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HEAD of EDITORIAL Alana Ash is a business marketing student and the Co-Founder and Head of Editorial at Cult Machine, a global indie music magazine. Since starting in media and design at 14, she's been driven by a love of music, storytelling, and community. Through Cult Machine, she hopes to create a platform where fans and creatives can connect, indie artists can be championed, and women, young girls, and fangirls are recognised as an essential part of the music industry and not just its audience. |
Heritage: Indonesian |
Location: Jakarta (Indonesia)
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Tell us a bit about yourself and your role
I run Editorial at Cult Machine, an independent global music magazine! I oversee our editorial output–handling everything from artist outreach, PR, and interviews to curation pieces. Because we’re a fully independent publication, my role is super hands-on, and I get to directly shape the voice, creative direction, and community ethos of the magazine.
What does your day to day look like?
It is beautifully chaotic and completely depends on the day. I’m currently balancing my role with finishing up my college studies in Jakarta before moving abroad next year. Because I manage a global editorial team that operates in completely opposite time zones, my schedule is pretty inverted.
My entire life is inside my poor overheated laptop–whether it's for assignments or post deadlines. After finishing classes in the afternoon, I try to take a bit of downtime to reset. Then around 7 PM, my second day starts haha. I reboot to edit features, review song submissions, answer PR emails, coordinate events and the entire team now that everyone's awake. God knows when I actually sleep, but when you're building something you love, the screen time is worth it.
What is your most & least favourite part of the job?
My absolute favorite part is watching the community grow, because that’s exactly what we set out to accomplish from day one. Cult Machine has always been, and will always be, for fans by fans. Seeing people get genuinely excited to be involved, to share their art, or to connect with other music lovers warms my heart.
My least favorite part is dealing with the inevitable creative burnout. I put a massive amount of pressure on myself to deliver the absolute best content for both my team and our community. When you combine that pressure with staying up until the witching hours to coordinate across global time zones, it can definitely take a toll. Getting stuck on an editorial layout or a post at 3 AM is exhausting, but it's taught me a lot about learning when to step back and breathe.
An important skill/trait for success in your role
Consistency, without a doubt. We wouldn’t be where we are right now if we hadn't committed to showing up regularly. A lot of opportunities simply come from always showing up for people (and artists) to start trusting and noticing your work.
That said, consistency shouldn't mean destroying yourself! I’m definitely not advocating for sacrificing your sleep schedule the way I sometimes do. The real skill is finding a sustainable rhythm, because protecting your peace and preventing burnout is the only way to keep that consistency going in the long run.
Describe when you knew you wanted to pursue a role in the music industry
Growing up I was always surrounded by music. I was raised in a family of musicians, so the torch naturally passed down to me. Music is quite literally all I’ve known my entire life. Even now, studying business, I’m incapable of keeping the two separate–every single school project I touch somehow ends up having ties to music.
It’s the driving motivation behind everything I do. I realize I’m in an incredibly privileged position where I can look at the thing I love most in the world and ask myself, 'Why not build a career out of this?'
Tell us a bit about your industry journey
I got my first internship at a local radio station when I was 14, before I’d even graduated middle school. Huge shoutout to the team at Synchronize Radio and Fest for taking a chance on this lost kid for a month! Since then I’ve spent every other school break interning at different places, and I plan to keep doing that for as long as I can.
I started dabbling in graphic design just for fun, which snowballed into me co-founding Cult Machine with Rod. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to wear a lot of different hats. I’m still figuring it all out as I go. I’m barely legal, not even old enough to drink in America yet, so I’m constantly learning from the incredible people around me.
How does your heritage affect your experience within the industry?
Growing up in Indonesia, you quickly learn the value of working twice as hard. The creative scene, though vibrant and broad, is tough and the economic reality means traveling abroad for concerts or industry events isn't a casual option. Every creative, no matter where they are from, has their own mountain to climb, so I never want to undermine the struggles of peers in other parts of the world. But my experience here definitely gave me my drive. It taught me to be resourceful, to maximize every single connection, and to build a digital space in Cult Machine where geography doesn't limit your passion.
What is something you are particularly proud of in your journey?
I always try to stay grounded, but sometimes I step back and realize how crazy it is that I'm doing while I’m still just a teenager trying to finish my degree. I’m just really proud of the fact that we proved you don't have to wait until you're ‘established' to start building something meaningful.
The interviews are my absolute pride and joy though. Because I am a genuine fan of the people I talk to, every interview feels like a milestone. Getting to have deep, real conversations with artists who soundtrack my life is something I'll never take for granted. There is no better feeling in the world than when an idol of yours looks at you and says, 'That's a good question.'
What are your ambitions for the year ahead?
I’ve always been someone who dreams big.. I want to push Cult Machine (which is literally my child) to its absolute limits with bigger features and dream-list interviews and make it a top name in the scene. Personally, my dream is to go on an overseas work trip. We get invited to so many incredible events and festivals in the States, and while I love that we get to cover them, it’s sometimes a bit sad to sit in my room editing and posting videos of a crowd I wish I was standing in haha.
Your advice for someone entering the industry
Put yourself out there!!
Send the cold email. Send the DM. Post your art. You won’t get a response every time, but you will eventually. Not to get spiritual, but I really think the universe rewards audacity.
You don’t have to wait around until you feel ‘ready’ or ‘qualified’ because passion itself is a qualification! That's what drives the industry. Something Cult Machine proved to me was that genuine passion was enough to build something. Trust your instincts as a fan and consumer because you know what's missing in the world because you're looking for it. Don’t be afraid to make the thing you want to see. You never know who’s waiting to find it.
If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why?
Make the industry safer for women. It is infuriating that in 2026, basic safety and respect are still treated like optional luxuries.
There is this toxic double standard where a woman setting boundaries gets hit with massive backlash, while a man doing the exact same thing is praised. What hurts the most is seeing women get blacklisted and denied opportunities just for speaking up, while known abusers are rewarded with massive stages. If the legacy industry is going to keep protecting problematic men and silencing women, then the next generation of editors, writers, and fans has to build a completely new, safe ecosystem.
Your community shout out
My mom. She is my absolute number-one role model. I inherited my music taste, my work ethic, and my resilience entirely from her. Having a mother who deeply understands this industry and supports my wildest dreams is a privilege I never take for granted. I know firsthand that her own journey in this scene hasn't always been easy, and I hope she knows just how incredibly proud of her I am. She is the strongest woman I know, and my ultimate goal in life is to make her as proud of me as I am of her.
I also want to give a very special, unexpected shoutout to my friend Vince. He’ll probably be surprised to see his name here, but he has been supporting me and Cult Machine since day one. It sounds so simple, but him consistently replying to my stories, participating in our posts, and reposting our work means the absolute world to me. In an industry where it’s easy to feel lost, Vince has believed in my vision for Cult Machine since the very beginning, and I’m so grateful for him.
