"What's On The Way" Music Video Premiere, and Album Review
The best music is always the most relatable music. You know what we’re getting at… It’s not a coincidence that artists such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, and Neil Young are regarded as songwriting Gods. It’s not their individual musical talents that got them to where they are; it’s their heart, desire, and authenticity. An artist in the same vain is Ashley Virginia, who’s hitting us with her new music video for “What’s On The Way” today, in preparation for the release of her new record And Life Just Goes On Living on August 13th. The video, directed and edited by Alexei Mejouev has a real flower power undertone to it, with Virginia seemingly at peace with her surroundings, as she twists, turns, and picks at flowers out of the ground. It’s a “keep calm and carry on” type of song, a theme that threads itself through the album’s eleven tracks.
An artist that prides herself on her honesty, And Life Just Goes On Living is quite a confessional piece of work. Not afraid to hide herself, Virginia has been very open and honest about her battles with her depression and mental health. “Apathy Blues,” in particular, emphasizes the general raw themes around the album, of dealing with mental health disorders. In writing these songs, Virginia viewed them as diary entries, songs meant to help her process her thoughts, but also to inspire herself, and others. In keeping with its ’60s influences, the lyrics are also meant to be motivational, words to encourage others to use their voice and be heard. There are certainly political undercurrents, which is not surprising given the political and social state of the U.S. in which these songs began to come together.
As an accompaniment to the premiere of the “What’s On The Way” video, Virginia has shared with us a special album commentary, where she touches on each song on And Life Just Goes On Living. Read on as she details her thought process and point of view in this special track-by-track rundown…