Amber Ais
I instantly fell in love with Amber Ais’ latest single “Ordinary”. In fact, I’ve been listening to it on repeat for the past couple of days and it’s honestly been my favorite new release. It’s a smash, a feel good song and it just makes me happy every time I hear it. It takes me back to the early 2000’s pop-r&b era but it also has that 80’s vibe. It feels nostalgic but modern at the same time. Amber also has a beautiful and angelic voice. “Ordinary” is a timeless pop record and I know I will keep listening to it on a daily basis.
Thank you so much Amber for this interview, and thank you for this banger !
And to everyone else, go stream “Ordinary” on repeat :)
Photo credit: James Wolf
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
My name is Amber Ais and I am an indie pop singer songwriter from Boston, MA currently based in Nashville. As an artist, I am a self-proclaimed wholesome sad girl but as a person I am a friend, sister, coffee addict, and professional fangirl.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to a lot of different things. But I think the things that influenced me the most was music from Disney Channel and John Mayer.
When did you know you could sing?
I knew I’ve always loved to sing as a kid. My mom was the director of the children’s choir at church when I was young so she kind of forced all of her children to be in it. And because my mom sang a lot, music was in our house all of the time. I think that definitely developed me as a singer at a young age. But I think I realized I could actually sing when I won the talent show in the 6th grade and I realized that I might’ve been good this whole time!
Growing up, what were your favorite songs to sing along to?
I was actually just talking about this with my older sister. So, outside of church me and my older sister would learn almost every duet from Disney Channel. Like ANY duet that was in a Disney Channel tv show or movie, best believe me and my sister were singing it every day.
When did you start writing songs? What was the biggest challenge when you first started?
I started writing songs super young. When I was in grade school I would write songs at recess which sounds super lame but I think the desire to write was always there. I think the thing that challenged me the most when I was taking it seriously was a lack of confidence and the fear of performing. I didn’t really think I was that talented honestly. And I was so scared that people were going to think I sucked or that maybe as good as I thought. That was such a big barrier for me in high school specifically. I had really bad stage fright and I was always comparing myself to people around me.
When did you realize you were good at what you were doing?
In my early years of college I struggled a lot with being confident in my singing voice and I was obsessed with Ed Sheeran and John Mayer. And I realized that people didn’t listen to Ed or John because they are these impressive vocalists, they listen to them because they can write incredible songs. So I thought, I don’t need to be a great singer, if I can write a dang song! I worked so hard on writing well and writing songs that were authentic to me. I don’t think any artist comes to their peak, I think we just keep growing. So I wouldn’t say I’m this incredible musician but I can say that I’m better than I was when I started!
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
I’m a Christian and I believe that God gifted me, and everyone with something special. So, I think that if I wasn’t making music I would be doing Him a disservice. Whatever that gift, skill, or talent is, I believe that there is so much God can do through that. Because of that core belief, it gave me confidence even when I would battle imposter syndrome and comparison. It gave me confidence to believe in what God gave me and what He wanted to go through me instead of thinking that it was about me.
"Ordinary" is your latest single - what's the story/inspiration behind this song?
Ordinary is probably one of my favorite songs I wrote! I wrote it because I watched “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” Part 2! Sounds funny, but my sister, my mom, and I would watch it every time a new one came out. And at the end of the second movie the male love interest says “I know you hate driving in the snow.” And it’s this beautiful moment between him and the main character. So I wrote down “I hate the snow but with you it’s confetti.” and from there the song was born!
Who helped you create it "Ordinary"? Could you describe the songwriting/production process?
When I was in Boston, my producer and good friend, Ghreg Louis would produce everything for me. And when it came time to produce the album, I sent him the voice note. I usually write everything pretty stripped and with just guitar and he looked at me and said, “What if we made this kind of 80s?” and I was like do whatever you want! I wanted something different sonically from what I usually do.
What made you want to release "Ordinary" as a single?
I wanted something different sonically from what I usually do. And also I really believed in the song as well. I think Ghreg did such a great job with production that I wanted to highlight his work as well.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
My favorite part of the song is the vocal production of the second verse and the lyrics. I think vocal production is so fun! My favorite thing is throwing ideas around seeing how they compliment each other. Lyrically, I also think it’s some of my best. I’ve always wanted to write pop music that said things and weren’t just fluff and I think this song has some of my strongest lyrics.
What can you tell us about your upcoming album?
It’s music that I wrote from the last two years and it is some of my favorite songs I’ve penned. They’re all pretty nostalgic and reminiscing on things and people of the past but I’m looking forward to moving out of that space and finally releasing it. While I’m not living these songs anymore, I believe it will resonate with those who listen. Be on the lookout for the album this summer!
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
The hardest part as an indie artist is not always having the money to back up every project I have. I wish I could just focus solely on music but I still work a real job and I have to live! But the best part is sharing my music and heart with people. I love the responses I get from people who genuinely love my music.
How's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What advice would you give to women out there?
Being a woman in the industry has its challenges. I think as a black woman in pop specifically, it’s hard to get people to understand that I don’t do R&B or Rap music. Those genres are great in their own right but they haven’t been authentic to me in my artistic expression. I am often put in a box for what I should be creating and how “black” I should be. As a woman I think the best advice is to create from a place that is authentic to you and to always remember why you make music in the first place.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
It's so fast paced nowadays and has people fighting to stay relevant on TikTok and across all social media. In my opinion, there needs to be a balance of authentic fan engagement and music promotion. If I could change anything, it would be for it to be focused more on talent and not so much numbers and money.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
The biggest life lesson I have learned so far is that I have zero control over a lot of things. It’s not something I ever had a grip on in the first place and it’s easier to rest and trust knowing that things will happen the way they’re supposed to and things will happen when they’re supposed to as well. That means good and bad things as well. It doesn’t mean we don’t try or that we don’t care, it just means that we don’t have to strive or cross our fingers for a certain outcome.
Connect with Amber: