Ashley Sloggett

Identity in any music scene is a big deal and Ashley Sloggett knows it.

“I was kicked out of a band for not being “Evanescence enough” and I didn’t make Canadian Idol because I wasn’t ‘poppy enough.’ I just don’t know what people want from me,” says Sloggett with a laugh.

However, what the acoustic driven, singer/songwriter Sloggett wanted from herself has been clear since childhood. The daughter of a classically trained clarinetist mother and a rampant LP collecting father, Sloggett was thrust into music upon birth. As a baby she’d sing as opposed to cry, and by the age of four she was on stage.

As a young teenager growing up in Burlington, Ontario, Sloggett would get her first guitar at Christmas and soon find herself engulfed in a local music scene that spawned success stories like Finger Eleven and Silverstein. She’d perform in emo acts, post show flyers around town, and eventually book community driven concerts at the local YMCA.

These good deeds and this tireless work ethic paid off. Sloggett’s time within the Burlington scene helped her carve out a pop-acoustic niche for herself that is as much inspired by Alanis Morissette as it is Saves the Day. Establishing such an independent identity has led Sloggett through tours of North America (including dates with Gordon Lightfoot, Ten Second Epic & Saint Alvia), the 2005 release of The Demos, and 2009’s The Annum EP – an example of what an acoustic girl can do with talent and tenacity on her side.

“I know about running a music project from punk rockers so it’s that ethic I use when marketing myself and approaching my music,” notes Sloggett. “What separates me most is my drive to keep it organic, real, with no fake eyelashes, no sweaty videos, and no cheesy ‘I’m with the band’ t-shirts – there are no gimmicks just because I’m a girl playing music.”

Recorded at RJRS in Mississauga in 2008, The Annum EP is a 3-track attack that hits you swiftly in the soul. The trio of tunes includes “The Juicy Fruit Song,” a pop-heavy, yet dark effort about reviving a friendship after a drug addiction; the nightmare inspired “Fire & Flood,” plus the mantra song of the album, “Soldier Slave,” which documents the importance of rocking your way through life as opposed to standing still and letting it pass you by.

“All of my songs start out as poetry so I want them to be analyzed at some point, or at least thought about beyond melody,” mentions Sloggett. “Lyrics are one of my proudest parts of a song so I want people to think about them, but also feel as though they can sing along.”

With her well traveled acoustic in hand and a blue-collared, D.I.Y. spirit kept in her back pocket, Sloggett hopes to use her soaring voice and independently achieved identity as the ticket to a lifetime in music.

“I expect The Annum EP to be well received, at least by my peers and fans,” adds Sloggett. “It’s been way too long since I’ve released anything so hopefully it will garner some attention from the people that make music careers possible. If not, I’ll just do it myself.”