Did you already know your favorite rock bands when you were a child? At 12 years old, Ava Toton not only has an extensive list of admirable old-school references, but she also exudes attitude on her second EP.
Possessing a deep and powerful voice, this American girl is a surprising singer, songwriter, and guitarist, with fast-paced songs, dirty riffs, and defiant lyrics sung like war cries, showcasing a unique and prodigious talent.
In “Charm School Dropout,” the title track from her EP released this year, Ava rebels against society's desire to mold young people into repetitive and uncreative forms. “Everyone feels like an outsider, and this song is about accepting who you are, being defiant about not wanting to change to make someone else feel more comfortable,” she said in an interview with Wikimetal . “People have their own idea of what’s appropriate and how people should act and behave. I don’t know why everyone can’t just be themselves and other people just accept that. It’s not that hard. Stand up for yourselves and tell people – this is me, take it or leave it.”
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Initially influenced by her family playing Rocksmith on the video game, very similar to Guitar Hero , Ava Toton received her first guitar at the age of five and never stopped. She started lessons the following year and quickly realized how good she was at it, with a passion for performing on stage soon following.
When the girl turned eight, her family already knew: she was born to be a rockstar. “There was a School of Rock performance that day, I played guitar and sang lead vocals on AC/DC and a few other rock songs. After that performance, I was transferred to the school’s most advanced music group, with kids much older than me, and I started taking music much more seriously and practicing much more,” she recalled. “The more I play, the more I love doing it. I definitely don’t want to work in an office. I prefer creating music and rocking the stage.”
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Besides Angus Young , one of Ava's main inspirations on the guitar, the girl's list of influences includes all the biggest names from rock's golden decades, from Scorpions and Def Leppard to Metallica and Shinedown , passing through Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe .
Part of our team's discoveries on Groover , she's a stunning standout, with more artistic personality and attitude than many experienced musicians on the platform. Ava Toton's youthful rebelliousness and self-assurance, drawing inspiration from the genre's absolute idols, are great news for rock – and solidify the prospect of a female future for the style, still dominated by men and sexist formulas.
Citing The Warning, Nita Strauss, Amy Lee, Lilith Czar, Lzzy Hale, and child star Nandi Bushell —a dream collaboration for Ava (and for us, from now on!)—the young artist speaks about her hope for a future with women dominating the genre. “When I listen to rock, I’m not hearing as many female artists on the radio as male artists, but things seem to be going in the right direction. One of my personal goals is to inspire girls my age to pick up a guitar and start playing. There need to be many more female guitarists out there,” she said.
In “Wake Up The Neighborhood,” Ava calls her friends to a loud and noisy party that lasts until the early hours of the morning. “You wanna go where the wild things are? / Fuel your soul / Time to lose control / Let’s get wild / The sound explodes without warning / I won’t stop this party until morning (…) / Let’s wake up the neighborhood,” she warns. If it continues like this, that neighborhood will spread throughout the world. And that’s a good thing!
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