Ottawa-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Ash Ravens releases his latest single ‘Life’s Up For Livin’’, a track that channels open-road freedom and unshakable joy. A two-time Capital Music Award nominee and recipient of multiple City of Ottawa arts grants, Ash continues to expand his voice as both a guitarist and songwriter—bringing together pop-rock energy, global grooves, and the melodic storytelling that defines his craft.
Born in Bangladesh, shaped by chapters in Los Angeles and Melbourne, and now firmly rooted in Canada, Ash’s music carries a global spirit. His influences range from Hendrix and Santana to John Mayer and Eric Johnson, artists who taught him that the guitar could sing, soar, and console in equal measure. With ‘Life’s Up For Livin’’, Ash builds on that lineage while affirming his own identity: a player who can fuse driving riffs with heartfelt lyricism.
“I wrote this one while on a summer road trip,” Ash recalls. “I had this chord progression stuck in my head that felt like being on the open highway with the windows down. I wanted a song that was big and driving, so I added some big acoustic and electric guitars to give it that country-rock energy. I can already hear the big crowd chorus on this one at a concert.”
That chorus is already in motion: “Oh oh oh, life’s up for livin’, for livin’ right now.” Sung over guitars that rev like an engine and rhythms that keep pressing westbound, the single captures the unfiltered release of a moment that feels endless. The track is equal parts road trip soundtrack and festival anthem, made to be shouted back in unison.
Ash situates ‘Life’s Up For Livin’’ as a celebration of presence: “This song is all about embracing life’s biggest moments and celebrating the joy of being present.” It is music that embodies motion and light, building its sense of euphoria from the simplest of sparks—a chord progression, a groove, a memory of wind through open windows.
The single is part of ‘Side A’, Ash’s newest collection of songs that highlight his guitarist-singer-songwriter persona. Written across different geographies and influences, the tracks reflect his ability to create connections between genres—pop, rock, raaga, and Latin fusion—without ever losing the blues-soaked roots of his playing. “These six tracks became ‘Side A,’ a collection of my favorite melodies that came out of those sessions,” he explains.
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/45Z4BfQJGwaTbDbyJ1WxqL?si=s6Q-BuBjR7CbXFuZ2HJrzw&nd=1&dlsi=5e9cf32f61ea436d
‘Life’s Up For Livin’’ stands alongside pieces like “Moon is Calling,” a groove built from raaga-inspired vocal riffs, and “My Daily Prayer,” a nylon-string meditation on longing. Taken together, the songs map the terrain of love, joy, reflection, and play—each filtered through Ash’s guitar as a narrative voice as much as an instrument.
As he writes on the track, “Car’s up and revving, windows rolled down, jump in, we’re leaving, leaving right now.” These words underline the immediacy that pulses throughout his new work. Each lyric grounds the music in lived moments: friendships, journeys, fleeting summers that shimmer in memory even as they unfold.
For Ash, the act of writing is inseparable from the act of living. “It’s a mix of all the music I love, from pop and rock to raaga and Latin fusion, all the things I grew up hearing and falling in love with.” That mix is not an aesthetic choice so much as an expression of his own path, from Dhaka to Ottawa, from nylon strings on a quiet porch to electric riffs under festival lights.
‘Life’s Up For Livin’’ arrives as both a statement and an invitation. It is a song that insists on joy while recognizing its fragility, a reminder that music can preserve a feeling even as time moves forward. With this release, Ash Ravens offers not just a track, but a moment listeners can step into fully—and live right now.