As one of Australia’s most prominent authorities on new music, Ash London is a busy woman. As well as her show Ash London Live broadcasting nationally across the Hit Network, 2021 has seen her work through a global pandemic, join the Eurovision jury for another year, and announce her pregnancy with her first child.
Mediaweek spoke to Ash London about dealing with travel restrictions, working with high-profile co-hosts, and what radio brings to people’s lives.
Staying Home
With Covid lockdowns meaning that travel is off the table, London says that being grounded has made her appreciate the perks of staying home.
“I used to travel a lot for work. There were a lot of overseas junkets and a lot of day trips, and I never saw my husband. I lived on an airplane. I think the last trip I did was to Paris for a 10-minute interview with Taylor Swift – which is ridiculous now when you think about it.
“Life was so crazy that at first I was like ‘oh great, I can work from home, I can stay in one place, I don’t always have to have a half-emptied carry-on next to my bed’ – which drove my husband mental. But then I missed my team! The best part of radio is that you get to work with great, creative people every day, and I really missed having them around and I missed the camaraderie.
“It really has made me truly appreciate the magic of radio and how important it is for us all to stay connected.”
Famous Co-Hosts
2021 has seen London share the driver’s seat, with the show bringing in some famous co-hosts. In March, singer, songwriter, and actor Rita Ora joined London for a week after performing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
“She was in town and we’ve got a great relationship with Warner, her label, who are phenomenal. So she was bang up for it. I’ve interviewed her a couple of times, so the relationship was there, and she’s an absolute pro.”
Ash London with Dua Lipa
London also spent a week with The Kid Laroi, the youngest ever Australian solo artist to reach #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart with F*ck Love (Savage).
“We got The Kid Laroi doing the same thing, and that was done over Zoom, but a full week of shows with him was magic. He’s incredible, he’s still a teenager, and he’s so proud of his Australian roots. He’s well and truly representing Indigenous culture, Australian culture, and showing the world what we can do.
“I was finally cool in the eyes of my 12yo nephew when I got a video from The Kid Laroi for him. I was like ‘yes, this will keep me going for another year!’.”
London says she loves these opportunities because of the way it gives artists the chance to open up.
“I love finding opportunities to have the artists not just for five minutes to sit down and tell the same stories that they’ve told everyone about the album, but to hear more about the kind of music they’re loving and really let them curate the music a little bit, and have them co-host as opposed to just regurgitating the same thing which so often happens on a junket.
“After 10 years of me doing this, I’m at the point now where most of the time when someone walks into the studio it’s the sixth or seventh time that we’ve had some face-to-face contact. It’s a lot easier now when we don’t have to do any warm-up.”
Ash London with Ed Sheeran through the years
What Radio Has To Offer
While radio has never had more platforms to compete against, London says that radio still has a very important place in the Australian media landscape.
“We’re in this really challenging time now where radio isn’t the only place that people are going for music. I take my role seriously as someone who does break new music, and there are still so many Australians who first and foremost are discovering music through radio. I will never take that for granted. We are up against the likes of Spotify and Apple and even TikTok now, but what I can offer that they don’t is that I’m really curating something special and bringing a human side to it. Like I said, I’ve got 10 years worth of friendships and relationships now with these artists. We really bring it to life.
“The real challenge is for me to keep bringing the humanity, and the excitement, and the passion to music radio. And that’s something I’m really still excited about.”
Eurovision
London was a part of the Australian jury for Eurovision again this year and says it was a joy to be involved – despite the 3am wake-up call.
“I love it, I love Eurovision. I love the drama of it because that’s just me. I was the kid who knew all the words to Rent by the time I was 11 years old.
“It’s such a strange thing being in a bunker at 4am watching these incredible performances across the world in Rotterdam. I have a great relationship with Brooke Boney who was on the jury, and Jack Vidgen, and Millie Millgate. I got to meet Kamahl which was hilarious, you’ve never met a man better dressed at 4am.
“We don’t get to do many things in life anymore that are just there to spark joy and bring a bit of unity.”
There was also an added bonus to this year’s competition.
“I felt my little guy kick for the first time during the campest of all camp performances in Eurovision, and I was like ‘he is already everything I hoped for! That’s my boy!’”