This week Asteria, Spotify’s artist of the month, shares her likes and dislikes with our readers. Read on….
you & me
Young and energetic, Asteria is a 24-year-old multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter. According to Asteria, music is the only thing she is crazy about. “No matter how many times I have tried to make myself fall in love with something other than music, it never works and I always end up going back to it,” says the artist. “Watching Jimmy Page play guitar had an enormous emotional effect on me - he inspired me to pick up my guitar. I started my journey as a guitarist some 10 years ago, but as Asteria, the journey began in March 2021,” she states. These days Asteria is working on a series of singles. “I am putting together my songs as an EP. Hopefully, it will be released by the end of the year,” she elucidates. This week Asteria, Spotify’s artist of the month, shares her likes and dislikes with our readers. Read on….
What is your specialised field of singing?
I am a bit of a generalist when it comes to singing. I take influence from several genres and combine them in a style that is unique to who I am.
What is your most memorable concert to date?
I recently played at a busking gig organised by ‘re:introduction’ - it was the first of its kind in Karachi. I performed looking outside a restaurant window to about 150 people gathered in the street; it was extremely poetic.
How does it feel to be the Ambassador of the Month for EQUAL Pakistan?
It’s honestly overwhelming and it made me quite emotional when I found out. Being able to represent female artists across the whole country is genuinely an honour.
How important do you think such initiatives are for women artists of our country?
Such initiatives create opportunities for female artists such as myself. It’s imperative to push female artists globally as music has been a male-dominated industry. I am glad that Spotify is taking initiatives to create change.
Tell us about your song that is being featured on the EQUAL Pakistan playlist.
It’s an indie-electronic Urdu/English track called ‘Nishaan’. I wrote it earlier this year in an attempt to make music that represented how I was changing as a person. I feel more confident and more myself than ever and I wanted that to reflect in the song.
Have you released any music albums so far?
No, only 5 singles so far.
Top 3 songs in your playlist?
‘Heeray Moti’ by Natasha Humera Ejaz; ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ by Radiohead and ‘Waves’ by Royal Blood.
Who is your favourite international music celebrity?
Matt Bellamy.
Who is your icon in the music industry?
Matt Bellamy, again.
What was the role of music in your early years of life?
I’ve loved listening to music since I was a kid. My dad in particular exposed me to various genres at a very young age.
Who was your favourite pop star when you were growing up?
Matt Bellamy, again (ha ha).
What was the first instrument that you learned to play?
Guitar.
Your most irritating habit…
I’m clumsy and quite bad at basic household tasks.
You don’t like people who are…
I don’t like people who speak badly about other people for no reason.
You are afraid of…
I am terrified of cockroaches.
Your most valuable possession...
Probably my laptop. My life’s work as a musician lies in that one machine.
Your all-time favourite movie?
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.
Are you a shopaholic?
If I don’t control myself, I could become one.
What bores you the most?
Holding conversations with people that have no substance.
You are crazy about…
Music, spirituality, understanding the human psyche, science, fashion, etc.
How do you like to spend your Sundays?
I don’t ever have a fixed routine on how I like to spend my days - I’m super spontaneous.
What is your favourite tune nowadays?
‘Heeray Moti’ by Natasha Humera Ejaz.
If you could have a musician tag along with you on tour for a month, whom would you choose?
Fjokra - they were a really underrated band from the UK I used to love in university. I used to adore their music and I’d love for them to perform again.
Your favourite hangout?
Nowadays - maybe Model Town Park in Lahore.
If you had access to a time machine, which era would you revisit?
The era of dinosaurs.
Who do you see as your main competitor?
My own ego.
Do you agree that it is important to learn and understand old music and its history?
I think it definitely gives you perspective, and broadens your palette. Studying history also allows you to understand patterns and how music as a whole evolves across time - it helps you see the bigger picture.
A song that always gets you on the dance floor?
‘New Drop. New York’ by Sbtrkt.
What’s the last thing you bought?
Shampoo.
What books are on your bedside table?
Just a couple of notebooks right now; been doing more writing than reading lately.
First thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
A little meditation, then I check my phone.
When I am not working, I am usually…
Socialising, playing video games, looking stuff up on the internet.
The most important relationship lesson you have learnt so far…
Trust yourself always, and don’t compromise on who you are.
You get super uncomfortable when…
People don’t respect my boundaries.
The biggest misconception about you is
People sometimes assume from the way I look that I’ll be difficult to talk to. On the contrary, I’m quite easy-going and non-judgmental.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I want to be touring internationally and I want my music to be known worldwide.
Something very few people know about me…
I’m extremely spiritual and view life through that lens perpetually.
What’s your ultimate desire?
To be free from the limits of my mental conditioning so I can experience life to the fullest.
