary and paints a beautiful picture of emotion and experience. 

“I often think ‘Okay, I want to write a song about this thing that happened to me or about a fictional character’ and I’ll pin down the vibe I want and try to find a chord progression that works for it. Usually, that’s how I'll start and the story will come through a combination of the chords and the lyrics. I’ll sit down and go through the chords a bunch of times on the guitar and the words will come. As for the story of it all, that changes. For “With A Song”, I wanted it to be a really simple story. I used simple lyrics, simple ideas, to highlight the delicateness of the production and the concept.” - Mallaigh Ashton, for Tongue Tied Mag

The original version of “With A Song” is a little different from what we know it to be. Falling just short five minutes, “With A Song” initially included an interlude, an instrumental pre- and post-chorus, as well as an additional verse. Unfortunately, Mallaigh and her producer decided to cut these out and this first draft of her latest release will only live on in her voice memos. We joked that she could release this version on a future EP titled with (Mallaigh’s Version), after one of her inspirations, Taylor Swift. 

Along with Taylor Swift, Mallaigh has credited 90’s and modern day influence within her writing; The Cranberries, Mazzy Star, Phoebe Bridgers, Carly Rae Jepsen. Within songwriting, she focuses on these artists’ wordplay, ear for melody, and ability to pair down big ideas into a single song. As an artist and performer, she wants her songs to translate into an atmosphere of music that is catchy and alt-pop inspired. 

“I feel like Phoebe Bridgers has influenced me the most lyrically. I love specificity and image and she does that so incredibly well. It’s a way to influence you but it’s also uniquely your own if you use specificity. Also, Taylor Swift has influenced me in how she structures her songs. I think her songs are really incredible and part of the reason they’re so catchy is because she uses this iron-clad structure in her songs. … It’s not really the lyrics that influence me, but the way they write and the way they use lyricism. Even though I’ve never met them, I feel like they are my mentors in that way!” - Mallaigh Ashton, for Tongue Tied Mag

Mallaigh hopes to reenter the studio in May to continue the production of her next EP and hopes to have it released by the Fall. She is currently booking and has booked multiple shows throughout New York City for the foreseeable future. Even though my interview with Mallaigh was rather short, she has such a sweet soul that is passionate about her craft. I am looking forward to her upcoming release and hope I’ll find myself at a show of her’s one day.

Mallaigh Ashton

Instagram

Website

Listen to “With A Song” here.