Ashnikko on the “Transformative Powers” of a Cute Outfit and Itty Bitty Skirts – POPSUGAR Australia
Ashnikko is the true definition of a multi-disciplinary artist if not a visionary. One listen through their discography and the vision becomes clear: Ashnikko is a disruptor, determined to be a voice for the internet generation through her art, but never without compromising the fun.
So, who better for Ashnikko to support on an Australian tour than Billie Eilish — the poster child for Gen Z pop disruptors. Taking to the stage ahead of the megastar on the Aussie leg of her ‘Hit Me Hard & Soft’ world tour, Ashnikko commanded that audience. With a stage in the centre of the arena, all eyes were on them. With hook-heavy bangers you’d recognise from TikTok, to conceptual, horror-inspired deep cuts, it was an insight into the world of Ashnikko. Fantastical, otherworldly, dominant, honest.
As she and their dancers morphed their bodies around the stage and one another to transform their set into something like performance art, it became clear that, whether she’s centre-stage or in the nosebleeds, all eyes are destined to be on Ashnikko. And, with the release of her freeing new single “Itty Bitty”, those eyes aren’t moving anytime soon.
In between shows, POPSUGAR Australia caught up with Ashnikko to discuss a range of topics, including Tumblr, expensive manicures, “Itty Bitty” and ensuring you have a voice.
Ashnikko on “Itty Bitty”
“I wrote that song with Tom Slinger, my longtime collaborator, and Skyler Stonestreet, an incredible friend of mine, and we were just having a good time.”
“I was fresh out of a break-up, and wearing a lot of little skirts at the time — still am! — and I felt like there was great power in wearing a little tiny, itty bitty skirt when you’re feeling heartbroken. The transformative power of a cute outfit is really special, and I wanted that in song.”
“The tinier the skirt, the closer to God, just like they say in the Bible.”
Ashnikko on Choreography
“I love choreography. I’m dancing, I’m dancing up a storm…I work with incredible choreographers. They really took my vision and made her real. I said I wanted to be theatrical, I wanted to create very strange shapes, I wanted us to feel like one machine working together… I want it to be more than just bodies moving on stage. I want us to become creatures.”
“I’ve been dancing with my dancers for three years now, so we have really good chemistry onstage. There’s a lot of connection that happens on stage that’s important to really selling it.”
Ashnikko on Expensive Manicures
“My manicures are so expensive. But, I’m really investing in my nails. It’s very important to showcasing the look and introducing yourself. They’re the first thing someone sees. Invest in the manicure, and everything else will follow suit.”
“I feel like I can wear absolutely anything, and if my nails are good, I’m set. I could walk outside in my pyjamas, and as long as I have a good nail and a good shoe, this is fashion.”
Ashnikko on Tumblr
“Tumblr was where I discovered fashion, it’s where I made friends, it’s where I really found myself. I got to write fanfic about “Twilight”. It’s a really special place for me, it felt like a breeding ground for a lot of the seeds that make up my personality.”
“I was really, really on book Tumblr. It was so pure, and there was real subculture. Now, I feel like subcultures are coming back and there’s space for them to really thrive. Everyone came together and became one heaving mass of internet, and now I think things are spreading out a bit more and there’s more space for individuality. I do yearn for the good old days.”
Ashnikko on Whether She’ll Ever Change Her Hair Colour
“I fantasise about the day I can just hit the farm, just let it all go and have my natural brown hair. I think I might start introducing my natural hair, at least underneath, so that I can have healthy hair on half of my head for once.”
Ashnikko on Making a Statement
“Music is such an incredible vehicle to tell stories in ways you can’t necessarily say out loud, or in written form. I think that my talent, and my purpose, is to make music and it’s the form of activism I know best.”
Ashnikko on Touring with Billie Eilish
“It’s been great. This is a dream tour to be on. I think, of all the support slots in the world, this is the one I would’ve chosen. I love Billie, they’ve been so incredible and so kind. Her fans are amazing, the crowd is really receptive. I love it, they’re really wild.”
Ashnikko on the Pressure Around Her New Album
“I feel like there’s a feeling that you need to outdo yourself, which makes it harder to tap into the very pure place you were writing music from before. With a debut album, you’re working with nothing. You’re working on pure vibes, and in a flow state. At the same time, you have everything. You’re taking all of that, and shaping it into something brand new.”
“With a second album, there’s all these preconceived notions on what people think about you and your music, but you still have to make something new out of it.”
“Now, I’m in a much healthier place when it comes to making music. I just want to have fun, and be in the human realm again. I was a little fairy for a year or two, and now I’m just a little, messy girl, traipsing around a little skirt, having fun with my girls.”
Ashnikko on Balancing Humour with Vulnerability
“I feel like it’s one and the same. There’s definitely a side of me that likes to ‘hee hee ha ha’ instead of being vulnerable. Or, when I’m vulnerable, I have to ‘hee hee ha ha’ to offset it.
“But I think it comes very naturally to me.”
Ashnikko on Fashion
“I think some people like to think that the physical manifestation of beauty is frivolous, but I think that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Fashion is such a vessel, and such an important medium, to showcase your autonomy, your spirit and where you are in your life. You’re literally a walking art piece. I like to use an outfit as a scrapbook collage, like a diary entry of where I am in my life.”
“Itty Bitty” is available now to stream on all major platforms.
