Nicole Ash Drops An Edgy But Honest EP
- BuzzSlayers
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
A very vivacious new EP release from Nicole Ash just dropped, and this record certainly hits hard and all the places it needs to, boasting loads of honesty, inner thought, and emotion, but in a way that shapes the record into this heavy sort of pop-rock and punk opus.
This record displays so much of Nicole's personality and she comes through vibrantly, colorfully, and with just the right amount of attitude with a certain closed-fisted approach lurking just beneath the surface.
The record is called Never Better, and it doesn't waste a lot of time with the first track, "Seeing Stars", which is one of the songs that displays a lot of the pop overcoat but isn't afraid to explode into sonically driving rock sounds.
I love this track in particular because it displays both the edginess and the color damn near perfectly. It's also an amazing track to open up the record with because it introduces you to some of the staples that you're going to hear throughout the rest of the record's unfolding.
One of these things is that she is certainly not afraid to put pieces of herself in her music. This is vulnerable at times, but not in the way that you might think. She's unafraid to really come at you with her personal attributes. She's releasing this record as a way to let you know that she's not building walls around her creativity.
It's unbound, and that's probably one of my favorite aspects about it.
The vocals that she delivers throughout this release are alive and breathing. They have character behind them. She gives delicate or subtle approaches when she wants, and she always feels sort of authentic in her performance.
This opening single showcases some of the vast undertones that you're going to hear on some other tracks, but on this one, I feel like it's probably the most spacious of them all.
While it is spacious, it's also hard. It's melodic, but heavy, and she's able to combine all of these elements in such a great manner.
"Villain (In Your Eyes)" is the second track, and it starts giving us a little more insight into her personal situations and how she feels about certain things. This song feels like it's about how her significant other viewed her, and this is her way of straightening out the story.
So, as I said, you're getting real pieces of her life here. Some of these songs are like diary entries or chapters in a book, in a sense.
She's putting a lot out there for everyone to soak in. There's plenty to chew on throughout this entire record in terms of the character she delivers and the way she tells her stories throughout these songs.
To me, this track boasts a little bit more of an alternative rock Vibe. It's a little sharper, a little heavier, a little less pop, although it's still catchy.
It's just more of an alternative sound from the guitar work to the vocals, which come all the way through.
"Alter Ego" has to be one of my favorite tracks. This one comes through really heavy as well, but it's super theatrical. She takes leaps in terms of experimenting with the vocals and making them sort of animated.
This is an aggressive but super fun track, and she weaves it brilliantly because you have the song playing through your head hours after it's ended.
There's just something special about the way she did this track, and it does showcase how she's able to branch out in different directions and still be unafraid to speak her truth.
"Stitch The Thread" is a super radio-friendly pop-rock single, great vocals that deliver melodies that are super catchy, even in the verses. This is where you can really hear that pop punk approach thriving as well.
There's a certain kind of warmth to attract like this. I think it's because again she's being very honest about certain things. Her lyrics are not really sugar-coated, which happens to be one of my favorite aspects about the entire record.
Because of that, songs come through as sort of relatable. Put ourselves into these stories because we've been through them. We've been through that range of emotion before.
It's at this point in the record where you start to wonder where the title actually came from.
Titling the record Never Better is beginning to sound a little sarcastic.
That is, until the last track, "Better Off Alone".
This is mainly because this single expresses a different side to everything. A lot of the rest of the EP does have spirit and some light at the end of the tunnel, but it also speaks about certain kinds of struggles and personal attributes that you go through when losing a relationship of some kind.
This song gets back to the root of who she is. Figuring all of it out. Being able to sit back, be alone, and see the kind of person that she is now as opposed to who she was back then.
Again, super relatable and tons of us can really understand it.
This had a huge message behind it. The record was a big chunk of her life, and it brings us from then straight to now, so the whole thing ends up sort of coming full circle, but we get the full story.
This was a very well-woven record, with tons of immense energy, loads of soul, plenty of that truth and honesty, charisma, and addictive pop edge and overtone.
This is a record to be listened to all the way through, from start to finish.
Upon listening to the EP, I realized I needed to have a chaat with Nicole to find out where this all came from and what may be coming next.
So, while you listen to the record, read through our interview with the artist below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Let's talk about Never Better! This record boasted that edgy pop-rock blend with personality, color and edginess! Where did this EP come from?
This EP is a collection of songs that show a difficult time of my life over the past couple years. It was a time of major upheaval, between losing my job, deep friendships, and even parts of myself. Never Better is meant to be an ironic title to show how someone can try to hold things all together while falling apart inside. At the same time, this EP tells a story of moving forward even when you're unsure or not okay, because we don't need all the answers to move onto better chapters in life.
I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
I did! My biggest influences have always been My Chemical Romance, Green Day, and blink-182. This EP also has some other influences like Bring Me The Horizon, especially on tracks like Alter Ego.
Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
All of these songs were recorded in the studio.Three were recorded in LA with JoJo Centineo who produced the songs. When in LA, I told JoJo I had two more song ideas for an EP, so I recorded the last two vocal sessions in a local studio with Adam Mobarek.
How did this all start for you as an artist?
I've always known I wanted to pursue music. I started writing lyrics when I was young around 6 or 8 years old and was very inspired by artists like Avril Lavigne. Writing was my outlet, especially in tough times. I got my first guitar at 16 but really started playing at 23 when I started posting regular guitar covers on social media. While sharing my guitar progress online and building a following, I was able to launch my music career as both a guitarist and eventually a solo artist.
Did you produce all the songs yourself, or did you collaborate with a producer?
I worked with JoJo Centineo for co-writing and production. We worked together on a couple of singles in the past, and he was someone I wanted to work with to bring these new songs to life.
Are you performing live right now?
I would love to! I have played live, but not yet for my solo project while focusing on releasing new music.
Now that this is out, what's next for you?
I plan to keep writing, ultimately working towards an album, and also performing these songs live in the near future.
Who's in your headphones right now?
I'm still obsessed with Bring Me The Horizon's "Post Human: Nex Gen" album.
What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
This EP is filled with nearly every type of emotion and a lot of experimentation from my typical pop punk sound. While it's still rooted in emo and pop punk at its core, this EP is heavier than my past work, in both concepts and sound. Never Better includes my first releases about struggles with mental health, which is why I started music in the first place. It's truly opening myself up to the world of my innermost feelings in a tough period of life.
Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
If there is a project, dream, or goal you haven't been able to stop thinking about, like making music, there's a reason you feel pulled to it so strongly and it's never too late. I always thought I was too late to start pursuing music seriously because I dedicated so much time in other areas of life throughout childhood and even through college, but I realized there really is no age of going after your dreams. Even if your path looks different than others, we're all more than capable when the desire and work ethic is strong enough.
Comments