When Casey first started making music, Ashnikko was a character she created. “It was the older sister that I desperately wanted as a teenager. I needed someone to look up to and to teach me why I was allowed to say ‘no’ while also giving me permission to be angry. Without that, I would have imploded.” Over time though, she has found that the lines between person and persona have blurred, in a way that she says has proved crucial to her self-worth. “There is no pretending anymore. I mean, yes, there is still a level of absurdism and surrealism within Ashnikko that is a performance, but at the core of it, I feel like I actually know who I am now. I feel really confident about myself and I want to celebrate that.” The singer now believes she acts as the big sister for her fans. “I like taking care of people. Growing up, it was musicians that really validated me and my emotions. To be able to do that for others now is incredible.”
