Artist : Ash
Album : Then And Now
Label : Infectious Records
Genre : Indie
Bitrate : 225 kbps avg
Source : CD (LP)
Playtime : 00:39:26 (66.9MB)
Rls date : 2007-03-22
Store date : 2007-06-25
[Track List]
1. Burn Baby Burn 3:29
2. Girl From Mars 3:30
3. Shining Light 4:23
4. Orpheus 4:16
5. Kung Fu 2:18
6. A Less Ordinary Life 4:16
7. Goldfinger 4:33
8. Oh Yeah 4:46
9. I Started A Fire 4:26
10.You Can't Have It All 3:29
http://www.ash-official.com/
PS: Album title may change before official release.
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in
Downpatrick (Northern Ireland) in 1992. The media
originally pegged Ash's music as Britpop when the band
first found mainstream success, but the band's musical
style in fact spans a number of genres including punk,
power pop, grunge and hard rock.
The original band members were Tim Wheeler (vocals and
guitar), Mark Hamilton (bass guitar) and Rick McMurray
(drums). The three were joined by Charlotte Hatherley
(guitar and vocals) in 1997 who, as of 2004, also began a
solo career as a side project. On the 20th January, 2006,
Hatherley's record label, Double Dragon Music announced
her departure from the band. James Heatley (currently
performing for The Answer) also played drums for the band
whilst Rick was completing his A-Levels.
Initially inspired by Twisted Sister and Iron Maiden in
the early 1990s, Tim and Mark formed a heavy metal band
called Vietnam with a few school friends. After barely two
gigs, they were left stranded when their bandmates left.
Requiring a drummer, they had a few drinks with Rick who
was a year ahead of them in school and had switched from
playing the guitar to drums. With Rick on board, they
ambitiously set out to develop a new style of music
inspired by grunge bands such as Nirvana, Mudhoney and the
Pixies.
In 2000, Tim Wheeler disappeared for a short while
following the commercial and critical failure of Nu-Clear
Sounds. He eventually emerged in New York making the
self-deprecating, blood, drug and sex fueled video for
Numbskull. A note for Stephen Taverner attached to the
video said, "I've killed Bambi".
Ash nearly became bankrupt as they prepared to release
possibly their last album. Luckily, this was not to be the
case. The band retreated to Wheeler's parents' house, to
play and write songs in the same garage where the band
began.
The single "Shining Light" was released in January 2001,
followed by the number one album Free All Angels in April.
Subsequent singles released from Free All Angels were
"Burn Baby Burn", "Sometimes", "Candy", and "There's a
Star" . The single "Shining Light" won the "Best
Contemporary Song" award at the 2002 Ivor Novello awards.
A new single "Envy" was released, followed shortly
afterwards by the singles collection Intergalactic Sonic
7?s with the bonus disk entitled Cosmic Debris. Q magazine
named Ash as #2 of its "50 Bands To See Before You Die".
On June 29, 2004, Ash released Meltdown. It reached number
five in the UK. The band teamed up with Lucasarts for a
new Star Wars game entitled Republic Commando. "Clones",
taken from the album Meltdown is the first licensed music
to be used in anything Star Wars-related. "Meltdown" and
"Orpheus" are featured on the popular British movie, Shaun
of the Dead as well as appearing on the ingame soundtrack
for the video game Burnout 3: Takedown. Also featured is
their cover of the Buzzcocks song "Everybody's Happy
Nowadays" featuring Chris Martin on backing vocals.
"Starcrossed" and "Renegade Cavalcade" were later released
as singles from the album. Meltdown gets a US release date
of March 8, through Warner Bros. Records imprint Record
Collection. Also in 2005, Tim Wheeler received a
companionship (a honorary degree) from LIPA (Liverpool
Institute for Performing Arts).
During the recording of Meltdown, Charlotte Hatherley also
wrote and recorded her solo side project album Grey Will
Fade, which included hit single "Bastardo".
On January 20, 2006, Charlotte Hatherley left the band
after nine years leaving only the original members
remaining. An official statement reads: "After 9 years Ash
and Charlotte Hatherley have mutually agreed to part
company. The decision is completely amicable and they wish
each other the very best for the future". On 6 June 2006,
NME reported that Ash were in a New York recording studio
and had twenty seven "rough" songs. Wheeler hinted that
the album is likely to be more retro sounding than any of
their previous material. Ash are recording the follow up
to 2004's Meltdown, with a release date scheduled for June
2007. No shows were planned for the remainder of 2006, but
Wheeler says Ash are hoping to test out their new songs
"in tiny New York bars" once the album is completed.
Early in 2007, Ash announced a full-length UK tour for
February and March 2007. The tour is a warm-up for their
album release in June and potential festival appearances.
The tour is of small clubs nationwide and calls at
Preston, Newcastle, Glasgow, Norwich, Liverpool, Sheffield
and Southampton amongst others. Named "The Higher
Education Tour", Ash are to work closely with the National
Union of Students (NUS), including student pre-sale, which
explains their gigs at universities in Southampton, Keele,
Sheffield, Exeter, Warwick and Kings College London
amongst others. Support will be the indie-rock band,
V//Formation.
On the 19th February Ash released the first material from
their new album, tenatively named "TOTI". It was a
download only sneak-preview track called "I Started A
Fire". Furthermore, the first physical single will be "You
Can't Have It All" and released on April 16th. The music
video for "You Can't Have It All" debuted on MTV 2 on 11th
March 2007.