Ashley Henry: On Foundations, Fusion and the Future of Black British Music
Following the release of Henry’s intentionally crafted album Who We Are in October 2024, Ashley’s European tour kicks off in April 2025, which includes a performance at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall. Synergised collaborations such as those with fellow influential UK artists such as BLK Brit’s Sounds of the Diaspora cover stars, Grammy award-winning producers Blue Lab Beats, Henry crafts a universally resonant sound that embodies Black British music, reflecting the dynamic sonics which inspire his creations.
"This album made me come to self-realizations, letting my walls down and stepping into my truest self."
Photo Credits: Joe Brashaw
A genius in the studio, translating this energy while touring and performing live Ashley enthusiastically expresses, "Oh man, it's a relief but with the nerves of excitement because for me, whenever I play my record live, the music grows. You’ve got to adapt when the room is feeling different from what you’d planned. I love bringing music to a live setting; each city has different favorites and every performance resonates differently. There's nothing quite like bringing it back to London after taking it around Europe, I feel like it makes everything even more special when you return home."
Early Influences and Musical Beginnings
On the sentiment of ‘home’, Ashley Henry's musical journey began in South London, shaped by the sounds and communal atmosphere of his childhood environment. "I grew up in a very enclosed community in South London... seeing the effect that music had on people and what it's supposed to do." Henry thoughtfully continued on into music gatherings offering a sense of escapism and unity, "Regardless of what's going on in your everyday life, you can gather in certain spaces, have music playing and that can just take everything away and just turn it into something beautiful." His father introduced him to record stores, experiences that sparked curiosity and exploration. A cultural emblem within a special era that is slowly being revived with the re-surging appreciation of physical formats such as vinyl, when music felt tangible. "Visits to the record shop with my dad were special, holding this piece of artwork and figuring it out and connecting with it that way." The piano became Ashley’s tool for expression: "I started learning the piano at about five or six, just copying what I was hearing in the house with two fingers." Going into how his parents nurtured this talent, "My parents decided to get me lessons with the neighborhood piano teacher. That’s where it started. It all stemmed from wanting to understand the joy I saw music bringing to people."
Classical Training vs Improvisation
Conversations around equal access to formal training outside of core education is ongoing, also including what base learning even entails. For Henry, classic music training played a formative role, but not in a traditional sense. "Classical training is great in terms of learning the mechanics and giving you a musical and harmonic foundation." Yet he openly relishes the freedom of interpretation: "When I started to play more advanced classical pieces, I got more into storytelling and interpretation." Recalling bending the rules Ashley continues, "I would mess around with classical pieces and not play them exactly as written, interpreting them how I thought they should sound. It connected the dots for me between classical music and popular records I was hearing. All classical musicians should learn improvisation... that would keep the music alive and help push it forward." Cautioning against rigidity, he further emphasizes, "Music needs to evolve with us; staying locked to the page can limit its potential. It’s great seeing that gap being closed even more with orchestras like Chineke!."
Henry’s own live performances are built on spontaneity, with a mindset stemming from personal experience. "The school I came through taught me to stay open to the environment you're in," describing the unpredictability, "turning up with plan X, but the room is feeling Y — you’ve got to adapt to that moment. It’s powerful when artists have that real connection to the audience. Music should be alive, evolving with every performance. Writing improvised music is such a pure portrayal of what's important to you, I want to make people feel and engage in conversation through the music."
Genre Fusion and Representation
Henry’s work defies categorization and his compositions beautifully reflect this; "I just love different rhythms and different beats, and it all comes from the same place for me. I have a track called Synchronicity that has a drill beat kind of feel to it. My track Take It Higher reminds people of Earth, Wind & Fire, a sound I grew up with." He experiments boldly: "I even put a breakbeat twist on a classic like Mississippi Goddamn." For Henry, fusion is personal, "It’s all about putting my own stamp and identity onto the music. When you draw from diverse sources, it makes the music more expansive and inclusive." Henry went on to speak candidly about jazz’s cultural origins and its transformation, "That erasure, that whitewashing, it’s always been prevalent in Black music history. The further we take something away from its cultural, political, social, and spiritual origin, the more it gets lost." The new generation of jazz artists, he believes, are restoring these connections. "I feel like this new wave of jazz brings it back to its roots, keeping the connection strong." Maintaining authenticity is key and Henry sees this as part of his role: "It’s part of my purpose to preserve that cultural integrity through my performances and teaching. It’s not just about notes; it’s about the stories and culture behind them. The word 'jazz' in itself became Americanized, but the contributions are transnational— Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong used Caribbean musicians in Europe, so it’s about understanding and staying connected to those roots and letting that influence shine through." Henry takes pride in his heritage. "A lot of my favorite American jazz legends have Caribbean roots, just like UK legends do." This connection influences his sound. "It makes sense, the rhythmic and melodic approach—they’re connected to Caribbean traditions." However, Ashley passionately expresses the label of jazz feels restrictive. "The word 'jazz' itself feels limiting; it causes separation." Seeing his work as broader, "It’s all just Black music, and the contributions are transnational. I love collaborating across genres to make that gap smaller. The music has always been about blending cultures and influences."
Without question, the rise of the digital age has had a direct influence on exposure to these types of conversations, spotlighting the questions around representation as cultures and individuals, echoed by Ashley, "Over time, musicians learn how they want to present themselves. Social media has been both an asset and a challenge so it’s a double-edged sword; it helped me build an audience when clubs weren’t responding to my emails. I found alternate spaces through social media to perform and connect, but at the same time, it can put pressure on musicians mentally and creatively. Maintaining a balance is key so that it doesn’t take over the core of being an artist." He advises others, "I remind young musicians: it’s just a tool; use it, but don’t let it define you, we need to remain focused on the music, not just the metrics. Before, you had to rely on promoters; now social media gives artists more control… It’s amazing for connecting with listeners but can become overbearing so I encourage musicians to find balance, use it as a tool but stay grounded."
Giving Back
As his career has progressed, Henry has made it a priority to support younger musicians. "It means a lot, man... reminds me of when I was on that opposite end, asking visiting artists how they do X, Y, and Z. It’s humbling; I learn from those sessions as much as the students do." He views teaching as a dialogue, "I use it as an opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with younger musicians. Students today are going through different things than I did, with changes like social media and post-pandemic realities," with a thoughtful, furrowed brow, Henry acknowledges modern challenges and his mission to promote authenticity: "I just try my best to help musicians find their own voice. Musicians need to be encouraged to reflect who they are, not just replicate others." The ethos of each one, teach one ran deeply in the sub-current of the entire interview, so as a naturalistic progression, it was inevitable to arrive at the final subject and thoughts of this vibrant conversation.
Education and The Future
Unpologetically, Henry calls for a more inclusive curriculum: "I hope the curriculum includes different types of composers from the classical era and beyond. It would be good to see artists like Little Richard and Nina Simone taught in schools; music education should become more expansive and relatable to today’s world. There needs to be respect for older classical artists, but education has to evolve too." He continues to emphasize access, "Students have access to so much information now; education needs to catch up with that. The future of music education depends on inclusivity and adaptability. When I was doing GCSEs, there was no mention of artists like those I mentioned, so I hope it evolves to include composers of all backgrounds.” Ashley’s ending statement is one that circles back to the foundation of why our stories even matter:
“Black students would benefit from broader representation, but so would everyone. It’s about building understanding and respect for different genres and people."