Meet Ash Fuller, the Galway Musician Featuring the City In Her Songs
A proud Galweigan, the 24 year old from Renmore is coming up on the scene with a melancholic pop sound that often features the place she calls home; whether as the undercurrent of a song or the vibrant backdrop of one of her music videos.
We caught up with Ash to chat about the inspiration behind her music, her love of Galway, and what's next in store for her.
Left: Photo of Ash by Bruno Pierucci, Right: Photo of Ash by Ryos Salah
Hi Ash! Where did your love of music begin?
I started writing my own music when I was quite young. There's a picture of me at 2 years old playing with a mini guitar, so I suppose I always had an inclination towards it! I was in piano lessons, and violin too – I didn't like that at all, but I really liked the piano.
I remember being around 10 years old, sitting down at the piano and writing a song about my Grandad. I don’t remember the details of the lyrics now, but I remember writing. I also wrote a lot of poetry at school, pages and pages of poems and limericks. I loved the rhyme and rhythm. I guess this transferred over to my songwriting in later years.
How would you describe your music?
I would describe my music as ‘sad girl pop’. I do try to write happy songs from time to time, but I love the idea of being able to convey the [darker] emotions that so many people have through lyrics, instruments and ambience. I like ruminating on sad emotions, and finding new ways to express the same thing.
Are there any musicians that have inspired you?
Growing up, Taylor Swift was my big inspiration. Her ability to move across genres really inspired me; from country to pop to folk, she does it all. It’s helped me to realise that I don’t need to stick to the same type of song in everything I write. I like to experiment and Taylor Swift is a great example of that.
Currently my music has a lot of country influence. I’ve been listening to Joshua Slone and his album Thinking Too Much which is a folk/country album. I’m also listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s new album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.
I love focusing on the composition of a song, all the underlying components that come together to create this whole atmosphere. Very often, I will listen to the same song 10 times in a row, each time focusing in on a different aspect - the bass guitar, the riffs, where the harmonies come in, how the sound pans left and right.
The videos that accompany the songs, bring them to life even more.
Galway seems to feature as a prominent character in your music. What is it about home that inspires you?
Galway is the best! I am probably disproportionately proud to be a Galwegian. I lived abroad and traveled for four years during my undergrad. I loved it, and I kind of forgot about Galway. But since moving home, I have this newfound appreciation for the place.
I have intentionally made Galway an inspiration for my songs and videos as a way of making my music relatable to others. It’s a way of connecting with people.
Talk to us about your music videos.
I worked with Bruno Pierucci of Blue Cherry Media to create the videos. Bruno was the director, and provided a lot of creative input. I wanted to film at some picturesque locations in Galway, firstly because I think the city is beautiful, and also because it makes the song more personal.
A lyric in the song “Sunday Mourning” is “coffee's bitter but its sweeter than the taste you left.” There are scenes of me journaling and sitting at a local café (Fairhill Coffee + Design). And while I'm singing “I'm still waiting, praying, hoping maybe that you'll text,” there's a time-lapse of people walking up and down High Street, zooming past me. It looks awesome, but it reflects the mess inside my head at the time I wrote it.
I had a similar idea for “Half the City”, which I wrote from the perspective of a friend of mine who was going through a breakup in Galway. I refer to the Spanish Arch, the West End, and the ocean, so I felt it made sense to move around the city and film content by the sea. These are songs so many people can relate to, and the videos that accompany the songs bring them to life even more.
What's your creative process like as a singer-songwriter?
My creative process is very relaxed. I never force myself to write a song. I might write one and then I won’t write another for six weeks, or six months. When I do have an idea, I’ll sit at the piano and within ten minutes, the entire song will be written. It’s like I wait around until the lyrics and emotions within me are about to pour out, so when I sit down at the piano, the song comes out all together, and oftentimes I don’t need to revisit the song or make any changes.
I’ve only ever written songs by myself, so I would definitely like to try some different things to inspire me, or write with other artists.
You shared the stage with Imelda May. What was it like to perform in front of an Irish music icon?
It was amazing! It was a very impulsive moment. I went to her concert, and she does a part where she invites someone on stage to sing with her. The hungry artist within me saw the opportunity and jumped at it. I got onto the stage, and Imelda was expecting we would sing together, but I kindly asked if I could sing a song that I wrote that week (“Half the City”).
Imelda loved the song and told me it was a hit, and the audience loved it too. It was so fun, and a reminder to grab all the opportunities that come your way! In the future, I would definitely love to officially share the stage with some big names like Amble or Aaron Rowe.
What's next for you?
I am putting on my first ever headline show in the Róisín Dubh on November 5th, with a full band! It will be a night full of heartbreaking bangers, both tears and dancing guaranteed.
I’m also working on creating my first ever EP at the moment, which I hope to release in 2027. It will be singer-songwriter pop, and some melodies you can’t stop singing.
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