Ashe Captures the Multiplicity of Life in "Cold in California"

image

To cut to the chase, the past year has seen rising singer-songwriter Ashe release some of her finest and most moving work to date. From her lauded Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 to "In Disguise," a song we championed as the very definition of timeless songwriting, Ashe is in the midst of building a catalog prepared to stand the test of time. The Los Angeles artist's latest is living, breathing evidence of that very notion.

"Cold in California" is breathtaking, heart-rending, and eye-opening all in the same breadth. Executive produced by FINNEAS, the sonics pierce the heart like an unexpected scattered storm on a sunny California day; it is June gloom personified. More than just a beautiful collection of stirring percussion and delicately weaved guitar chords, it is the depth of Ashe's emotionally-laden songwriting that truly makes "Cold in California" such a lasting, deeply human affair.

"Don't mind what anybody told you/ It still gets cold in California/ See everbody thinks they know you/ They're only seeing what they wanna," Ashe confesses in a chorus for the ages. And while California is undoubtedly the central figure of Ashe's moment of introspection, the realization is far more universal, as the rising singer-songwriter expanded upon when speaking on the underlying meaning of the song,

"I love California and I also despise it. I'm from California and in many ways, this song is more about me than the place itself. I suppose that says I love and also despise myself as well. Nothing is ever one-sided or perfect or right all the time. I tried to explain this feeling in 'Cold in California.' It's the best way I've personally described my love/hate relationship with myself and Los Angeles so far."

In the span of just over three spellbinding minutes, Ashe touches upon the inherent multiplicity of life - the notion that there cannot be joy without pain, pain without joy. "Cold in California" is a song for those existential moments of contemplation, where even under the beating sun, you feel a strange cold emanating from within.

Listen to "Cold in California" below and be sure to catch Ashe on her Ones To Watch - presented 'Mom's First Headline Tour' this fall:

Related Articles

People I’ve Met Open Up Like Never Before

People I’ve Met Open Up Like Never Before

July 2, 2026 NYC-based band People I’ve Met have spent the better part of the last year reorganizing their ambitions and identity.
Author: Noah Wade
pop
Ishmael is the New Picasso Making High Art Hip-Hop [Q&A]

Ishmael is the New Picasso Making High Art Hip-Hop [Q&A]

July 2, 2026 Before he was soundtracking campaigns for YSL Paris, working with hip-hop juggernauts like Ciara and Vince Staples, and collaborating with luxury brands, Ishmael was just a kid from Rochester, New York.
Author: Kiani Shabazz
pop
YSL
Haiden Henderson Keeps Things "NSFW" (As Advertised)

Haiden Henderson Keeps Things "NSFW" (As Advertised)

June 29, 2026 Henderson is building momentum in real tim.e
Author: Alessandra Rincon
pop