Get To Know Alternative Pop Artist Ashnikko

Punk-pop provocateuse Ashnikko shares which female artists inspired her music and how she navigated the pandemic…

Born Ashton Nicole Casey, Ashnikko is making waves in the music industry with her bold, empowering and sexually liberated alt pop anthems. The blue-haired 24-year-old rose to prominence with her 2019 single Stupid, which gained viral popularity on TikTok, and most recently dropped a spunky and spirited 10-track post-breakup mixtape, Demidevil, which she is excited to share with the world. From the women who inspired her growing up to what to expect in her upcoming live stream show and how she’s been thriving amidst the pandemic, read on to find out more about this provocative pop star.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m Ashnikko, I make music and I’ve just released a mixtape called Demidevil. I have blue hair and like long walks on the beach.

How would you describe your music?

My music is a blend of a lot of different genres: primarily hip hop, pop and pop punk.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your mixtape, Demidevil?

I’m a perfectionist so I’m constantly trying to write better songs and become a better version of myself. Demidevil is something I’m very proud of. It’s a mix of angry and vulnerable introspective songs, showcasing both my devilish and human side.

My current favourite tracks from the mixtape are Slumber Party and L8r Boi.

What encouraged you to become a singer-songwriter?

I listened to a lot of music by really powerful women growing up, and that inspired me to start writing lyrics at around the age of 15. I started out writing poetry then moved into actual song writing. I was 16 when I decided I wanted to become a songwriter/musician.

Who were the artists you looked up to and drew inspiration from when you were younger?

Growing up I listened to M.I.A., Gwen Stefani, Bjork, Paramore, Avril Lavigne, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliot and Kelis (who’s featured on my mixtape!), to name a few. A lot of strong female artists.

Where do you hope your music will take you in the future?

Who knows! I can’t predict the future, but I just hope that I will get to have a long career and be able to play shows all around the world.

We love your style! Where do you get the inspiration for your outfits from?

All of my style inspirations are fictional characters like superheroes and cartoon characters from Japanese anime and comic books.

What do you do in your downtime?

Yoga, watch TV and play with my dog.

2020 was a tough year for many artists, what were some challenges you faced?

Last year was kind of weird; it’s very surreal putting out music during the pandemic and not being able to perform them. That being said, I’ve been very lucky that 2020 was quite a successful year for me. My songs were doing really well and I’m very grateful for that.

I did find it difficult to write songs during this time, nothing really inspired me. But it got better later on when I finally got my creative juices flowing.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

This year I’m really looking forward to my live stream show, which is going to be epic. Everyone working on it is incredibly talented. We worked really hard on it and I know it’s going to be amazing.

I’m also ready to write more music, get back in the studio and pour out my feelings. Hopefully I’ll get to play some live shows too! I believe there’s something really beautiful in having everyone in the room knowing the lyrics to your song. To get that human interaction and exchange while performing to a big group is unbeatable, so I can’t wait for that to come back again.

Follow Ashnikko on Linktree, Facebook and Instagram.