An Interview with Axley Jade Blaze
We sit down with the multi-talented Axley Jade Blaze, an artist whose music defies boundaries and embraces a dark, melancholic edge. Hailing from New York and currently residing in South Florida, Axley is not just a singer and rapper, but also a poet and dancer, infusing her creative work with a rare depth of emotion and artistry. With her debut single Fatal Notes (Dear Heroin) set for release on September 30th, Axley brings her unique sound, which she dubs “gothic rap,” to the forefront. In this interview, she opens up about her musical journey, her struggles, and the inspirations behind her hauntingly beautiful music.
Hey, thanks for chatting with us. Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Axley Jade Blaze and I am a singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer and most important–a poet–from New York. I currently reside in South Florida and have been writing lyrics since I was a child. I moved into full songwriting and producing a few years ago, and am releasing my first single Fatal Notes (Dear Heroin) September 30th. I write very dark, melancholic, intense music, and have been a poet first and before anything, for years. I also belong to a local rock band named Hypnotik Rage. I love music from all genres and though I tend to write hip-hop stylistically, I plan to eventually become more diverse in this area with hopes to combine rap, rock and even elements of metal and classical genres of music. I want to create a rare blend, I tag my work gothic rap.
Who or what inspired you to start making music? And, when did you start?
The very first bands, singers and rappers who touched or moved me were Tupac Shakur, Aerosmith, The Beatles, and several other bands or rappers. This was when I was very young though, I’m talking, maybe, 11. As I got older, many musicians in various genres started to influence me and I have widespread tastes. I started writing poetry and lyrics at a mere 7 or 8 though, and as my musical tastes grew, my lyrical work grew too. I was always poetic, even as a child I was intense, and I was dreamy, in a liquified, abstract, artistic state almost always.
What is your biggest challenge as an artist?
Getting my work out there with so much competition, and trying to navigate the social media stratosphere, because I am not a huge social media person. Also, as a woman, being taken seriously. I have a real message to spread, I am a very authentic artist and human being, and I take my work seriously, I believe in my artistic integrity. I can be vivacious, and alive, and fun and entertaining, but at heart I am introverted and pensive. I also worry about my sexuality defining me and being in the way of who and what I really am. I am a very sexual person and it comes through in my every move, lyric and thought, but I am intelligent, deep, and thoughtful, and though overtly sexual on stage, I am actually very old fashioned when it comes to dating. I do not casually hook up.
What is your favorite project or single you have released?
I worked very hard on Fatal Notes. It was originally a poem titled “Lethal Love Letters,” but so many people remarked how it should be a rap song, and I loved rap, loved rapping, already loved singing and performing, so it just made sense to adapt it into a song. It has a real message, it’s autobiographical, it’s a huge piece of my history, so it means everything to me.
Who are your inspirations? What artists or bands are you listening to?
My inspirations are so widespread, from Korn, to Notorious BIG, and everything in between: Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, The Beatles (especially George Harrison), Aerosmith, Trent Reznor, Meg Myers, Lana Del Rey, Steven Tyler, Marilyn Manson, Led Zeppelin, Tupac Shakur, Eminem, Dre from Outkast. Those are musicians, but remember I am a word artist and poet first so many poets have influenced me, from Sylvia Plath and Anais Nin to Rabindranath Tagore, Henry Miller, and Bukowski, the poets (and classical writers) have had the largest impact on my life, writing, and development as an artist. And then there’s others, the painters like Matthew Goodsell, Picasso, Rothko, many others. Muses have greatly influenced me too, especially June Miller and Edie Sedgewick. I have been influenced in numerous ways artistically and it is very reflective in my work in all its facets.
What’s the process behind working on a song like?
It’s interesting to see the many layers, all the things people never consider when they hear a finished product. I love adding each element, each piece and watching the development as you merge those layers, it’s thrilling.
Tell me about your upcoming music and what inspired you to create it!
Fatal Notes (Dear Heroin) was inspired by my battle with addiction. I was very addicted to heroin in my early twenties, and I am so lucky to have overcome that type of addiction. It’s a battle everyday. Fatal Notes is about the struggle, but it is also reflective of how seductive the drug is, how sneaky and surreptitious, how it grabs hold and you don’t even see it coming. It tells the tale of how somebody who is suffering and in pain can turn to the one thing they should run from because when you use it it is going to fool you into thinking you’ve reached heaven: you’ve cured your pain, anguish, depression, sadness, grief, shame, guilt. It will resolve your tortured memories–temporarily–but then the downfall, the withdrawal, the grip it eventually has on you, it is all so deadly. And you have to kill it before it kills you.
What are your plans for 2024?
To release my two singles off my EP–“Death Notes” (set for release in 2025) and to really grow my social presence. I plan to launch a YouTube channel, too. My second single, “The Weeping Bullet,” is also something I am very excited to release and share with the world.
Have any shoutouts?
To my band–first, my sister and best friend Heidi Rae, who believed in me when NOBODY did, I love you. And the rest of you: you all make being part of this world so worth it. Our experiences together are epic, your faith in me as a performer and artist is everything.
There’s also a special shout out I would like to give to my favorite foundation, and it’s founder: Janie’s Fund, which aids girls aging out of the foster care system who have faced DV and SA. To the entire charity, as well as its founder Steven Tyler, thank you so much for everything that you all do. It touches the core of my soul to know that a foundation like this is in operation providing protection and guidance to these young women who faced so much adversity at such young ages. Thank you. I am proud to be a Janie’s Angel.
As Axley Jade Blaze prepares to release her powerful new single, Fatal Notes (Dear Heroin), it’s clear that her raw talent, authenticity, and passion for blending genres make her a force to be reckoned with. From her early days as a young poet to now leading the charge with her dark, introspective gothic rap, Axley’s journey is both inspiring and deeply personal. With big plans for 2024, including new releases and growing her social presence, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this remarkable artist.