Ash
Ash are one of the best bands of the last 20 years, and whilst most bands who have been around for as long as they have are fading away, Ash have remained ground breaking. Since last September Ash have been releasing one single every fortnight. To celebrate the half way mark of the project they are releasing the A-Z Series Volume One, which features the first 13 singles (my personal favourite is Joy Kicks Darkness). The collection shows not only that Ash are still producing fantastic material, but also has allowed the band to showcase different styles.
To promote the new compilation Ash are playing an acoustic set at Norwich HMV (at 5pm) and a full live show at Norwich Waterfront (Doors 7.30pm) on Wednesday 21st April. Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack will join Ash on all their upcoming shows playing guitar and synth.
Norwich Gigs talked to Mark Hamilton, Ash Bassist.
After 6 full albums and the current A-Z series, how easy is it selecting songs to play at live shows? What mix between the albums can we expect on the upcoming tour?
It’s not easy as we have so much new material that we would love to indulge ourselves with night-in, night-out! We’re playing about 2/3 rds old stuff and previous singles, which should hopefully keep the majority of the crowd happy, mixed with about 1/3 new material from the A-Z series. We’re well aware of which songs please the crowd and we’ll try to send everyone home satisfied, as well as converted to the new stuff.
After being a three piece again for the whole ‘Twilight of The Innocents’ tours and the A-Z tour last year, what made you decide to bring in an extra guitarist? How did it come about that Russell is joining the band for this tour?
It was just one of those things! It felt right as a lot of the A-Z material has layers of guitars or synths, and Russell seemed like an obvious choice as we knew he had a documented history of being an Ash fan. So far shows in New York and Tokyo have worked out really well so long may it continue! Kele has been quoted as saying, ‘Russell is the new Charlotte’, so we’re waiting for him to invade the dressing room with an entourage of stylists and makeup artists. We’re happy to have him as long as he’s available and he seems to be enjoying himself so it’s all good.
How do you feel the A-Z series has gone so far? At the end of the 26 singles, will you consider repeating with a second series?
The A-Z series has be our biggest undertaking as artists and we’re still in some state of denial that we’re able to pull it off on our own independent label. Without the financial clout of label behind us we’re very aware of every penny we spend, as it comes out of our collective pockets, and we have to approach releases in a much more conservative fiscal manner. But the rewards are ten fold as we’re seeing our first chart action in Japan, as A-Z Vol. 1 has just broke their Top 30 and each single continues to gain ground on the hallowed UK Top 40!
Who knows where or what we’ll do next, we’re too busy enjoying the thrill of the A-Z to be too concerned with what the future holds. Although we do believe we’ve found a format that gives hope for our continued existence in a volatile and crumbling music industry. This approach has also allowed us to engage with our fans in a much more interactive and rewarding manner than traditional album releases in the past and when we hear our fans proclaiming, ‘This is the best time to be an Ash fan ever’, we know we’re doing something right!
More information on Ash’s A-Z Series, including how to subscribe can be found on www.ash-official.com
Tickets for the Norwich Waterfront are available from www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk
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