OUR NEIGHBOURSAshlyn Behrndt

From Vancouver and living in New York City, Ashlyn divides her time between music - she is part of a DJ collective called Working Women -, freelance writing, and walking her day as a nice way to stroll the city streets. We caught up with her at her apartment one stormy day.

What gets you up in the morning?

Truthfully most of the time I’m thinking about pretty banal things and general responsibility like paying bills, moving my truck, responding to an email. There are greater inspirational reasons but I’d like to think that they meld with my day-to-day in small ways that aren’t always immediately recognizable upon opening my eyes. I used to cling to ultimately reductive mantras or reasoning I suppose until I began actually living in a way that I understood to be comfortable and meaningful, even manageable, in my own mind.

On wider scale, it is undeniable we have a lot of work to do.

Do you have a daily routine?
I’m not very ritualistic, with my schedule and djing it’s almost impossible if I actually intend on getting real sleep. Often my day starts by stretching and trying to parse what I was thinking about in my dreams if anything. Most of the time it's baffling nonsense but I think dreams have preserved me when I’ve needed them to. There’s this smirking cat living outside my kitchen window that I've come to see as emblematic of my day beginning. Maybe reading or writing in bed for a while, listen to the radio or music. I am cranky as hell in the morning so I try to avoid my phone/human contact. If I have time I’ll drive to Prospect Park and run, this time is some of the most essential to me. In the winter I’ll go for a steam. Then I’ll go to my job or work on freelance work. I usually play and consider my music practice the most in the evenings as that feels the most natural which ends in a nightmarish turn of all of the above.

What are you currently reading?
I am usually reading multiple things at once, at the moment re reading Bell Hooks, João Biehl, Joy Williams.

What's your favorite meal?
A haphazard camping meal.

Current obsession?
Vortexity Books in the East Village, I stopped by her​ stand for the first time last weekend and her collection is incredible.Also going to the water to float around, I can't imagine not living near the ocean.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Becky McNeel

STYLING: Jessye Ashworth