AshLee Baskin is a vocalist, songwriter, lyricist, poet/spoken word artist, actress, and teaching artist from Indianapolis, IN. Nina Simone’s words, “An artist’s duty…is to reflect the times,” serves as the guiding light concerning her work. Performing under the stage name, “PsyWrn Simone” (pronounced Sigh-ren Si-moan), AshLee engages art as her weapon in the fight for social justice and equity.  Her central endeavor is to uplift, educate, encourage, empower, and provoke change for the progress of Black people and marginalized communities and/or highlight their musical and cultural contributions through artistic expression. Collaboratively, she has performed on various local and regional platforms—including an international music festival, with other local bands, collectives, and musicians. Her performances are a multi-sensory experience, mingling the audience with her message. She works hard to give her audience a performance they won’t soon forget!

Photo by Joseph McCoy Photography.