OUR NEW FAVORITE ‘HOBBY’: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AISLINN DAVIS
In her latest single “Hobby,” Aislinn Davis taps into the chaotic spiral of infatuation and turns it into something cathartic, gritty and unforgettable. From the very first line, “I think I love you way too much, it’s honestly exhausting,” she sets an emotional tone that’s both overwhelming and deeply relatable. Davis doesn’t just sing about obsession, she makes you feel every compulsive thought and heart-clutching ache that comes with it.
What makes “Hobby” so impactful is Davis’ ability to turn a seemingly simple, universal experience into something gripping and deeply personal. The bridge especially transforms overpowering feelings into brutal, slam poetry-style lyrics: “Pick a petal, every flower, nothing is coincidental.” These run-on lines mirror the rush of infatuation itself — messy, intense and impossible to silence.
Experimenting with her vocal range, Davis showcases impressive control, giving every line weight and emotion. The overlapping vocals that eventually conclude the track are a clever, intentional choice that reinforces the mental noise of overthinking a crush. It’s a soundscape of dizzying thoughts and what-ifs, where the ability to just “get a f*cking hobby” feels entirely out of reach.
Her confidence and authority over her voice, storytelling, and emotions are incredibly refreshing and powerful to listen to. With lines like “Don’t even know who I’ve become, I see her and it’s not me,” Davis captures the disorienting blur of losing yourself in someone else. It’s a brutal honesty that not everyone dares to admit, but one that Davis not only confronts, but belts unapologetically.
“Pick a flower, every petal
Nothing is coincidental
Say I love you, detrimental
I should win a fucking medal”
Photo: Halle / Aislinn Davis
Graphics by Paige Firsten / Crave Music Magazine
Ahead of the “Hobby” release, Davis caught up with us to talk about its inspiration, her creative journey and what it means to write something that’s honest, catchy, and completely her. Here’s what she shared:
CRAVE: Let’s talk about “Hobby” which comes out July 18 — what can you tell us about the inspiration behind the title and the overall concept of the song?
AISLINN: This song for me is that moment you realize your friends are probably tired of hearing you go on and on about somebody- when that person is all you want to talk about, and you find a way to bring them up in every conversation. I wanted it to convey how ridiculous it can feel sometimes to have a crush and be self aware of how crazy it’s making you. I think it’s fun to recognize how silly we can be when we’re into somebody, while also pointing out how easy it is to forget about ourselves and our own “hobbies” and interests in the process.
CRAVE: You’ve been steadily evolving your sound over the past few years. Where do you see “Hobby” fitting into that timeline? Is it a continuation, a departure, or something entirely new?
AISLINN: I feel like over the past year and a half my sound has really evolved into the type of music that I typically listen to in my personal life. When I first started out, I honestly had no idea what I was doing and had to learn everything from the ground up. I feel like now that I have gotten down some of the basics and have the resources to make the kind of music I want to make, it’s allowed me to really have fun and explore who I want to be as an artist. I think with “Hobby” it’s definitely a continuation of how I have always been as a songwriter, and a solid representation of my sound when I make something a little more fun and lighthearted.
CRAVE: Your lyricism often feels like a mix of confession and poetry. Has your process changed at all with this new track since the days of one of your first singles “The Brightest Star” or your first EP “Lackluster”?
AISLINN: Honestly, not at all- for me writing songs has always been about having an outlet and being able to make sense of my own feelings. My songwriting process has been the same since way before I ever started posting songs online, and I am certain it will be the same long after.
CRAVE: When you were first starting out, your lyrics had this love-letter quality—very intimate. Has that sense of closeness with the listener stayed the same in “Hobby,” or has your perspective shifted?
AISLINN: I think absolutely “Hobby” is still just as honest as every other song I have written, released and unreleased. If anything I actually feel like I have gotten more confident in putting myself out there overtime. I think with the subject matter it’s hard to compare something like “Hobby” to some of my other songs like “Who I Am Without You” or “LMS” where it’s a little heavier and a lot of the lyrics are pretty cut and dry, but whenever I write it is always with the same level of intention so the meaning will always be there, even if sometimes you have to work harder for it.
CRAVE: Your production style has become noticeably more refined and experimental since your earlier EPs. What was your sonic goal with “Hobby”?
AISLINN: With “Hobby” I honestly just wanted to make something fun that I could sing along to in the car. When I wrote it, it honestly started out as kind of a joke with me just being as dramatic as possible, so I felt like I needed the song to lean into that humor and not take itself too seriously.
CRAVE: How involved are you in the production process now compared to when you were recording your first EP lackluster with your little brother?
AISLINN: When it comes to my making my own music I have always insisted on being 100% involved in every step of the way. With my first EP it was alongside my little brother- with songs like “Who I Am Without You” and “Death Wish” it was completely alone- and now with my good friend Beau Rian it’s fully online over Discord, but it feels extremely important to me even when collaborating to be fully invested and present in all of the decision making.
CRAVE: Your work often explores vulnerability, heartbreak, growth, and even bitterness—but always with a sense of authenticity. What emotional territory does “Hobby” navigate?
AISLINN: Thank you, I really appreciate that. I would say that “Hobby” is more of a self reflection than anything else. It focuses on my own hopeless romantic sort of outlook on relationships, and the yearning to find somebody equally as obsessed with you in a dating climate that has become increasingly casual.
CRAVE: You’ve touched on themes like codependency (“Who I Am Without You”) and growing bitterness (“LMS”) with such clarity. Do you think there’s still a stigma around women expressing anger or grief unapologetically in music? How do you push against that?
AISLINN: Absolutely I do- it’s really interesting to have an online platform where I am able to see comments and immediate feedback about the music I post. With my own music I have people all the time telling me I am too dramatic or trying to diagnose me based on 30 seconds of a song I wrote. Whenever I get comments like that I feel like it says more about the person commenting than it does about me, and in many ways it motivates me to keep pushing myself to be honest in my writing. I also feel like people hear me being vulnerable in a song and then expect me to be one dimensional as a person- but it’s like just because I am digging through an emotion in a song, it doesn’t mean I live there 24/7. I really believe that talking about the way we feel and being able to communicate our emotions is such a superpower. It is the most rewarding thing to talk to people and hear that something I wrote made them feel validated and less alone. I also post a lot of covers online in between my own music, and in many cases I will sing songs written and performed by men, but get a completely different response and type of outrage than the original artist. It’s moments like those that I feel it’s really obvious to see just how much prejudice there can still be toward women in the music industry.
CRAVE: Your discography explores the complexity of womanhood — desire, rage, softness, resilience. Do you consciously approach storytelling through a feminine lens, or does that naturally emerge through your lived experience?
AISLINN: I think that the way that I write is very synonymous with who I am, my feelings, and my direct outlook on life. I would say that my entire approach to music comes pretty naturally from the things I have experienced and continue to go through as a 24 year old woman just trying her best to navigate everything.
CRAVE: With “LMS” and its demo version, you let us into your rawest creative space. Do you think “Hobby” shows us a new side of your vulnerability—or is it a different kind of openness?
AISLINN: I think that with “Hobby” I am in such a different headspace than I was when I was first writing “LMS” and recording that demo. I have grown so much over the past couple years and I think that while there is still a very honest openness to the lyrics of “Hobby” it’s nice to get to feel a little less doom and gloom all of the time.
CRAVE: If you could go back to the Aislinn who wrote “The Brightest Star,” what would you tell her now before releasing “Hobby”?
AISLINN: I would tell her just to keep writing and have a little more confidence in herself. Back then, I couldn’t imagine that even one person would listen or care about the music I was making, so I think she would be proud to see how far we’ve come.
CRAVE: What do you hope your listeners, either new or recurring, take away from “Hobby”?
AISLINN: With “Hobby” I really just want people to be able to have fun with it. I want it to be a song you can sing along to in the car with your friends, or blast in your bedroom while crashing out over your crush. I have so many other things I have been working on lately, that I hope “Hobby” can be a little reprieve before I get back into some of the heavier stuff.
Whether you’re deep in a crush or just looking for a song to scream-sing on a summer drive, “Hobby” captures that chaotic, relatable energy with all the honesty Aislinn Davis is known for. The track marks another step forward in her evolving sound, balancing lightheartedness with emotional depth. It’s a fresh, fun soundtrack for those messy moments that just come with being a human.
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