Known for her role as Kate Sharma in “Bridgerton,” Simone Ashley released her debut EP, “Songs I wrote in New York,” on April 10 via Abbey Road Recordings. The personal, passion-driven project has signaled a new chapter of Ashley’s career to fans, with the actress turned musician promising much more in the future.
The EP consists of six songs and has a laid-back and light feel. Ashley describes the release as soul-pop, which can be heard in the warm baselines, Ashley’s sultry jazz vocals and overall feel-good atmosphere. It is a quick listen, too, with a runtime of only 22 minutes.
The top three songs from the EP, according to Spotify’s streaming rank system on the artist’s accounts, are “Free,” “Sublime” and “Tragic Romantic.”
In first place is “Sublime,” which is also the song that starts the EP off. It features a voice memo from Ashley, while she narrates her idea about the song, the music kicks in along with her descriptions for a creative mix of concept and final project.
Second place is the EP’s lead single, a slow and crooning song about new love and the freedom that comes with a new relationship that feels right.
Third place is “Tragic Romantic,” another slow, guitar-backed song, though with a much more somber tone, as Ashley sings about red flags looking like roses and lessons remaining unlearned.
In an interview with Hollywood Authentic, Ashley shared that moving to New York was the catalyst for the EP.
“A lot of these songs were inspired by a summer that I had in New York when I first moved there,” Ashley said. “Working on ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ was intense – this was the original cast, the original producers, in New York. It was summer in Manhattan, and I was in New York, and I was having the time of my life. That really affected how I wrote the songs.”
The passion for music, however, predates her time in the city. Ashley also shared with Hollywood Authentic that her love for music took root in childhood and was largely shaped by her father.
“When I was a kid, my dad used to play vinyl all the time, just 24/7,” Ashley said. “So I grew up listening to music when I was a baby, and I could list a million different bands, solo artists, and so many different people.”
For nearly two years, Ashley worked alongside her producer, Fraser T. Smith, who has famously worked with musical talents Adele, Celine Dion and Britney Spears. Ashley also collaborated with Diane Warren, Amy Wadge, Dan Edinberg and Toulouse.
Nearly all the songs are written by Ashley, the exceptions being “Tragic Romance” written by Warren and “Sign Your Name” written by another artist, Sananda Maitreya.
Overall, the songs are sweet and simple but still earnest, with Ashley sharing various thoughts ranging from observations on couples to getting out of her head and embracing connections.
In an interview on BBC Woman’s Hour last year, Ashley described the 18-month-long project as “one of the best things, I think, I’ve ever done” and that the EP channels her “craft and work and everything [she] wants to do with her art in a different way” than acting has provided her so far.
In fact, Ashley seems to have plans to hone more into this new career branch, teasing potential live performances, a full album and a music video that is currently being shot in a Bustle magazine interview.
But for now, fans can expect to see Ashley return in “Bridgerton" season five and to star alongside Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” which releases in theaters May 1. The actress will also appear in A24’s newly announced comedy “Peaked,” joining a stacked cast consisting of Connor Storrie, Dua Lipa and Alex Consani.
