Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
A: So I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago (shoutout to Wheaton!), and throughout my childhood, my dad would pick up some gigs working shows at this theatre in Joliet, so I was going to concerts at a young age. I saw REO Speedwagon, Kansas, and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few, all before I was in middle school. I grew up on a lot of 70/80s rock from my dad, but my musical direction probably took off once I started playing piano in 5th grade. I took lessons, and not even a year in was when Adele released “21”, and I was hooked. “Someone Like You” was the first full song I learned on piano, and that was the type of music I brought to my teacher from there on out. After years of playing the songs I loved, I started writing songs of my own on piano and then after writing solo piano for a couple years, I finally wrote lyrics and started building my own arrangements for songs. The rest is history!
Q: Can you describe the musical style of ava rose in three words?
A: Three words? I’d probably have to say acoustic, expressive, and simple.
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: I’ve started really trying to utilize my newsletter as much as I can. I am trying to be more consistent with sharing the journey of building this album and the overall aspects of my artistry as it grows. I’m grateful for the small army I’ve got behind me so far, and I hope to build with them, project after project.
Q: You have just released your new album, ‘confessions, dreams, & unresolved feelings’. Is there a story behind it?
A: The album was almost a complete happenstance. I had a few songs that were ones I wanted to release as singles, but as I wrote more and more, an album just manifested. My last album, growing pains, was very much about that “entering adulthood post-college” phase, trying to get my footing in the rest of my life, and this project felt like a natural “second chapter”. The older I get, the more I learn about why things worked out the way they did and understand not only the experiences I’ve had, but the role I play in them as well. This project brought a lot of reflection and self-awareness, truly expressing this chapter of “I’m continuing to learn who I’m meant to be”.
Q: What is your favorite track from the album and why?
A: That’s always such a hard question. I honestly think it might have to be “born to dream”, the first track off the album. “born to dream” almost feels meta, like it’s saying everything that I wanted this album to say without putting it into words, except “born to dream” is the words. Entering this phase of my artistry was the first real era that I’ve felt like what I’m doing is worth doing and worth supporting, finally falling into some sense of confidence with my work. I don’t think I realized how much self-belief I really lacked until I stepped into this phase, found more of my voice, and really took a proper next step for the sake of my artistry.
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the album?
A: Sure! So I decided coming into 2025 that everything moving forward would be fully self-produced, as well as mixed and mastered by myself. I studied it as a part of my degree in college, and I thought I owed it to myself to lock those skills back in and bring my own visions to life. But every song is fully complete, either on piano or guitar, before bringing it into production. I write everything with an instrument at hand, and once it’s deemed ready, then we open up the laptop and get to recording. I always build out the foundation with guitar and/or piano, get a rough vocal in there to start extending the arrangement (add some strings, toss in drums and bass, the fun little secondary layers), and somewhere in there I figure out backing vocals and how all that is going to sit. That’s been the toughest part for most songs, I don’t have any signing background and consider myself someone who just sings for the sake of bringing my own songs to life, but it’s been really great to see that start to blossom with this project. Then of course when all the pieces are there, I add my final lead vocal and get to polishing it up!
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance so far?
A: I haven’t performed out nearly as much as I’d like (YET), so I’d probably say the Songwriter Showcase I did at Wiseman Brewing in Winston-Salem, NC (shoutout to Winston!). It was really special to have all of my NC friends there out to support, and that was also the first real set I got to play. I’d played open mic nights there before that, and that’s how I got the invite, but it was really special to have that opportunity in a city I was still pretty new in and to take a necessary next step for my artistry.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could you share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: Honestly, creating “who i am (outro)” was really special. Like I said, this album taught me a lot about myself and gave me the chance to reflect on past histories I didn’t know I needed to. I think that we’re all just products of everything we’ve experienced and the moves we’ve made throughout our own journeys, so having a song wrap up and highlight every other song and its story, all pointing towards this idea of still discovering who I am meant to be, feels really special. The chorus sums it all up “I’m still learning how to be who I am”, and the rest of the song is full of lyrics pulled from each of the other tracks that came before it, really speaking to how that’s all any of us are really trying to do: learn how to be who we are. Plus, I always wanted to do a “compilation” sort of song like that. I’m a big fan of AJR and their Overtures they used to do for their albums, as well as Jon Bellion’s “Hand of God”, which is more the style this one follows. Albums tell a story, and how do you close that story without sharing what the message is?
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always fascinating. Could you provide insight into ava rose’s unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: That’s a great question! It honestly varies, but as I mentioned in an earlier question, it’s almost always with an instrument at hand. I may work off of a random lyric idea I jotted down previously, but to me, a song can’t really develop without being able to play through it as it comes to life. The song stripped down in that simple, acoustic way is the song in its rawest form. Honestly, sometimes I like the live versions of songs better because you get to capture more of that rawness in the recording. Which is also part of why I try to take every opportunity I can to do live projects and versions of my songs. But to speak to my writing process, I really aim to capture as much of the idea as I can when it first comes, and then build with it as much as I can. I won’t force anything, so if it’s not happening for me that day, I’ll put a pin in it and come back to it the next time I sit down to write. I’ll try different keys if I get stuck, I get very particular about key signatures because I think that really sets the vibe, and sometimes witching that up is what the song needs. Ultimately, I just try to create a situation for the writing to happen and let it go from there. I’m just the lucky vessel for the creativity, and when I think too much about it, I end up in my own way.
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have for you, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: More than anything, I want to get out and play more so I can share these songs with more people face to face. I’m proud of how they turn out and what those finished, polished versions people get to hear sound like, but nothing beats raw and real. Beyond that, I have three phrases that I think really reflect my outlook and what I try to embody with my artistry. First one is “explore the unspoken”, meaning you shouldn’t be afraid to dig into the parts of yourself you often try to forget exist. The more we dig into the flawed sides of ourselves, the more we learn to embrace them. That leads me right into the second one: “embrace the rain”. That’s basically saying to embrace the darker days because without them the lighter days would just be days. We have to endure the bad to experience the good. Finally, more than anything, I want people to “enjoy the journey”. Life is short, time moves fast, and there’s a silver lining in everything, no matter how small. So don’t be afraid to explore, embrace it al (good or bad)l, and enjoy the journey you’re on. That’s what it’s all about.
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