Guitar Prodigy Ava Toton Fires Back With a Heavy New Sound and New Band

Emerging guitarist, producer, and songwriter Ava Toton is stepping into a bold new chapter — and she’s doing it with fire. Her latest single “DECAY”, featuring powerhouse drummer Ace Arze Freeman, marks both a creative rebirth and a defiant reclaiming of her artistic voice after breaking away from a turbulent “super group” project that nearly derailed her career. The track channels polished aggression, sharpened musicianship, and emotional weight, revealing just how far Ava has grown as a composer, producer, and storyteller. And with her next single “Phoenix” on the way — a song she’s now reclaiming to restore her authorship — Ava is making it clear: she’s charting her own path.

At just 16 years old, Ava has already built a resume that rivals artists twice her age, from two independent EPs and viral performances to co-founding her current band Cataclysmic, who recently dropped their debut single. Her evolution is unmistakable: heavier riffs, darker textures, and a newfound clarity in her artistic identity. Her chemistry with Ace, her longtime friend and collaborator, only amplifies that momentum. Now, Ava is ready to share the full story behind this creative turning point — the struggles, the breakthroughs, and the music that saved her from burnout. Don’t miss the exclusive interview, where Ava opens up about “DECAY,” her partnership with Ace, and the future of her sound.

DECAY’ feels like both a personal and artistic rebirth for you. What was the emotional journey behind writing and producing this song? You’ve worked with Ace Arze Freeman before, but this collaboration seems especially powerful. What makes your creative chemistry with him so unique? Ace and I have known each other since we were five and six. We met at a rock school in the group for kids who were just starting and hadn’t picked an instrument yet. He knew early on he’d be a drummer and I knew I’d be a guitarist. Over the years we both developed quickly, and after I released my first EP at 12, we reconnected and created Alpha Z so we could perform my songs live. We built a big TikTok following with a South Park–themed video and played small gigs around California. Eventually we realized we wanted to move past funny content and covers, so we challenged ourselves to write something original and Decay was the result. We’re both really proud of it. It wasn’t written with a deep meaning in mind; we’re just naturally drawn to dark, moody music. The instrumental came first, and the lyrics were crafted to match the vibe. It was also the first song I self-produced (Ace is the co-songwriter and had a part in producing the drums), which sent me down a whole rabbit hole of learning production and becoming a total gear and plug-in addict. Ace is amazing. We get along really well, and our creative ideas mesh really well together. We will always continue to collaborate in one way or another. His family is great! Ace has a lot going on with band in high school for now but I can see us creating more songs again in the future.

After your experience with the ‘super group’ project, how has your approach to collaboration and creative control changed? I’ve been in several youth bands over the years, usually placed together because we had similar skill levels. There were good parts and bad parts to those experiences. Alpha Z eventually disbanded because Ace and I didn’t vibe with the name anymore, and he briefly joined another band I was in until we both ended up leaving at the same time. There’s just so much you can’t control in a teen band. Add in thousands of miles between members, school, parents, and most communication happening over text. It becomes complicated and unmotivating really fast. Small misunderstandings can snowball into huge issues. Eventually, I wasn’t feeling creative or motivated at all. I was spiraling. If we had been a group of teens rehearsing in a garage and hanging out regularly, maybe it would’ve gone differently. But my parents and I agreed on one thing: I’m never joining another teen band again. From now on, I choose who I work with based on compatibility, mindset, and professionalism. I won’t be forced into a project again. Ever. I truly hope I can be on good terms with my former bandmates if we should cross paths. I want them to succeed and be happy. But I can’t put myself in that situation again. I almost lost the joy of creating music. Now I’m writing and producing with people who are insanely talented and aligned with me creatively. It’s been life-changing. I won’t include people in the writing process just for the sake of having them be a part of the song. I’ll do whatever it takes to get the best end result, whether it’s including another songwriter (or multiple) or not.

At only 16, you’ve already evolved through multiple musical phases — from your early EPs to Cataclysmic and now this darker, more mature sound. How do you see your artistic identity developing from here? When COVID hit, I was 11. My longtime guitar (theory, production) instructor, Rafael Macedo, told me this was the perfect time to focus on theory and songwriting remotely. I had already written some very cringy early songs, but I wanted to keep going. I released an EP (A.V.A.) with my 11-year-old skills and voice, and I was so excited at the time. I learned a lot about how music changes through the studio process, my demos were more metal, but the final versions leaned pop-punk. They reflect who I was at the time and my skillset and I am super proud of them. A year later, when I was 12, I released another EP (Charm School Dropout) that had heavier songs and better guitar work. At 13, I put out two singles, including Embers, which is still one of my favorite songs to perform live. I wanted to write much heavier music, but then life happened: high school (I finished 2 years early and am now in college), my mom’s metastatic cancer diagnosis (which she’s still fighting), and a band situation I wanted out of almost immediately. It was a stressful few years. During all of that, I wrote more music and was quietly focusing on elevating my production skills. My vocals have evolved into my adult voice. I love it. This is my sound. Now I finally feel like I’m becoming the artist I was meant to be. I’m co-writing with Derek Romero, my Cataclysmic bandmate. Even though he’s in Texas and I’m in California, we’re completely aligned: skill level, taste, work ethic. No drama. We’re creating the heavy, dark music I’ve wanted to release for years, and working with other musicians around the world who complement our sound. I love what we’re building. It’s just going to get darker and heavier.