In collaboration with
- Words Notion Staff
Behind The Base welcomes rising West London star Asha Gold, and has announced its pizzerias will play music from vegan artists only for the rest of Veganuary.
Notion teams up with Pizza Express and music charity Nordoff Robbins to deliver the series Behind The Base, where you can get to know the UK’s brightest new musical talent a little better. Hear about how music has impacted their lives and watch exclusive live performances from each artist featured in the series.
Next up is Asha Gold, the 19-year-old West London star who is renowned for blending silky pop melodies with contemporary R&B production and has featured on the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Asian Network and KISS FM.
Asha is a vegan artist, which is a fitting inclusion for Pizza Express’ exciting new Veganuary initiative. They’ve announced that their pizzerias will now be playing from a vegan-only playlist for the rest of the month. It’s an impressively eclectic mix of vegan artists including Billie Eilish, Moby, Ariana Grande, and Anderson .Paak, creating just the right vibes for you to bite down on a pizza – perhaps with some of Pizza Express’ newly introduced vegan garlic butter.
“Being creative is quite a lonely thing sometimes”, Asha confided as she prepared her pizza dough, revealing that she often battles doubt – “Are you making songs that people are really responding to? And is this something that is going to go somewhere?” So to see support from Radio One has really motivated her to keep chasing her dream.
Growing up, Asha didn’t see or hear many British Asian pop stars, so she feels it is important to represent that part of her culture and be present in a space that lacks representation, namechecking Notion 90 cover stars Joy Crookes and Priya Ragu as some of her favourite female artists right now.
As Asha and Pizza Express chef Mike move on to adding toppings, Asha dishes on her cathartic songwriting process, saying she finds it easier to confess her feelings through songs as opposed to casual conversations.
Adding a vegan mozzarella alternative to their tomato base, Asha and Mike load up spicy-sweet piquillo peppers as well as vegan pepperoni to make mouth-watering plant-based pizzas. Asha then performs her aptly-titled song “Margarita”, which is all about joy and having fun; yearning for a carefree summer.
When asked for her Veganuary tips, Asha suggested those trying a plant-based diet for the first time should “go easy on yourself if you have the odd slip-up” and “enjoy the substitutes”. With Pizza Express’ promise that they can make almost anything on their menu vegan, there’s never been a better time to try.
Check out the full video interview below, and learn more at pizzaexpress.com/behind-the-base.