Post authorCanadian Singer-songwriter and Netflix’s Lost In Space Actor Ajay Friese was recently interviewed ai love music via email about his artistry, being a multi-talented artist, and the release of his newest single “Your Eyes”. Seattle-born, Ajay Friese is no stranger to being in the spotlight, as he is best known for his acting career, holding recurring roles in five Netflix Original Series, and making his debut in the film as a lead in the critically acclaimed Riot Girls in 2019.
Some of Ajay’s Netflix roles include playing “Vijay Dhar” as a series regular in all 3 seasons of Lost in Space, playing “Eddie” in five episodes in season 4 of Riverdale, and playing the prince of Wendimoor, Farson Dengdamor in 5 episodes in Season 2 of Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
However, Ajay is also a musician, having released three singles (“Jasper”, “Higher Stakes”, and “Your Eyes”) already. Find out what is “Your Eyes” is all about down below. Also, find out how his dad played a key part in the production. Make sure to check out Ajay’s newest single down below and let me know what you think in the comments!
Hello! Can you introduce yourself to those who don’t know you!
HELLO! My name is Ajay, I am from Canada and I’m 23 years old. I write and sing all my own music in the genres of pop, folk, and rock, and I’m also an actor on Netflix’s Lost In Space. I have lived in 3 countries – the US, Canada, and Japan! My family spent a year in Okinawa when I was six. I went to Japanese public school, learned Karate, listened to Mongol 800 and Orange Range, and constantly begged my parents to take me to the rotating sushi bars…(oh and there was karaoke, the taiko drums at the malls, awesome vending machines, really good candy and so much more). Natsukaashii!
What inspired you to get into music and what has the musical journey been like?
As a baby, I would always be humming songs, and when I was three I learned the violin. As I got older, tunes and lyrics began popping into my head all the time, so I learned to play the guitar and started to write down and sing my own songs. I can get ‘into my head” at times when I am really focused. I guess it was filled with all those songs waiting to get out. For sure I had times when I was that kid who didn’t want to practice, but when the time came, the music flowed.
You are an actor as well as a singer. Is there anything that you take away from acting that you put into your music?
Acting is great for putting yourself into a situation. So my experience in acting helps me concentrate on being in the moment and experience the lyrics or the feeling I’m singing about. I’ve had fun with some of my music videos where there is a plot and I get to act as a character in a certain storyline – it’s awesome to have two of my passions overlap like that!
What has 2021 been like so far?
I know 2021 has been a very tough year for a lot of people, and I feel so fortunate to be in a place with low Covid rates and that my family and friends have remained healthy. Professionally, 2021 has been awesome!!! I released my first few songs, made several really cool music videos, got chosen for the Top 100 in a national Canadian music competition with 2400 artists competing (CBC Searchlight), and have been working non-stop with my managers to plan my upcoming song releases. Stay tuned….lots coming up!
Let’s talk about your newest single “Your Eyes”. What is it about?
Hope and inspiration that can live within you…”Your Eyes” is about loving yourself. It is about looking into the eyes of someone who loves you and being comforted and inspired by their love for you. It is also a reminder to love and have faith in others, especially when they are struggling.
What inspired you to write this track?
I wrote this song when I was at my lowest. I was in a destructive mental state where I would pick apart every past mistake I had ever made, and it caused me to grow in many ways, but I was too hard on myself. I got very confused and lost my faith and trust in myself. It was then that I realised that the people in my life whom l loved, whom I trusted and thought highly of… they loved me! And they trusted me and believed in me. And that gave me a lot of faith to love myself more.
This track is all about “self-empowerment and loving yourself even during your hardest times”. Was there a certain thing or incident that inspired this?
Becoming an adult – the independence and responsibility of transitioning from youth to adulthood made me much more self-aware and introspective, but I didn’t quite know how to approach it and became incredibly and unfairly critical of myself and my every action, every day. It was exhausting, but it was my friends and loved ones who had faith in me and helped me have faith in myself.
How was producing this track? What was your favourite part of the production?
My friend Michael Tessier and I produced this song together. It’s a funny story actually, you know…. the kind where the parent is bugging you to do something and you keep procrastinating but finally, and grudgingly, you do it. And then (surprise!), it was a good thing!
My dad was always trying to get me to listen to this weekly music show by Ken Lewis, producer for BTS, Kanye West, and Drake. I was always “busy”. Then Dad won some audio software on Ken’s show, and it arrived with a note from Ken, “send me whatever you make with this!” So Michael and I made the song – and had a blast doing it – and sent it on to Ken, expecting that to be the end of it.
So you can imagine how blown away we were when Ken sent an email back saying he and his wife had just listened and were “both floored” – they were in shock. And then….he played the track on his YouTube Livestream a few weeks later for thousands of viewers. How cool is that?!
My favourite part of the production is the dynamics of the song. I love how energetic and loud it gets, and how at the hook, it sounds like a giant crowd is singing along at a music festival. I think we blended singer-songwriter pop with EDM and rock in a really cool way.
What do you want listeners to listen for in ” Your Eyes”?
I hope this song can inspire people to love themselves more. I hope people feel self-love WHILE listening.
Any future plans?
TONS! We have my debut EP on the way, a bunch of very cool music videos, the release of the final season of Netflix’s Lost in Space (on which I am a series regular), and lots more music after that. Stay tuned because it won’t be long!