About

Ashen Ringlets is the musical project of brother-sister duo J Stephen Roberts and Ellen Maureen. The partnership is based around Ellen's beautiful vocals and bass playing, and J Stephen's guitars, songwriting, and production. Together, the two craft their music every step of the way. They are a production team as much as they are a band. The pair have been working together since their teen years, and over time they have developed a fruitful working relationship, ultimately culminating in Ashen Ringlets.

The pair started performing in bands together in the mid 2000's. For many years, they worked with Tulsa drummer Jamie Oldaker, famous for playing with Eric Clapton, Bob Seger and other legends. In the 2010's, life and starting families of their own took them to opposite ends of the country, and for a time their musical pursuits were put on hold. However, in 2018 fate put them back in the same city, and J and Ellen revived their musical partnership. Ashen Ringlets was born.

The band name has a long history. When they resumed recording together, the duo knew they wanted to revive some of J's early original songs. The first they wanted to tackle was called “Ashen Ringlets.” “It was actually one of the first songs I'd ever written,” says J. “As a teenager, I used to lay down original tunes on a four track recorder. It was a very creative and awesome period for me, when I was really just discovering music production. That original four-track recording of 'Ashen Ringlets' was always a favorite for Ellen and I. Over the years, we made a few different recordings of it, but were never fully satisfied. Once we started this new project, we knew we wanted to record it again. So we just labeled the new band Ashen Ringlets, always intending to ultimately come up with a band name.”

But Ashen Ringlets stuck, and today is synonymous with the duo's ethereal, melodic indie rock. “The name works,” says Ellen. “That song is at the heart of the vibe of the band.” The recording produced for the song “Ashen Ringlets” was one of the first released on the pair's YouTube channel when it was first launched in 2018. For J and Ellen, it's the definitive version of a song that has followed them throughout their years of musical pursuit. It's driving, blissful melancholic rock, featuring Ellen's stunning vocals and layers of shimmering guitars. Along with a series of beautifully executed covers, Ashen Ringlets began to attract a dedicated following. Word is spreading rapidly, and the story of Ashen Ringlets continues to unfold.

2025 saw the release of Ashen Ringlets' debut EP, Waltzing Days in Maidenhead. Like the band name, the title here also comes from a song, one of the group's signature pieces. “Waltzing Days in Maidenhead” is the perfect combination of upbeat and gritty blended with beauty and sweetness. A heavy bassline and thunderous fuzz guitars give way to chorus-laden jangle and a wistful melody sung by Ellen. The EP also features the meditative, haunting ballad “Veils” and the dreamy indie pop gem “August Waters.”

Waltzing Days in Maidenhead is the beginning of the Ashen Ringlets discography, but there's more to come. A new original song “Gray” has already been released, and a second EP will follow in the near future. “We love what we do,” says J. “Ellen and I worked on a lot of bands and projects, but Ashen Ringlets feels like home for our music.”