Podcasts You Should Know: UK Drag performer Ash Kenazi takes us into The Pink Room
If you’ve ever wanted a backstage pass to the scandals, the hijinks and the pressures of life when touring, a new podcast is here to draw back the curtain on the elusive world of artists and musicians and reveals the absolute carnage that ensues.
The Pink Room, brought to you by World of Wonder’s WOW Podcast Network, brings you tales from touring musicians that will enthuse, shock, and entertain you beyond belief.
Host Ash Kenazi dives deep into life as a “rock star” while having intimate conversations with friends from within the music industry. Upcoming guests include Mac Demarco, Charlie Steen, Fenne Lily, and Holiday Sidewinder.
Ash Kenazi is the OG drag Jewish Princess from North London who left home to find herself in the back alleys and glory holes of the city.
One part popper abuser, one part drummer, one part amateur opera singer, she chose the stage as her stomping ground, earning a reputation as a health and safety nightmare. Ash’s antics continue to entertain audiences through the transgressive nature of drag and the celebration of queer identity.
We recently chatted with Ash about the new podcast, music and lots more. Get to know this charismatic and talented performer.
Tell me a little more about yourself. How did you get started in drag?
Ash Kenazi is the OG Jewish Princess from North London, primed for success, who lost herself in the back alleys and glory holes of the city. Earning a reputation as a health and safety nightmare, shows are known for their pyrotechnics, opera singing, and stage climbing all while wearing 6-inch heels.
I was encouraged to try drag after watching Bob the Drag Queen on Drag Race. If she got such enjoyment from it, why couldn’t I? What I wasn’t prepared for was the euphoria of being another character and the connections I made both with others and myself. Drag has allowed me to embrace my queerness. It is my form of meditation: I can order my thoughts, heighten the senses, be at peace and get drunk at the same time. I highly recommend.
What inspired “The Pink Room”?
I felt that the interview format for so many artists had become tired and lackluster. The same questions asked over and over again. What is this song about? What inspired your last record? Who do you want to play with? I wanted to spice up the questions and dig deeper into experience. So, instead of the heterosexual green room, I established the queer Pink Room! In terms of inspiration, Adam Buxton encouraged me to ditch the script and go for conversation, and then I guess I had time to fill as all gigs were canceled during the pandelicious (I refuse to call it by its name).
How do you choose what topics to talk about?
I usually have six phrases or so in front of me as points of discussion, but I wanted the conversation to be as free-flowing as possible. In other words, I wanted it RAW. For Mac Demarco I had written down:
1.Mac Demarcoism
2.Green Man
3.End of the Road
4.Drumstick Anal
5.Sky Ferreira
6.Pig Foetus.
I think it turned out alright.
What do you enjoy talking about the most?
I’m an Aquarius, so I enjoy exploring emotions. Other than that, I love reminiscing about the good times.
Who’s your dream “get” as a guest on the podcast?
Klaus Nomi (might have to wait for Pink Heaven Podcast though)
How has doing this podcast changed you?
I realized that many of the assumptions I make about someone or their choices are generally false and I should be less judgmental.
What kind of music do you enjoy?
Italo Disco, anything out of Athens GA in the mid 80s, Paris Hilton and Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
What type of music or artist that you listen to frequently do you think your fans would be surprised to learn that you’re a fan of?
@&%($£&(TT*@)££*$%)…jk jk Paris Hilton
What other podcasts do you listen to?
The Adam Buxton Podcast, Why Won’t You Date Me? and My Life as a Celebrity Lookalike.
What are three things you can’t live without?
Vibrator, Toothbrush, Deodorant
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
It places the lotion in the basket
What do you think the future holds for you?
I’m trying a new thing where I live more in the present rather than worrying about the future. But children, that is a goal of mine.
New episodes of “The Pink Room” drop every Monday wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Ash on Twitter and Instagram.
