Neon Leopard is me, hello I’m Ashlinn Nash, and I work across photography, artist management, journalism and creative support through Neon Leopard Music. Music has honestly been at the centre of my life for as long as I can remember, and everything I do today really grew from simply loving bands, live shows and the community that surrounds them.
I first got involved in the scene through photography, spending weekends in small venues around South East London with a camera in hand, documenting local bands and learning as I went. There was something magical about those early shows, loud rooms, sticky floors, everyone completely lost in the music, and I quickly realised I wanted to be part of that world however I could.
Even now, after photographing hundreds of bands across the underground heavy scene, I still love being in the pit trying to capture those genuine moments of energy and connection.
Alongside photography, I slowly found my way into music journalism and interviews, writing for publications including MetalTalk, Metal Rules, Metal Hammer, Devolution Magazine and TotalRock. Over the years I’ve had the chance to speak with artists like Devin Townsend, Tarja Turunen and Gojira, which still feels surreal sometimes considering I grew up reading about those same artists in magazines as a teenager.
Over time my work naturally expanded into artist management, booking [thanks to DC Sound Attack), PR and creative development. These days I work closely with bands , helping with everything from long term planning and promotion to social media, live opportunities and creative ideas. I think because I’ve worked across so many different creative areas, photography, writing, music and management, I understand how personal being an artist can feel, and I always try to approach things in a genuine and supportive way.
I also make music myself under the name Cyberwaste, which gives me a completely different creative outlet away from the industry side of things. It’s a more electronic and atmospheric project inspired by film soundtracks, trip hop and darker electronic music, and it lets me experiment and tell stories in a different way.
At the end of the day, I’m just someone who genuinely loves music and creative communities. Whether I’m photographing a band, helping artists behind the scenes, writing about a show or standing side stage at a festival, I still get the same excitement I did when I first discovered the scene years ago, and I feel very lucky to still be part of it.