After five years of silence, Toronto's Ashton Mills has returned with a voice that sounds like it never went away, only grew sharper, deeper, and more methodical. Running through the end of 2020, the project's third single, "WALLS," released via Waterworld Digital x Trifecta Sound Co. / The Orchard, is a testament to the power of openness. It's an emotional dig, made up of layers of texture, mood, and memory.
Carving out a lane within the genre-blending landscape of modern and alternative R&B, "WALLS" envelops you in cinematic soundscapes. From the very first moment, there is an undeniable gravity to the track, borne by Ashton's evocative vocals and bolstered by the chilling beauty of rising Toronto vocalist Majo. The vocal chemistry between the two simmers, never forced, always intuitive, is that of two souls struggling to meet across a loosely lit dream.
"WALLS" features lush, orchestral tension, courtesy of acclaimed producer and string arranger Aaron Paris, that rumbles under the surface. Strings swell and recede, like emotion itself, fragile, urgent, and arrestingly human. The result is a track that doesn't merely plead to be listened to but insists upon being felt. Written, recorded, and produced mainly from his car as he plotted out his day in Toronto, the single has a certain rawness that studios overshadow. This is a redefinition. Ashton is reemerging as a multifaceted artist with a firm grasp on his own story, from engineering and production all the way down to the bizarre visual world he has been piecing together behind the scenes.
And that's just for starters. "WALLS" serves as the next chapter to his upcoming album "FEAR NO FOE, FAWN NO FRIEND" planned for release in October 2025. If this single is any indication, then the entire project will not just be music, but a cinematic experience, a carefully crafted, meticulously planned, and heartfelt endeavor. This isn't an Ashton Mills breaking the silence. He's transforming it.
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