On The Rise: Asher White

A collage of sound and styles. As much self-help as it is self-destruction.

8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living is the 16th release from Asher White, and her first for Joyful Noise Recordings. It's indie rock bangers, interjected with breakbeat electronic. It's autobiography layered over character studies. Trails of bossa nova, power pop, and doom metal are some of the vivid contrasts that brings the album to life. It's the sum of it's parts- materials collected and collaged together by White to create something original and interesting and fully herself.

We asked Asher the hard-hitting questions (like her essential tour snacks) and she responded in kind with delightfully funny answers. Keep reading to find out the albums that inspire her, top career moments, and who just followed her on Instagram.

We're excited to announce Asher White as part of Rough Trade On The Rise, our dedicated curation putting a spotlight on the emerging music we are the most excited for you to hear, to follow and become a fan of. Read on to discover more about the artist in her own words and don't miss the new album 8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living out 9/12 on Joyful Noise Recordings.

Asher White on Asher White

A self-penned bio

Five by Five

5 Qs, 5 As

Describe yourself in 5 words.

Pursues fun, likes simple breakfast.

5 records you listened to prior to making your album? 

Nara Leão - Vento De Maio

A recording of real sublime airiness and purity; very stark yet sumptuous. Her voice is translucent, nearly weightless, everything is so fragile and gorgeous.

Ulthar - Anthronomicon

Unlocked the door to technical death metal for me; an enormous interlocking equation of violence and creation. the only time i smoke weed is to pitch myself into the middle of pummeling and generative music like this.

Container - LP (2018)

Not to be confused with LP, LP, and LP, before it, this is Container’s most bruising, urgent-sounding and, carnally pleasurable entry.

Or Best Offer - Center

A deep abyss that extends inward with each listen; fronted by a legitimate chaser and also the best band in NYC and if you ask anyone they will agree.

ML Buch - Skinned

Queasy, sun-dappled music that does a very impressive thing of being both very digital and very tactile—totally the gold standard for evocative and spirited MIDI usage. ML Buch is a texture deity.

Top 5 career moments?

We’ve been senselessly, unreasonably blessed with some really amazing, dream-come-true level opening slots pretty early in our career. I think mostly by accident. Our first real show at a venue was opening for Dear Nora, the nicest people who were ever born. We started at the top.

Jlin following me on instagram.

Sitting next to Seth as he methodically led the second half of “Beers” into its gnarliest and most exquisitely fucked-up form.

Graduating from “androgynous vocals” tag on RateYourMusic to “female vocals”

Mostly injury-less but still scary car accident that me and my band (Betsey and Martin) got into as karmic retribution for recording an instrumental post-hardcore album as a new band, which will be released in the next year or so.

You host a pre-release listening party for the album. Who are your 5 VIP guests (dead or alive)?

• Al Gore (pre-2000 election)
• Nora Ephron, who i think would not like the album so much but would still have a good time
• Betty and Miles Davis (early 70s)
• Lester Bangs as portrayed by Phillip Seymor Hoffman in Almost Famous (2000)
• Jlin

Top 5 essential tour snacks

• Goldfish crackers will settle the stomach and provide a satisfying game of “molar excavation” in the car.
• Those refrigerated Rollini salami-and-cheese tubes, which have contained little bits of mold-fuzz enough times that it’s sort of perverse how much I still want them all the time.
• I’m on a Tic Tac wave, which is a perfect palate cleanser. This question is a great space for brand ambassadorship. I hope any of the following brands will reach out upon the publication of this because obviously I believe in their vision and am paying my dues. 
• Spindrift Seltzer, who I’ve been DMing for 3 or 4 years about being a brand ambassador without any reply whatsoever.
• I don’t condone doping for your sport or craft but I've struggled to resist a pre-show Celsius. I like the Galaxy Vibe one or the fuji pear.