Ashnikko Talks New Album 'Smoochies,' "Trinkets," Heartbreak and "Itty Bitty"

Zach Sang Show

Sangasong, LLC

Tv & Film, Music

4.7 • 658 Ratings

🗓️ 17 October 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We’re joined by Ashnikko IRL for the first time ever — prior to this it was a pandemic zoom — and she’s a trip, a delight. Decked out in all her finery, the 29-year-old discusses her latest album Smoochies, easily her best work to date. It’s smart, sassy, sexy, give no-f**ks pop, full of wild wordplay, vivid imagery, and hooks to high heaven. But for all its in your face-ness, Ashnikko’s the absolute master of sneaking vulnerability and realness into her party-pop juggernauts.

We talk about all this, the connection to her last record DEMIDEVIL, how the body keeps the score, breakups and heartbreak hedonism, power dynamics within her own heterosexual and queer relationships, the moreish aspect of success, and the connection between her music and her carefully constructed visual aesthetic.

We also discuss reclaiming sexual depravity from the patriarchy (obviously), the vibes of trinkets and junk, the birth of Ashnikko, f**k-me outfits, sword-making, how she sleeps with her eyes open, killing off a validation system that isn’t helpful (YES!), and so much more. You don’t want to miss this one. Or this album! Smoochies slaps.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, hello, beautiful human. I am Zach. That is Dan. And today we welcome to the studio for the first time in real life, an artist, who is just, I mean, you're a walking piece of art. That's the best way to put it.
0:17.4	Thank you.
0:17.9	We have a whole new album to talk about. It's called Smooches, Saylor Dash. Nika.
0:40.1	Yay. Hi. So a couple of things that we were talking about pre-inviting everyone in was you sleep perfectly on your back, but with your eyes open? With my eyes open. Like a reptile. I don't know if reptiles do that, but it feels reptilian um who told you that that's what you do many lovers um my parents um yeah just people i i led into my bed and
0:48.3	into my my my life my bedroom um yeah i don't know why i do it i think i just like to keep one eye open. One eye, when I open. What is one eye open or are they both open? I just got to keep my eyes out. You know, I just got to watch. Got to be on alert. Are you, like, so are you dreaming any differently? Or, like, is it black when you're asleep still honestly who knows i have a very very
1:13.8	colorful dream world and it's a very scary place for me sometimes i have loads of anxiety dreams
1:19.6	really yeah yeah the other day i had a dream that someone boiled my dog what oh my god it was horrible
1:28.4	what do you think that was connected to?
1:29.7	I don't know.
1:30.5	I would love for someone to, like, actually dissect that for me.
1:35.4	I mean, it's dissecting your dreams, but it's also understanding where you're at, in that day, in that week, in that month.
1:41.5	I think, I think because I'm traveling right now, I'm, I'm a little bit anxious.
1:47.6	Yeah.
1:48.0	What part of that?
1:48.7	Is it just not having a bass, not having a home?
1:50.5	Yeah, I think so.
1:51.6	I think also just like putting out music is a very vulnerable space to be in.
1:56.1	I love, I love it, I love it objectively.
1:59.5	The music's out.
2:00.1	People are listening to it. But like the letting go of it is I love it objectively. The music's out. People are listening to it.
2:01.0	But like the letting go of it is pretty stressful for me.
2:04.1	So I think that's probably why I'm having anxiety dreams.
	...

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