Aislinn Davis is an indie powerhouse not to be reckoned with. Releasing music since 2021, Davis’ growth as a musician has been incredible, as she constantly provides new music to her dedicated listeners and fans. Davis has multiple songs at one million streams and others steadily climbing, showcasing her talent at drawing in audiences. Being only 24 years old and already this talented, it’s easy to imagine just how big Davis can grow with her dedication and grit alone.
The star’s newest song, “Somewhere Else,” marks the next big shift in Davis’ musical career, exploring love with crisp hyper-pop beats.
Her fan-favorite 2024 track “LMS” is a brilliant showcase of her songwriting talent. The chorus employs an addictive rhyming technique in every line, driving home the anger and emotional journey Davis is traversing in this track.
“Tell me that you want me closer / Cryin’ on your goddamn shoulder / Everything is so much colder / Knowing that it’s almost over / Didn’t even last October / Must’ve been a three leaf clover / Just another non-disclosure / Could never love me sober,” Davis sings in “LMS,” her viral song that recently hit one million Spotify streams.
There are three versions of “LMS” out, including a demo and a stripped version, allowing listeners to get a full whirlwind experience of Davis’ knack for music.
Davis found a way to perfectly use her social media as the main promotional tactic and it pays off. Davis consistently posts herself singing acoustic versions of her own songs to showcase her musical and her vocal talent, but she also posts stunning covers of other artists’ work, giving nonfans the chance to discover her compelling artistry.
Over the course of her career, Davis has been experimenting with expanding her sound. Her newest track, “Somewhere Else,” dives into the world of hyper-pop, a stark difference from her piano ballads and pop-rock tracks she’d previously shown the world. But, Davis is a master of her craft, and can make an enchanting song in any genre. She keeps her music simultaneously refreshing and comfortable, and her distinct voice coupled with her ability always gives a fresh performance in her music and writing.
Crave had the opportunity to interview Aislinn Davis on her exciting career, her inspirations and what lies ahead.
CRAVE: You use TikTok as a marketing tool and recently reached 200k followers, congrats! What is your earliest memory of feeling success on that app? What does success mean to you? How do you measure success between music and social media?
AISLINN: Thank you so much, it is still so crazy to me that anybody follows me at all. Every time I log on and see that number I feel so grateful for every single person who has supported me throughout this journey. I will never forget when I first joined TikTok during the pandemic and was so nervous to post, it’s the only account I didn’t use my first and last name for as the username. At the time, I felt like I was leaning heavily into my childhood interests as a coping mechanism for the uncertain world around me, which led to me posting a TON of One Direction covers. Pretty much immediately, I felt an overwhelming amount of love and support on those videos. If you know anything about One Direction fans, you know those guys show up. I owe so much of my confidence to the kindness they showed me in those early days; without them, I am not sure I would’ve even thought pursuing music was an option for me. At the same time, it’s super easy to get caught up in looking at everything like it’s a numbers game. When it comes to measuring success, I try to focus on whether I’m making music that I am proud of, and then if even one other person ends up caring about it, or telling me it meant something to them, then I think what I am doing is worth it.
CRAVE: Your fan-favorite song “LMS” recently reached 1 million streams. What was it like reaching that milestone?
AISLINN: Having “LMS” reach a million streams has been one of the most rewarding things that has ever happened to me, I think. When I wrote that song, I was at a really low point in my life, and in so many ways I feel like it brought me back to myself. It honestly makes me really emotional to think about how far I have come from then to now, and how many incredible things have happened since then because of that song. What felt like one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had turned into the catalyst for some of the best things in my life, and of all the songs I have ever released, it means the most to me that this one was something that people really resonated with.
CRAVE: When you first started your career in music, did you set any short or long term goals for yourself? Have you completed any of them? Which are still in progress? Have any of them changed?
AISLINN: When I first started making music, honestly, my only goal was to be able to put out songs that I was proud of and hope that at least one person would listen. Since then, not much has really changed in that regard. Of course, now that I have had a little more experience, I sometimes allow myself to dream a little bigger. As for long-term goals, I would love to put out a full-length album finally. I feel like that’s a bit overdue, and I also need to get out on the road to play some live shows soon before I go crazy! Beyond that, I think I am gonna keep those a secret for now.
CRAVE: Has music always been the main path for you? What/who inspired you to go into music? Are there any specific memories you have of you making the conscious choice to go into music?
AISLINN: Music has always been a huge part of my life, but not necessarily a path I thought would ever be available to me to pursue growing up. My family is the best and has always pushed me to do everything I’ve ever wanted, but coming from a small town in the Midwest without any connections and very few resources, it can feel sort of impossible to break into such a competitive industry. I am very lucky to have so many people in my life who believed in me enough to convince me to go for it anyway. I have one friend in particular who inspires me so much, and he was actually the one who talked me into finally releasing my own songs after a while of just posting covers online. Without him, I am not sure if I would’ve ever had enough courage to choose to go into music, and even if I did eventually get there, I would be nowhere near the artist I am today.
CRAVE: What is the music writing process like for you? Does music come to you first in lyrics or sound? Or does it depend on the song? Do some songs come to you as ideas first? Or moments in your life?
AISLINN: Most often, when I am writing songs, I am a lyrics-first type of songwriter. Whether it’s just a few lines to start with, or an idea that comes to me randomly in the car or lying in bed at night, I very rarely sit down and try to write an instrumental. I am sure that it’s partly because I feel like I am a much better writer than I am a musician, so it’s always just felt more natural to start with words and let them inform the rest of the song. I definitely draw primarily from my own life experiences for songwriting, sometimes very directly or even just expanding on a feeling. However, I do sometimes find inspiration in other forms of media like movies, books, and TV shows I am into, which is always a very interesting process because I feel like it gives me the chance to dive deep into a totally different perspective.
CRAVE: How do you set up a song release? How long do you have a song ready before deciding a date to release it? Do you do anything special to prepare yourself to release music?
AISLINN: Releasing music is always such a funny feeling because most of the time, I feel like I have already overplayed the song in my own car by the time it’s finally coming out. Sometimes I forget how many things I have that nobody has ever heard, and it’s hard to keep it all straight between demos and official releases. It usually is such a relief though, to reach the point that it feels like a song is totally finished and ready to be put out. It’s also really nice to get a break once the song is finally released. Usually, the few days that follow are the only time I can actually relax without feeling guilty for not working on something. With streaming services, as an independent artist, I tend to have things ready a minimum of three weeks before release, but I think it also varies per distributor you use. Besides that, usually I brace myself for all the content I have to film leading up to a release and cross my fingers that people haven’t forgotten about me yet.
CRAVE: You post a lot about going to concerts and supporting your favorite bands and artists. How does being on the fan side and the artist side both influence how you go about creating music and interacting as an artist?
AISLINN: I think being such a fan of music has fundamentally shaped who I am as an artist, and it’s something that I feel very strongly about. For me, music has always been such a safe space, and it’s important to me to be a part of those communities. I have also been so lucky to be able to meet so many of my favorite artists, so I know what it’s like to be on both sides of the stage. I am sure it’s no secret how much I love the band Waterparks, and I always find myself walking away from their shows hoping to be even half the kind of person Awsten Knight is with his fans. Artists like him and Del Water Gap really inspire me and are people I really look up to, because I know how much those moments and interactions have impacted me. I feel a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to how I interact with my own fans. As far as how it influences my own music, I think that it often pushes me to be a better songwriter. Sometimes I’ll be listening to Djo or Del Water Gap or Waterparks and think to myself, “Mannnn I wish I had written this,” or feel inspired by their ability to blend genres and be experimental, and I’ll have this moment where I am like wait, “Why am I not doing that too?” and then I make something totally unlike what I usually write and it’s awesome.
Be sure to stream “Somewhere Else,” out Jan. 16, and catch up on all of Davis’ music.
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