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'''Ash''' is a three-piece rock band from Downpatrick, Ireland, and has been an active recording and touring unit since the early 1990s. | |||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Ash | Ash formed in 1992 when its members were still in high school. The band chose their name by opening a dictionary, and perusing the words until something jumped out at them; obviously, they didn't get far. | ||
Singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter [[Tim Wheeler]] and bassist Mark Hamilton had been in at least one band prior, called Vietnam, which was a very Iron Maiden-influenced metal band. The pair later formed Ash, and were just seventeen, and drummer Rick 'Rock' McMurray nineteen when they released their first single, "Jack Names The Planets", in 1994. Although their initial sound (having been heavily influenced by classic punk as well as post-punk, metal, and grunge) was very much raucous pop-punk, the band has evolved into a well-oiled power-pop machine. Wheeler's songs are guitar-oriented rock jams based on classic pop song structures and traditional rock values, including vocal harmonies and guitar solos. | |||
Signed to Infectious Records in | Signed to the UK label Infectious Records in 1994, the band proceeded to put out multiple singles, and an EP called ''[[Trailer]]'', by the end of the year. 1995 saw the US release of ''Trailer'' (filled out to album's length with some early B-sides) as the band rocketed up the UK charts with several more singles. | ||
The band released their first true album in 1996, the apt-named ''[[1977]]'' | The band released their first true album in 1996, the apt-named ''[[1977]]'' - the year two members were born, but perhaps more importantly, the year their favorite film ''[[Star Wars]]'' was released. The UK went wild over the album, and the band became instant stars. The US proved to be a tougher nut to crack, however, as the shifting 1990s music industry - particularly in terms of rock - left the landscape quite infertile for Ash's brand of straight-up rock. Despite a minor hit in 'Goldfinger', having songs placed on soundtracks, and venturing on tours with more visible bands like Weezer, Ash could never quite gain a foothold on the valuable US market. | ||
At the urging of their management, they added a fourth member, Charlotte Hatherley on guitar, and contributed the title track to the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''A Life Less Ordinary''. Subsequent albums such as 1998's ''[[Nu-Clear Sounds]]'' and 2001's UK smash hit ''[[Free All Angels]]'' were released in the States much later than in England, and each time on a different label, as no US imprint seemed to know how to market the band. | At the urging of their management, they added a fourth member, Charlotte Hatherley on guitar, and contributed the title track to the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''A Life Less Ordinary''. Subsequent albums such as 1998's ''[[Nu-Clear Sounds]]'' and 2001's UK smash hit ''[[Free All Angels]]'' were released in the States much later than in England, and each time on a different label, as no US imprint seemed to know how to market the band. | ||
2004 saw | 2004 saw Ashmake another concerted attempt to crack the US market. The band aimed to make ''[[Meltdown]]'' a straight-ahead, American-style hard rock album - while never sacrificing their pop sensibilities. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Nick Raskulinecz, whose previous works with [[Foo Fighters]] and System Of A Down suggested an effort to capture a certain aesthetic, the album was a realization of that very goal. However, the gambit failed to pay off, which left the band considering changes. | ||
The first change Ash made was to part ways with Hatherley in a reportedly amicable manner, which left her to further pursue a solo career begun in 2003. Back to a trio, the unit began recorded ''[[Twilight Of The Innocents]]'' in New York City in 2006, and released the album the following spring. Many in the press hailed it as their masterpiece, expressing disbelief that rock albums of its quality were still being released. | The first change Ash made was to part ways with Hatherley in a reportedly amicable manner, which left her to further pursue a solo career begun in 2003. Back to a trio, the unit began recorded ''[[Twilight Of The Innocents]]'' in New York City in 2006, and released the album the following spring. Many in the press hailed it as their masterpiece, expressing disbelief that rock albums of its quality were still being released. | ||