Meet Aster Canis | Singer-Songwriter & Musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aster Canis and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aster, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up as an only child in Warren County. My parents were a very important part of my childhood, as I didn’t have any blood siblings or other close family to lean on. The closest thing to outside family I had were longtime friends of my parents who also had hard times in life. Due to those circumstances I started losing people at a very young age to tragedies. On top of that, I’ve had many health issues since I was 3 years old. I had a hard time functioning in day-to-day life and pretty much lived at the doctors office as a kid. So, with everything in mind, I used my creativity as an escape.

As soon as I was able to walk and talk is when I began singing. I would stand on the fire place and use it as my stage to perform. Because of this I was put into gymnastics and competitive cheerleading, which really gave me a platform to experiment with performing for others. I started writing music at 8 years old with my Crayola markers on the backs of coloring pages.

Throughout all this music has been my lifeline. It’s my only way of coping with this crazy world we live in. As a child, it was one of my only safe spaces. Without the struggles I’ve gone through in my time I wouldn’t be where I am today as an artist.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started this journey by myself with just an acoustic guitar and some hope. I was constantly writing, practicing, and learning in order to grow as an artist. It was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

This specific music project started around 6 years ago when I met some super important people in my life. We became friends and bonded over our love for art and music. They saw my passion for it all and wanted to help me reach my goals. They saw something in me that I couldn’t see. From then on we’ve been working as hard as possible. We changed our sound and genre many times, as well as worked tirelessly on creating the perfect image we wanted. That meant there was a lot of releasing music and then starting over in order to figure out what works best with what we envisioned.

My debut album was conceived around 2 years ago. We had finally found our sweet spot in terms of sound, which now falls under the Alternative umbrella. I wanted to tell a story and have it come through clearly with the lyrics and melodies.

The story has a lot of meaning to me. The album is about Catholicism and its effects on other belief systems. I had to dig through a lot of my religious trauma in order to paint the picture perfectly for the listener. It was a painful yet therapeutic process, but I think it turned out beautifully and I am so so proud.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As an introverted person, it’s hard for me to find places and things that are fun as well as comfortable for me. But, the places I do enjoy are perfect for people who deal with similar mental struggles as I do.

My first stop would be Izakaya, which is an anime themed bar and restaurant in Beavercreek, Ohio. They have unique food and the most colorful and delicious drinks. It’s dimly lit, always has an anime playing, and is an amazing place to nerd out. Sometimes they have karaoke as well, which is fun for a person like me who adores music.

My next stop would be to Yellow Springs. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Everyone is so kind there and the city has such a cute personality to it. I am a loyal customer to the record store located there. They always have the most unique vinyls. The people that work there have such an undying love for music, so it makes the experience next level. I can purchase a vinyl and they’ll know everything about it. I look forward to talking to them about my findings when I’m there and they always have the best recommendations.

My last stop would be to the Easton Town Center in Columbus. I went there a lot as a teenager so I have a soft spot for it. There’s so many shops, restaurants, and even a movie theater. The landscaping is always beautiful and the people are quite nice. My favorite time of the year to go is during Christmas time, the decorations are next level.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my story to all of the loved ones I’ve lost, as they’re not here to see their impact on me as a person. They inspire everything I do. I will continue to create music and art in their honor for the rest of my life.

I would also like to dedicate my story to my beautiful friend and creative partner. Without them I wouldn’t have an album, let alone a chance to share my story with the world. I will be forever grateful for them.

Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ankjUdxjOyZ5XUQFvemTm?si=4mJ2aACWR3y-G36CB5NBfw

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astercanis?igsh=MTUyMmVmZzAzZXRhOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3YEN1_pHbcUTfq16Vg3nSo4S6Sjn9RsU&si=xujk93folIyvHIbe

Image Credits
Sydney Hoffacker – Photographer