Ainsley Costello has to be one of the most down-to-earth, friendly people I have met while doing these interviews. Her bubbly personality and love for music overwhelmed me. Ainsley Costello is only 17 but is already endorsed by Breedlove guitars. She is one of the youngest artists to be endorsed by Breedlove when they reached out to her a few years back. This girl has been working hard since the day she was born and her father introduced her to the music industry. Ainsley has been a Berklee College of Music student since she was fifteen. Her parents were 100% behind her when she wanted to make the move from Seattle to Nashville, TN. They all realized if Ainsley played 100 shows in six states, it was probably time to give Music City a chance.
Just to brag on this amazing songwriter a little more, she has been invited to play the NAAM show twice and invited to audition for the voice when she was only thirteen. She put out a full album at fifteen and is getting a degree with Berklee, which she started early as well. Ainsley Costello is the type of girl that I see other's will be looking up to in the future. Her drive and motivation to get things done inspires me.
Ainsley Costello's first album was released a week before COVID hit, but that did not stop her or her team. She just sat down and wrote so many songs in quarantine, she set a goal to release a song every month to stay relevant. Nashville has opened back up more than other places, so Ainsley has just gotten back into playing shows and rounds all over town. This year, she plans on releasing six more songs, so follow her on social media to stay updated and to pre-save the campaigns. People have described Ainsley's genre as "Genreless Jam Band," and I can agree with that! Metanoia started as a work tape and received great feedback. She said she, "Wrote the song when my hair was blue, had an identity crisis in quarantine, and discovered bands Paramore Kings of Leon. What do I want to do with myself?" She has a mix of Paramore, indie, pop, country, you name is and Ainsley does it. Nashville is not just a place for country music anymore, it is home to all styles and genres.
Costello's goal is to stay independent as long as she can. The idea of being in charge of your label and publishing is very promising, especially today with people working out of home studios now. If you can do everything yourself and not have to pay someone, that is money you can allocate towards something else, like new sound equipment or DAWs. She also wants to start touring around Tennessee, eight hours away in every direction.
`You are going to want to run across an open field when the sun is setting to every one of Ainsley's songs, especially Daydreamer and Metanoia. Daydreamer was inspired by the Netflix original, "Ann with an E." Ainsley saw herself in Anne and connected with the character. After the song was written, produced, and released, her team messaged cast members from the show and directors. The worst that could happen was they don't read. However, there wouldn't be a story behind this part of the article if nothing happened. One of the directors loved the song so much, she showed it to the original cast members and other people that worked on the set. They all felt an emotional connection to the song, similar to how Ainsley felt with the show.
Daydreamer/Verona/Metanoia Song Reviews:
Like I had previously stated before, these are great songs to run in a field with during golden hour. Lyrically they are very commercial. For being a very young writer, she knows what people might like to hear. Daydreamer is the best one lyrically. There is always room to grow. The melodies are very strong in these songs as well. Daydreamer, in my personal opinion, is the best quality of a song for the radio. It is the perfect length, catchy, and has a perfect hook. The advertising for Daydreamer was very on brand and successful. While the title of Metanoia may stump you, I promise the song is not complicated at all it's simply beautiful. Metanoia means that there is a change in one's life, whether it is identity, mind, or heart. Sometimes it can be all three.
Verona is a very different feel than Daydreamer. I think Verona is where Ainsley gathered most of her inspiration from Paramore. It is very Check Yes, Juliet. I can tell that she pulls inspiration from Kings of Leon and Snow Patrol. Her voice is very unique and doesn't sound like anything you hear playing on Broadway. Metanoia and Daydreamer take you into a different world. Her soothing voice and sweet guitar layers make the songs what they are. The harmonies are simple but necessary to make the songs what they are. The mixed qualities are fantastic. The drums are EQ'd perfectly to fit the rest of the band. It's at a perfect level. It's not packed with EQ and effects. You can tell just which instrument is being played.
Follow Ainsley Costello on her socials and ask her to tour in your state or hometown!
LINKS:
Daydreamer Live https://youtu.be/uuZq_yHxjAo
Verona Live at Pick Simply Studio https://youtu.be/AX7gfQmHRTM
Artist Website: https://ainsleycostello.com
Verona kind of reminded me of an old song, Sister Golden Hair, by America. 😎