Sound Lounge, the artist-owned and operated audio post production studio, has announced the promotion of Ashley Simmons to mixer. In line with the studio’s long-standing tradition of nurturing and training talent from within, Simmons joins the mix roster after 5 years of assisting and honing her craft at Sound Lounge.
“Ashley is a vital expansion to the Sound Lounge roster,” says Marshall Grupp, partner, COO, and sound designer at Sound Lounge. “From an owner and mentor perspective, seeing her put in the work — learning, watching, listening, asking questions, continuing to grow as an artist — that’s what you really want to see from the next generation. Ashley has a unique perspective and has developed a very strong voice and vision of how she wants to use her creativity.”
With skills spanning multiple disciplines, Simmons has amassed a body of work across advertising, film, and documentary. She has collaborated on projects for brands such as AT&T, DoorDash, Synchrony Bank, Comcast, and the National Women’s History Museum. Notably, Ashley’s work on the Procter & Gamble “Widen the Screen” initiative, aimed at shattering racial stereotypes in the media, was narrated by Academy Award®-winning actor Mahershala Ali and directed by Oscar®-nominated director Kevin Wilson Jr. Premiering at the NAACP Image Awards, the film is a quintessential example of the work that speaks to Simmons.
“I love working on projects where emotion, creativity, and important messaging all intersect,” explains Simmons. “I thrive in a space where people truly believe in what they’re doing. When the meaning goes deeper, that’s where the passion really ignites. In those cases, we’re creating something bigger than ourselves, and it’s so fulfilling for everyone involved.”
Like many great mixers, being a musician informs Ashley’s innate ear, style, taste, pacing, and placement of sounds. However, where Ashley distinguishes herself is her background in music producing and composition. Enlisted by Planned Parenthood, Simmons composed original tracks to act as a music bed, while also recording, editing, and mixing voiceover for “Tone,” a 9 episode self-care series for women of color and non-binary folks.
Simmons notes that the ad industry, along with the rest of the world, has made a large shift toward prioritizing diversity and representation for BIPOC artists. “I’m really excited to be on this team of mixers at Sound Lounge and to be celebrated for exactly who I am. Being a Black woman — the way I talk, the way I dress, the way I wear my hair — I haven’t always felt taken seriously in the industry. I’ve felt like there were aspects of my personality that I had to dampen down to fit in, but things are changing,” says Simmons. “Working on powerful projects that prioritize beautiful teams of Black and Brown faces has truly built my confidence to just be me. I hope other young talents can see me and see that they don’t have to be anyone besides themselves to succeed. Keep going, never stop following your path, and continue fighting for what you love.”
Simmons’ credits also include mixing and sound designing multiple Black history and cultural documentaries alongside the owners of Black-Owned Brooklyn, as well as Nailah Jefferson's "Descended from the Promised Land: The Legacy of Black Wall Street".
About Sound Lounge
Sound Lounge is an audio post-production facility, providing services for TV and radio commercials, feature films, television series, digital campaigns, gaming and other emerging media. Based in Manhattan, Sound Lounge is artist-owned and operated. Follow on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram or visit soundlounge.com for the latest Sound Lounge news.
