School is back in session with Heartbreak High season 2, and actor-musician extraordinaire Ayesha Madon is acing all the tests. Letting us back into her character of Amerie, while at the same time letting the world see a bit more of herself as well, she pairs the recent television credit with a new, more authentic chapter of music than ever before. Her new single, “Eulogy”, is a dynamic track balancing a sense of earnestness with playful sensibilities, showcasing Madon’s soaring vocals over a steady garage beat, string progressions, and pianos sections. “People have been introduced to me as a character that is quite removed from me,” she shares. “I think what I’m excited about is to continue revealing myself and for people to get to know me as Ayesha, not Amerie.”

We caught up with the star about Heartbreak High, “Eulogy”, and what’s to come.

Listen to “Eulogy”…

Read the interview…

Hi Ayesha! How are you doing? 
I’m doing so good. Tired, busy but highly content. Thank you for asking. 

Which was your first love: acting or making music? When did you know this was what you loved?
I grew up always equally involved and excited by both. (Thanks Hillary Duff). But I did hit this point when I was about 13 where I was like, “Ok Ayesh, you’ve gotta commit and get serious about your career” (lol), and in 13-year-old Ayesha’s head, I had to pick one — and that was music. But as life goes, the thing you put less pressure on always works out, hence my acting origin story. 

How did you first get connected with Heartbreak High and what was it that initially excited you about the project and your character?
I auditioned for it while I was touring with the musical Fangirls in 2021. I heard about it through James, who was also in Fangirls and read for his auditions. Then, a few weeks later, I got asked to read for Amerie. I thought it was a bit too ambitious going for the lead given my batting rate for previous auditions, so I asked to go for Quinni instead. In one of my callbacks for Quinni the producers had asked me to read for Amerie again — and thus began a long couple months of auditions and waiting to hear back.

What can we expect from the second season?
Season 1 tenfold. 

What was it like to step back into character?
So, so indescribably nice. It feels very odd falling in love with a fictional character but I truly do love Amerie so deeply. Stepping back into her kind of feels like a little missing part of me gets put back for a second, or like my favourite overseas cousin comes back for Christmas. Just so nice.

How do you balance the world of acting with that of music? What differences do they offer you creatively and in what ways do they intertwine?
I feel so certain that I need both disciplines to continue loving them both. They work symbiotically in keeping me alive and interested in the other. When one loses my attention, the other swoops in and keeps me creative. In my opinion, both songwriting and acting work the same muscle. When I’m immersed in a good scene and when I’m writing a good song, I have the same buzz and flow and trance-like focus. In my head they’re very similar. But I guess the main difference for me is that my music and writing process is solitude and introspection whereas acting is intrinsically interpersonal. 

Talk to us about “Eulogy”! When did you write this track and what does it discuss?
I wrote this track at the end of 2023 in my Grandma’s garage. I had just finished filming Heartbreak High — I was desperate to start making music again, so I built myself a studio and got going! It’s a song about my frustration with toxic positivity and the emphasis we place on perfection and consistent thriving. I’m much more fascinated by the disastrous human experiences that we don’t outwardly present. 

What was the writing process like?
It was super easy and effortless. For me, if a song isn’t working, I can usually tell within the first 30 minutes of writing it. This song flowed out of me so easily and then followed me into the shower and into the shops and everywhere I went — more ideas for the song would fly at me until it was done. I feel like I really needed to write it. 

How does it set the scene for what’s to come next?
Well it’s honest and it’s me. People have been introduced to me as a character that is quite removed from me so I think what I’m excited about is to continue revealing myself and for people to get to know me as Ayesha, not Amerie. Very Hannah Montana, I know. 

What do you hope people will take away from this new chapter of music?
I really hope people will feel permission to have bad days. I hope they’ll listen and relate and think, “wow that bitch is unhinged, she makes me look amazing, maybe I’m not doing so bad after all.”  I also hope they’ll feel close to me and understood. I think that’s probably what most musicians aim for.