In a world dominated by overnight internet sensations and one-hit-wonders, emerging artist Ainsley Costello has her eyes set on creating a legacy that stands the test of time. A power house voice in the vain of Haley Williams or Pink, Ainsley's lyrics can also be delicately delivered. Costello's heartfelt and personal approach to lyricism translates into an easily digestible and heartwarming listening experience.
At only 15, the Seattle native (now based in Nashville) released a strikingly diverse debut album titled ‘You Know I Am’ – on the surface, a collection of country pop songs, but dig deeper and you’ll unravel a multitude of diverse musical influences and lyrics that speak to all of the insecurities of today’s teenage girls.
In February 2020, Ainsley and her family relocated to Nashville, just as the world and the music industry shut down due to the Pandemic. But that didn't stop Ainsley, throughout quarantine she used her time to write new material and connect with dozens of Nashville "row writers" to hone and perfect her craft. Creating a body of work that speaks volumes for her young age Ainsley already has a catalogue of nearly 200 unreleased, and 24 published works. In 2021 Ainsley released a song each month, the equivalent of her second studio album and in 2022 she has released 5 more songs.
Ironically, after moving to Nashville (the country music capital of the world), Ainsley began to pivot away from the country music that had originally inspired her. Realizing that Nashville was more than just country music her creativity cracked open. Her newest songs clearly have a more pop-rock leaning vibe. While many reviewers still hear elements of country tones in her voice, paired with the edgier music, some have described it as "country-punk." Inspired by Paramore, Kings of Leon and Caitlyn Smith (all hailing from Nashville) you clearly hear a unique sound emerging. With a strong sense for live instrumentation others have described her music as a strain of LA/POP from the 90's and early 2000's. Another reviewer described it as acoustic college rock with a modern twist. With a dedicated and growing following it is clear that Ainsley is set on creating a career that stands the test of time.
Ainsley began performing in school talent shows and musical theater productions at the age of 7. She has since gone on to study piano, guitar, vocal performance, and songwriting. She attended Tacoma School of the Arts as a freshman in high-school and shortly thereafter began traveling and touring the West Coast. At just 15 she moved to online high-school (so she could tour) and simultaneously began taking classes at the prestigious Berklee College of Music Online. She graduated from high school at 16 and was formally accepted to the Berklee College of Music's Business Degree program shortly after. She is now in her final year - as a Senior at Berklee College of Music - and will graduate with a Music Business Degree in the Spring of 2023 (she'll be just 19 when she graduates from college).
At a very young age, Ainsley began performing live shows with a full band of adult professional-level musicians. She could regularly hold down a 3-hour cover set at just 14 and consistently turned heads when this tiny blonde girl began singing "Folsom Prison Blues" or "Hadn't Been For Love." Ainsley has already performed over 150 shows in 14 states on Festival, Fair and bar stages alike. She was also involved in un-televised episodes of both "The Voice" and "American Idol" when she was just 13. At 14, Ainsley became one of Breedlove Guitars youngest endorsed artists and has also since been endorsed by Mackie Sound and has strategic partnerships with Taylor Guitars and Sennheiser Microphones.
In 2022 Ainsley released 5 more singles’ "Little Sister," "Two Ships," "Someone's Someone," "Type," and the upcoming release "Cherry on Top." "Cherry on Top" will hit the streaming platforms on December 14th. An Official Music Video will be released for "Cherry on Top" on January 1. You can catch Ainsley performing her newest single Live on "Today In Nashville" on NBC Channel 4 WSMV on January 9th at 2PM.