Asha Banks on Her Fans, the Joy in Touring and Saying the Scary Things

Asha Banks isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. The British confessional singer-songwriter has quietly become one of the most compelling young voices to watch, balancing a fast-rising acting career with an increasingly intimate musical one. Previously featured in our Artists to Watch 2026 list, she continues to prove why that spotlight was well deserved. With her latest EP, How Real Was It?, the indie pop artist leans into emotional honesty, reflection, and growth. In this press conference hosted by °1824, she discussed vulnerability, connection, and learning to live inside the questions rather than rushing toward answers.

How Real Was It?: Honesty as a Necessity

Asha Banks’ latest EP, How Real Was It?, is earthy, stripped-back, and deeply personal, feeling less like a polished pop release and more like a collection of journal entries set to sound. Written during a year of emotional highs and lows, the project captures a specific moment in time, defined by firsts, uncertainty, and constant self-examination. While opening up so honestly felt scary, Banks describes it as a necessity rather than a choice. Writing the things she is most afraid to say has become central to her growth, both as an artist and as a person.

The Shivers, Touring, and Writing the Scary Things

That vulnerability has found a powerful home among Asha Banks’ fans, known as the Shivers. Their response to her music has shaped her creative confidence, reinforcing that the lines she once hesitated to share are often the ones that resonate the most. Seeing her feelings reflected back through others has made her braver, pushing her to continue writing with honesty rather than restraint. Touring has only deepened that connection. For her, live shows are where something deeply personal becomes communal: where fans dance, cry, and find each other through the music. As she prepares for her upcoming headline tour, she hopes audiences feel that same “fizzy” adrenaline she once felt attending shows herself, reminding everyone in the room that they are sharing something real together.

Q&A with Asha Banks

Your newest EP is very intimate; how do you prepare to share something personal every night on tour?

It’s actually really exciting. The scary part for me is writing it and putting it out into the world in the first place. Performing and touring, playing it in front of people, is the rewarding part and kind of the best part of all of it. Being in the same room, on the same wavelength, makes it worth it. Seeing people sing back every lyric and seeing them together, wearing spiral necklaces: it’s always insane and something I’m still getting used to. Truly knowing they’re there gives me the strength to share it and reminds me we’re all in it together.

Your music, acting, and writing all revolve around truth and storytelling. When you look toward the future, what kind of stories do you feel most compelled to tell next?

I guess that depends on what happens in my life. The honest truth is that I’m constantly thinking and writing about myself, and we’ll just have to see what happens, and inevitably, you’ll hear about it.

Music as Self-Discovery

Although Asha Banks has spent years telling other people’s stories through acting, music has given her space to tell her own. Where acting required her to step into someone else’s mindset, songwriting forced her to turn inward. Through music, she learnt to dissect her own emotions, responses, and truths. It’s grounding her in a sense of identity that continues to evolve. Rather than chasing external influences, Asha sees her own experiences as her greatest creative blueprint, allowing honesty to lead the process.

Final Thoughts

How Real Was It? is not about closure; it’s about movement. It captures growth in real time, embracing uncertainty, chaos, and reflection without forcing answers. As Asha Banks continues to navigate music, acting, and an ever-growing community around her work, one thing remains clear: her commitment to truth-telling is unwavering. By choosing vulnerability again and again, she’s building not just a body of work, but a shared emotional language, one that invites listeners to sit with their own questions, too.