Interview | Ladina Sasha

As a sound engineer, songwriter and music producer, ICMP BMus in Popular Music Performance alumna Ladina Sasha has worked across multiple areas of the music industry. 

Completing her studies in 2017, she has since become part of the Anvil Audio Collective while working as a sound engineer for events at Soho House and Sofar Sounds. 

She has produced numerous ads for big brands advertising on Spotify (UK and Germany) with the Samsung campaign she recorded and produced receiving the award for best overall campaign of 2024.

In our interview, Ladina shares her musical journey with us...

How did you start off in music? 

I started out playing saxophone as a kid, picked up opera singing as I grew older, and finally discovered how good it felt to write songs in my teenage years (like many do). I moved to London when I was eighteen. I had never been there before but my gut told me that's where I needed to be. London was calling me - and so I went. In my suitcase: 'Icky Thump' by the White Stripes and 'Blunderbuss' by Jack White - one of my biggest artistic inspirations then and now.

What led you to ICMP? 

I was drawn to ICMP's emphasis on close faculty-student relationships and personalised mentorship opportunities, leading me to pursue my BMus in Performance there.

And how did you find your time with us?​

During my years at ICMP I started growing into who I was as a singer/writer and all round musician. The insights on music production basics of the course, as well as composing and arranging - taught by Audrey Riley, one of my favourite teachers and biggest inspirations to date - enabled me to start expressing myself musically the way I wanted to.

It humbled me greatly, that I was awarded best overall in the class of 2017 by ICMP, amongst so much talent. The atmosphere amongst ICMP peers was supportive and I made some of my dearest lifelong friends there, with whom I still make music today."

How important was the Careers and Industry Hub in helping support you?

The Hub team's passion for providing individualised student support was always palpable. 

While I never worked closely myself with the Hub, I remember their general supportive presence and inspiring chats when we crossed each other in the hallway.

I'm really interested to hear what you've been up to since you finished your studies?

Since completing my BA at ICMP I worked for a Brighton-based songwriting collective, travelled to LA for writing, successfully completed a Masters in Music Business Management and trained to become a live sound engineer. Working in live sound I naturally found my way into music production even more and started focusing solely on writing and producing.

I've written and co-written songs released across major labels like Sony Music, Universal, Pias, and Gardens of Babylon, which have resonated with audiences worldwide, which I'm incredibly grateful for and immensely proud of. I was honoured to be invited as a guest lecturer at both the University of Westminster and the University of Hertfordshire, to share my insights on the intricacies of songwriting, production, and navigating the music industry.

How did you get involved in Anvil Audio?​

Anvil Audio gave me my first shot as a live sound engineer when I was still brand new to the game. Through Anvil I got the chance to engineer for some truly exceptional artists and fulfil some of my personal bucket list moments: being on sound duty for Maribou State and KT Tunstall to name two. I learned so much on the job and, most importantly, the Anvil team became like family to me.

How did you start working for M.I.K?​

A friend for whom I had done a series of productions in the past introduced me when M.I.K. was looking for an engineer to come on board to record and produce ads for brands advertising on Spotify. Since then I've had the chance to work with current trailblazers, as well as some of my personal favourite brands in the ad space.

Congrats on the award for the Samsung campaign? Could you talk a little about this?

Spotify runs tons of ad-campaigns each year.

The fact that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 campaign that I produced was awarded best overall campaign of 2024 by Spotify was mind-blowing to me. It was a campaign with great creative variety and lots of fun to produce the spots for."

What does 2025 have in store for you?

2025 is about pushing boundaries and breaking new ground creatively. I'm focused on honing my craft both as a producer and songwriter. I'm cultivating an atmosphere of experimentation (which I very much believe is an incredibly important part of staying creative), diving deeper into sonic textures, and nurturing exciting songwriting collaborations.

All the while continuing to produce music for advertising, of course. I'm also excited about several upcoming releases that I'm incredibly proud of. It's going to be a year of growth, exploration, and hopefully, some incredible musical moments.

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