The band ashThirtyThree is a three-piece act that comes roaring out of the starting gate with an inviting blend of alternative pop-rock music. Led by prolific singer/songwriter and South Africa born, Ash Levy, their spoonful’s of musical sugar help the medicinal gut level lyrics go down just a little smoother. “It’s just really truthful,” Levy says, when asked to describe his unique brew of straight-no-chaser songs. “You don’t have to read between the lines.”
The act’s debut album, Walk the Streets of My Life, chronicles Ash's a long, winding, fascinating road, which initially began in South Africa and continues – after a Canadian detour – along the beaches of California.
Rounded out by Jeff Nassi on drums and Kenny Susan playing bass, Walk the Streets of My Life has all the earmarks of a ready-for-prime-time, major release. Helmed by Grammy-winning producer, Joel Jaffe (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Kirk Franklin and the Family, Huey Lewis & the News, Gregg Allman Band), the album was tracked at Northern California’s famed Studio D, where heavyweights like Soundgarden also recorded. Adding to the album’s star quality, Kenny Eamonn Flynn, original keyboardist from the band and movie, The Commitments, laid down the this album’s piano and organ parts, while stellar vocalist Omega Rae is heard harmonizing throughout with Levy. Ash's‘ Canadian detour’ coincided with his college days, which was also the period when he instantly discovered his fully developed musical aptitude.
“The first time I picked up an instrument, I was, like, 19 and suddenly all that information was downloaded inside of me,” Levy recalls with astonishment -- even to this day. “I was suddenly writing songs and one of the music teachers walked by me and kind of was listening and said, ‘Wait a second. Whose song was that?’ And I said, ‘Mine.’ He said, ‘You’re not supposed to write songs like that. What the heck? Come with me.’ Before I know it, he puts me in front of the lunch hour concert that’s happening. I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ve never done anything like this.’ I played the song to around 3,000 people and right there I was hooked.
Levy capitalized on being ‘hooked’ by forming the smartly-named Canadian band, Babel Fish, inspired by the influential book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, while splitting his time between living the corporate life and pursuing his rock & roll dreams. Toronto, Canada was soon in his rearview mirror, however, the moment a Huntington Beach company recruited him as a Manager Consultant to create their E-commerce system. For this lover of surfing, a Surf City destination was just too good for Levy to refuse and he moved to North County San Diego (Encinitas) to pursue the “American Dream.”
Before embarking once again on the band life, Levy recorded one solo album, 12 Days in January. It did extremely well for an independently released first effort, and produced a winner at a 2005 Song of the Year contest sponsored by VH1 in the rock song category with his single "Come into Love." This success immediately led to opening slots for such A-list artists as Macy Gray, The Gin Blossoms, Etta James, Evan Dando (of the Lemonheads), actor Dennis Quad and Maria McKee. Also around that time, Levy reached the wild card round on the hit NBC Show "Star Tomorrow," hosted by award-winning producer, David Foster, who said of Levy, "He is the real thing. He is going to go far. Keep writing songs."
Levy describes the music ashThirtyThree creates together as “never forced” and natural, and if the charmed musical life Levy has lived up to now is any kind of indicator, one can only expect more and more great things from ashThirtyThree in the future. Walk the Streets of My Life is nothing if not a roadmap for success.