Ashley Hill Is Redefining Asbury Park’s Music Scene, One Artist at a Time

Written By: Sara Abdelbarry

---

As one of Asbury Park, NJ’s biggest movers and shakers, Ashley Hill has been disrupting the town’s music scene in the best way possible since she arrived. From running the town’s largest recording studio to managing and rebuilding a record label at the same time, Ashley is someone whose pursuits know no bounds.

Focusing on uplifting the artists of her local scene and carving a space out for women and minorities in the industry, Ashley is an inspiration to all and continues to move the needle in a way that’s true to herself. On the heels of the release of the Girls Only Compilation that she curated to spotlight women artists, we got to catch up with Ashley and chat about the album, her advice for those entering the industry, and a whole lot of great stuff!

Sara Abdelbarry for GRRRL Music: You took a less-than-traditional path into the music industry. Tell us how you got into the field and how your past prepped you for your current job.

Ashley: My intro into the music industry was definitely not your typical story! While I have been very much part of my local music scene my entire life, I never thought of myself as someone who was worthy of contributing to it from a business standpoint. I studied fashion, art, and business (all synonymous with the music industry), so I always thought I’d stay in one of those lanes. Now to answer your question — a dear friend of mine, Lynsey, had reached out to me saying a good friend of hers was looking for a new recording studio manager at the studio he works at. She thought I’d be a great fit for this given my business background and love for music. I wasn’t looking to leave my current job at all! It just fell into my lap and here we are almost three years later. 

GM: What has been the biggest challenge of running a recording studio and how did you overcome those hurdles?

Ashley: The biggest challenge is and always will be juggling multiple people and hats. It’s just like any other job where you’re offering a service. You can easily mix something up if you’re not on the ball 24/7. While I love love love my employees and clients, they all need ME in order to get what they need done. This means I am the go-to for every single person that passes through our building day to day. This bears a lot of weight on one's shoulders. 

I’m still overcoming this hurdle every day. I don’t think I’ll ever perfect it. It will always be a lesson in give and take and I will always be looking for new ways to be there for people. 

And I’ll make a quick mention about how the recording studio industry is still most definitely a man's world! We’ve come pretty far, but I see the next generation of creative women struggling sometimes knowing that it’s not easy to come by a female engineer or producer to work with. I am always on the hunt! 

GM: Outside of being a studio manager, you somehow also find the time to be A&R of a record label. Tell us how you’re able to juggle so many roles and a little about your work with local artists on Shore Points Records.

Ashley: There I go again, wearing another hat! Lol. Yes — while juggling my full-time role at Lakehouse Recording Studios, I’m also the Label Manager at Shore Points Records.

The truth about juggling both? It’s definitely a struggle, BUT the label allows me to really, really stretch my creative muscles and help grow artists. It’s my favorite part of everything I do. When you believe in an artist or band and invest your time in their growth, watching it all pay off is SO worth it.

When I was asked to take on this role, it was clear the label had been struggling. It’s not easy to revive something that hadn’t received much love over the past couple of years. We needed new systems, a fresh mindset, and, most of all, more artists! But perhaps most importantly, my team needed to be convinced that bringing in more artists wasn’t just about profit — it was about building a community for our tri-state collective of musicians, where they can thrive by supporting each other’s success.

Just look at every local scene and label that made a real impact: from the early 2000s NYC indie rock scene with The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to Seattle in the '90s where Sub Pop bands fed off one another, to the British punk scene in the '80s where every band shared members and everyone had one goal — to play with the Sex Pistols. Community is everything.

That’s exactly what Shore Points Records is working hard to cultivate — now and in the years ahead.

GM: Tell us about the release of the newest compilation you curated during Women’s History Month and why it was important to highlight women artists locally and beyond.

Ashley: The Girls Only compilation album meant a lot to me. It was a last-minute project I decided to put together, but after watching recent political events unfold — both on the news and in our day-to-day lives — I felt a strong need to continue honoring women. Not just women, but queer women, trans women, women of color — all women. There's too much hate in the world, always has been, and small wins like this are something I’ll always celebrate.

When I brought this group of gals together, I knew I didn’t just want to celebrate women in music — I wanted to give these artists the chance to put their own spin on things. And it was incredible to see what everyone came up with. From the Americana version of “Bad Romance” by Teen Idle and Cory Blair, to the rock-and-roll take on “Bury a Friend” by Liv Bec — the album truly has something for everyone. Every track is different, and I LOVE that.

Seeing all the women come together — in the photos, in the videos, and during the live show we hosted — made it even more worth it. It was truly inspiring to witness so many women supporting each other and making real connections.

GM: You are incredibly involved in and an integral part of the Asbury Park, NJ music scene. From your perspective, what makes the Asbury music scene unique and who have been your favorite artists to emerge from it?

Ashley: Asbury just is music. It lives and breathes it. You can turn any corner and expect to hear live music. The other day, I drove away from my apartment building and saw a full band rehearsing on their porch — complete with a string section, vocals, and percussion. People loved it! That’s what makes our scene so unique: it’s accepting. Music lives everywhere here, from the small child playing in the sand and singing the song they heard on the car ride to the beach, to the summer stage show that same evening — a show that doesn’t just pack the Stone Pony, but fills the fields next to it. Every bar, hotel, big venue, and underground space has live music.

Some emerging artists I’ve been really enjoying more recently are The Slow Circuit, Great Oblivion, Cory Blair, Teen Idle, Hayworth, Polaroid Fade (of course!), Kiaura Rose, Mischief Night, Jwalttz, and Forever King Clark.

GM: What advice do you have for girls or femmes who are having trouble navigating male-dominated spaces in music? How do you approach sometimes having to fight to be heard?

Ashley: I get asked this question often, and my answer is usually the same: be the biggest voice in the room. Take up space. If you believe in something, make it heard. I’ve never been shy about sharing my opinion — it might not always be right, but I’m not afraid to speak up. That’s what keeps me from being steamrolled in this sometimes grim industry.

And look at the progress we have made — not just locally, with our heavily female and femme-dominated scene, but on the national level too. Every artist at the top of the charts right now is either female or femme — and fuck yes for that. We are doing it.

GM: What legacy do you hope to leave behind through your work, and besides the incredible work you’re already doing, are there any bucket list career accomplishments you want to achieve?

Ashley: The legacy I hope to leave behind is one built on my stance — not on the influence of the industry around me. I constantly check myself, asking, “Is this what I would do? Is this relevant? Is this current? Is this going to move the needle?” I hope that the women who have worked alongside me (or anyone, for that matter) can see that my perspective is good-hearted and comes from a place of care.

I have two bucket list career accomplishments:

1. The first is a secret — and maybe even in the works as we speak — so I can’t share it here. ;-) But trust me, you’ll all love it.

2. The second is to witness one of my artists move on to a bigger label or publishing deal. I want to see the people I work with take it all the way (if that’s what they want). After all, Shore Points is meant to be a stepping-stone label.