Not many 15 year olds can say they’ve performed at a prestigious festival or are endorsed by a major guitar brand, but Asher Belsky has already done it all proving that sometimes age is just a number and real musicality is simply undeniable.
To date, Asher has shared the stage with the Marcus King band, played The Fillmore (SF) and The Beacon Theater (NYC) as a featured artist at the Allman Family Revival, and even opened for Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival.
To top that off, the young guitar phenom is also an inaugural member of the Gibson Generation Group (G3) — a two-year mentoring program for young guitar players. Just last month, Asher also released his debut single “About A Girl” — a project that was produced by Jorgen Carlsson of Gov’t Mule.
We speak to Asher to find out how it all started and what else we can expect from the young guitarist and singer-songwriter.
Is guitar your first love, or were there other instruments that you were drawn to first?
Guitar is 100% my first love and will always be.
I have always been drawn to it from a really young age because of the inspiration I drew from people like George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix as a little kid. It’s my favorite thing to do.
When did you discover your love of music?
Music has been a huge part of my life ever since I was little. My dad is a huge music lover and would play music in our house and in the car non-stop.
When I was a baby, I brought my toy ukulele everywhere I went. Later that evolved into me bringing my first guitar everywhere.
What challenges have you encountered as a young musician?
Performing can be a challenge because most venues are 21 and older and don’t want to let a 15 year old kid come play (haha).
It’s also sometimes a challenge to schedule shows because of school, but I try to work around it.
What advice would you give younger musicians trying to break onto the scene?
I would say it’s important to form relationships with people you admire and look up to. I’m really grateful to be mentored by some of my favorite musicians here in the Bay Area.
I would also say to try and learn new things from them and approach everything with a positive and grateful mindset. It’s also important to take the initiative sometimes.
As an inaugural member of the Gibson Generation Group (G3), how has the mentorship program impacted you?
It’s a really humbling experience. I feel so grateful to be a part of the G3 and everyone at Gibson is so kind and supportive.
I feel I’ve learned a lot from the G3 and formed a lot of great relationships with the Gibson fam.
What led you to be the opening act with Marcus King for Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival in 2019, and how did it feel to share the stage with such iconic players
Back in September, the great people over at Gibson set up a time slot at Clapton’s Crossroads for Marcus and I to jam together on the Village Stage and talk about his new signature guitar they are putting out — it’s really killer!
This was really a dream come true for me because I remember watching all those Crossroads DVD’s back in the day and being really inspired by them. I’m just super thankful to have been given the opportunity to play.
Plus, Marcus is such an incredibly nice guy and has been really gracious to me. It’s always fun to jam with him.
What adjustments have you made to further your career as a musician in a time when live events are unable to take place?
Lately, I’ve been doing a bunch of live streams. On my single release day, my band and I played a set on my roof and livestreamed it which was really fun.
It’s really great to connect with fans virtually and entertain them so I get a little bit of the sense of playing a live show.
When you’re able to start playing live shows again, what gear will be going in your MONO case?
I’ll be using my Gibson Custom Shop 1961 SG that Gibson graciously gifted me, my MONO Vertigo case along with a Moody guitar strap.
Describe your songwriting process
For songwriting, I try to not force it. I find the best ideas come to me rather than me searching for them.
I find I write best when a melody or a phrase pops into my head. I’ll then open Notes on my phone and jot down some ideas and then record a voice memo or something.
That’s how I wrote my single, though the funny thing about that one was that it all came to me in one sitting. I just was struggling to remember everything that was popping into my head!
Tell us more about this debut single
My debut single is titled “About a Girl” and I just released it in May.
The band and I recorded it back in November in LA with my producer, Jorgen Carlsson of Gov’t Mule.
It was a great experience to be able to go into the studio and work with him and come out with a finished song. He and his wife Mini are really awesome people and have such great ideas.
What else is on the horizon for Asher Belsky?
Hopefully a lot more shows once everything clears! I love performing and hope to get back out on stage again soon.
Listen to Asher Belsky’s debut single About A Girl:
Watch the Official Music Video:
