Aston Fenly is a Danish-born songwriter who just moved to LA.  His debut single, "Sunrise," just dropped via Universal's Denmark imprint and after taking it for a spin a few times,  I'm here to tell you this one is absolute fire.  It's not your typical mass-produced track, but one that reaches into your heart and take's hold of it quickly, touching on haunting subjects that most have experienced at one point or another in their life.  I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Aston one-on-one and dove head first into topics that challenged my mind and touched my soul.  We discussed his early years as an artist, his move to Los Angeles from Denmark, and his latest single, "Sunrise".   No topics were out of bounds, and we went the distance in an interview you won't want to miss!

Matthew:  Tell our listeners how you got started in music?

Aston:  I had a really hard time in middle school and was bullied a lot. Every single day would just be me coming home and crying and feeling very unpopular ( I am sure a lot of kids can relate to this).  At one point I just thought to myself, “What do I have to do to like change how people look at me?”  I really wanted to do something about it and when I did, everything suddenly changed.  I switched schools, started into music, and somehow became the most popular kid in school.

Matthew:  What was it like performing on stage for the very first time?

Aston:   I think it was fun. I remember the first show that we had.  We were like 14 at that time, and I was in a rap group with some friends from my school.  We played this club, which I believe was for young people.  Funny enough, they actually served alcohol and people were drunk at that party. It was just like a lot of people from our school, maybe 150 people.  

Matthew:  Is it different now that the spotlight is now on you?

Aston:  I don’t know. I've always felt like I've always been the central part of every project I've done.  When I decided to do my own thing, there seemed to be a lot more pressure on me because there was no one I could fall back on.  On the flip side, it allowed me to do what I wanted on my terms which ultimately allowed for much more creativity and freedom moving forward.

Matthew:  Who were some of your early influences that helped shape the singer/songwriter you are today?

Aston:  I really started getting into music during my early teenage years. As I mentioned earlier, I was having a really bad time in school. I really connected to the emo rock vibe at that time and one of my biggest aspirations was My Chemical Romance.  I’m also a huge fan of Blink-182’s work.  But in the end, music is so personal to us, right?  It's such a subjective thing.  And if you encounter  a specific piece of music or a specific band during a specific time in your life, maybe you’ll be more connected to the band in some unique way because their music helped you through a difficult period in your life.

Matthew:  What was it was like relocating from Copenhagen to Los Angeles?

Aston:  The transition was cool. I like the sun here and it helps me from being depressed during the winter.  When I went home in December, it was just like one gray fog for a whole with maybe a day of two of sun with snow. There are a number of things I miss about Denmark (and some I even took for granted), but overall, it was great and I really like it here.

Matthew:  You just released “Sunrise” in February.  Can you tell us what this song is all about?

Aston:  As a musician there is lots of downtime, downtime where nothing's happening and we're all just kind of waiting. It could be you produced an album, or you're signed to a label, and now you’re waiting to put out a video.  During those times, it can get really hard for your mind to live with the fact that you are not accomplishing something which ultimately makes you feel depressed or anxious.  “Sunrise” is about that mental struggle and how one deals with all of those feelings and emotions – survival skills if you will.  And we all have these emotions, right?  It also tackles suicide which is a topic we should all take seriously.

Matthew:  I hear you your music can be heard in a few Netflix series.  What series can our listeners drop in on?

Aston:  My track “Blood Moon” is actually in the Netflix original called Jinn. They really liked the song and it's not even out yet – so cool.  I also have some of my music sprinkled throughout their global hit series, The Rain.

A few rapid-fire questions from our Hunnypot Listeners:

Matthew:  Who is your favorite rapper?

Aston:  Drake

Matthew:  Outside of rap, who is one of your favorite artists out there right now which you’d like to collaborate?

Aston:  My Chemical Romance

Matthew:  Are there any charitable causes or movements that are important to you?

Aston:  Suicide Prevention, Bullying and Anti-Discrimination of all types

Matthew: What are some of your favorite places to eat here in LA?

Aston: Carousel Restaurant in Hollywood

Matthew:   What book might we catch you reading during down time?

Aston: “Black Vinyl, White Powder” by Simon Napier-Bell

Matthew:  Which TV show or movie are you hooked on?

Aston:  A Danish Comedy film called “The Green Butchers”

Matthew:  If you were trapped on a desert island and could only have (1) album to listen to, what would it be?

Aston:  The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

You can check out Aston's Instagram HERE