7 songs: Ava Rae Heatley

Hey guys!

How many times do you really think about what certain songs make you feel?

I'm sure we are all aware of the power of music and the way it influences our mood,
and how it can bring up memories of places and people.
But I admit, I wasn't always aware of how many emotions you can connect to music.

Well, that was until I started the 7 songs feature and really started celebrating the variety of emotions in music.

And luckily a lot of the musicians we feature are joining us by sharing their selection of songs.


Today the fabulous Ava Rae Heatley chats us through her playlist.


Ava Rae Heatley is a singer/songwriter from Warwick (New York), USA.

Her sound is influenced by artists such as Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds and Elton John - creating a Pop/Rock meets Acoustic sound.

Ava started out playing at local coffee shops such as Caffe A La Mode in Warwick and Music at the Mission in New Jersey, where she's the winner of the open mic competition.

She has also been 95.3 DNH's "Discovered Artist of the month" in June 2017 which led to her song "Good For You" being played on their station for the entire month.

Her debut EP "The Drive" won us over by storm and we've been loving Ava's sound ever since.

Ava's follow-up single, "Grin And Bear It" speaks for itself but convinces even more with a relatable and expressive music video, which we think you need to watch today.
It represents struggles which I'm pretty sure you can relate to at one point or another.

And now Ava is here with her second EP, "Beautiful / Terrifying", which you definitely need to check out.


Listen to Ava's latest single, "All These Boys", right here:




Ava Rae Heatley online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram


Let's check out Ava's playlist!

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1) a song which makes you dance

"September" by Earth, Wind and Fire

I don't remember a time when I didn't know this song.
It is everywhere, it is perfect and it leaves you with no choice but to dance. I've danced to this song alone in my room, in front of 20 people at a bar or with hundreds at a wedding - and if you wanna get moving, just put this song on.


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2) a song that calms you down
"The Tiger Inside Will Eat The Child" by Kate Miller-Heidke

The meandering melody, beautiful guitar lines, and poetic lyrics of this song always send a wave of calm along.
For me, this song is all about becoming content with discontentment and I have found there is nothing more relieving than that.


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3) a song with a deep meaning
"When You're Ready" by Tina Arena

I don't even entirely remember how I stumbled upon this song, but I was put under it's spell on the first listen. 
In this song a woman singing to her friend in an abusive relationship about leaving the abuse relationship.
The chorus mantra, "I know who you really are, nobody can steal your spark. When you're to leave, when you're ready to leave, I'll be there." is so simple, empowering and beautiful.


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4) a song that makes you feel nostalgic
"Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen

My Dad is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and anytime I hear his icon opening piano lines, it reminds me of listening to my dad play them on the piano when I was little.
I definitely get more emotional than the average person while listening to Bruce Springsteen and it's because his music is so tightly linked with my family and my childhood.
 It always makes me feel nostalgic when I hear it.


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5) a song which has accompanied you for a while
"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles

This is the first song I ever performed plying piano and singing in front of people when I was 12 years old.
It made me want to be a singer-songwriter and for a while I was referred to as "Love Song Girl" because of it. I've brought this song with me and still like to throw it in at a show as cover every once and a while.


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6) a song from your favourite genre
"All The Small Things" by Blink 182

Growing up in the early 2000s, I became very obsessed with that era of pop punk music.
This song is probably my favorite of that genre. It has crazy catchy melodies and some of my favorite lyrics.
 I always found the simple sentiment of a huge rock band saying they would "turn off the lights" and be "carried home" from a show because the person they loved wasn't there watching to be very romantic.


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7) a song by an artist / a band which has surprised you
"White Wine In The Sun" by Tim Minchin

This song surprised me because Tim Minchin is a great comedian and this song while humorous is definitely more serious than I would have expected.
It highlights a relatable feeling of what it means to be with people you love, friends and family and growing up all while pocking fun and making valid points at the commercialization of the Christmas season. It's fun, it's silly, it's poignant and it's one of my favorites.


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And that was Ava's selection! 
What do you think? Did you find any new favourites?


Previous 7 songs features: John Thacker | Racoon Racoon | Jackson Dyer | Simon Alexander




Thank you for your visit!

Credits // Words (Intro & Outro): Vanessa Jetwash | Words (About Songs) & Image: Ava Rae Heatley