Ash Koley

Ash Koley, the Canadian pop duo, launched their musical partnership in 2004 after Ashley Koley, its namesake member, and songwriter Phil Deschambault met via a mutual acquaintance. Winnipeg native Koley had been singing from her earliest years, while Deschambault had built experience as a solo performer and guitarist across several local Winnipeg bands. The pair drew from an expansive array of pop sources ranging from new wave acts to later groups, then spent multiple years shaping their style. This preparation produced a run of EPs issued across five months, namely the White, Blue, Red, and Black EPs between late 2009 and early 2010, ahead of their debut album Inventions on Nettwerk/Sony. That record delivered an off-kilter pop approach fused with folk touches, conveying an intense blend of Regina Spektor-esque quirk and Chairlift indie sensibility. Another EP and an acoustic album appeared in 2012, after which the duo shifted direction in 2016. Their second LP, Elements, brought in urgent synth pop and hip-hop ingredients, most notably on lead single “Criminal,” which Justin Gray, whose credits include Mariah Carey and Amy Winehouse, co-wrote.