DOWNPATRICK, CO. DOWN

1992 -

OVERVIEW Ireland's punk-pop trio Ash first formed in 1989 when childhood mates Tim Wheeler and Mark Hamilton got guitars for Christmas and established the metal act, Vietnam. Nothing more than something for kicks, Vietnam switched to Ash in the early '90s as Wheeler (guitar/vocals), Hamilton (bass), and Rick "Rock" McMurray (drums) aimed to be something more serious. They shared a love for the raw British punk of the Buzzcocks and crafted their musical talents to take the Brit-pop scene by storm at the start of the decade. NME was swooning over these "teen punkers from Belfast" and by 1994 Ash had signed to Infectious Records to issue the Trailer EP later that fall. Their glossy youth was undoubtedly alluring, yet their Irish roots exuded a bit of an American flair similar to the likes of Pavement and The Lemonheads. They weren't even out of high school before three singles hit the Top Five in the U.K. indie charts. A year later marked Ash's full-length debut with 1977 and a deal with Reprise Records in the U.S. Named in honor of the year Star Wars was released, Wheeler's and Hamilton's love for all things extra-terrestrial and science fiction was full-fledged on 1977. Sharp guitar hooks and exact production work by Owen Morris (Oasis, New Order, Paul Weller) gained the band the notoriety they'd been wishing for since childhood. They were headlining major festivals -- T in the Park, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Reading -- and playing countless club dates across the globe. In fall 1997, female guitarist Charlotte Hatherly was added to the all-male lineup, a definite change for the band's sound and image. She brought the Ash male fans out from behind and allowed the band's fan base to fully expand into more of what they had been looking for since the beginning. With the new bandmate and the end of their teenage years, Ash welcomed anything that came their way. The late '90s marked a maturation for Ash as a unit, as well as individually. Their sound played into heavier guitars while Wheeler's lyrical content experienced a much grittier shift. Their sophomore effort Nu-Clear Sounds (1998) had Garbage's Butch Vig (Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana) at the mixing board and it wasn't necessarily their finest moment. NME turned on the band, criticizing Ash's new sound as "terrifying, ghoulrawk thrashnik deathcore noiseterrior sultans of satanic verse" in August 1998. Harsh words and reviews didn't distract Ash, however. Free All Angels followed in April 2001. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide 1992 - Band formed 1994 - Release of 'Jack Names The Planets' single [February] - Release of 'Petrol' single [15 August] - Release of 'Uncle Pat' single [17 October] 1995 - Release of 'Kung Fu' single [20 March] - Release of 'Girl From Mars' single [31 July] - Release of 'Angel Interceptor' single [09 October] 2006 - Charlotte has decided to leave Ash to pursue her solo career [January] 2007 - Release of 'You Can't Have It All' single [April] - Release of 'Polaris' single [15 June] - Release of 'Twilight Of The Innocents' album [02 July] - Release of 'End Of The World' single [10 September] - Release of 'iTunes Festival' E.P. through iTunes [10 September] 2008 - Ash are nominated in the Best Irish Band category in the Meteor Ireland Music Awards - Release of '1977 [3 CD Collectors Edition' album [03 November] 2009 - Release of 'Return Of White Rabbit' single [06 June] - Release of 'True Love 1980' single [12 October] - Release of 'Rehash' EP as a digital download [12 October] - Release of 'Joy Kicks Darkness' single [26 October] - Release of 'Arcadia' single [09 November] - Release of 'Tracers' single [23 November] - Release of 'The Dead Disciples' single [07 December] - Release of 'Pripyat' single [21 December] - Release of 'Lay Down Your Arms' single as a limited download to subscribers to the A-Z Series [22 December] 2010 - Release of 'Ichiban' single [04 January] - Release of 'Space Shot' single [18 January] - Release of 'Space Reshot' EP as a digital download [18 January] - Release of 'Gallows Hill' single as a limited download to subscribers to the A-Z Series [18 January] - Release of 'Neon' single [01 February] - Release of 'Command' single [15 February] - Release of 'Song Of Your Desire' single [01 March] - Release of 'Dionysian Urge' single [] - Release of 'War With Me' single [] - Release of 'Dare To Dream' single [] - Release of 'Mind Control' single [] - Release of 'Insects' single [] - Release of 'Binary' single [] - Release of 'Physical World' single [] - Release of 'Spheres' single [] - Release of 'Instinct' single [] - Release of 'Summer Snow' single [] - Release of 'Carnal Love' single [] - Release of 'Embers' single [] - Release of 'Change Your Name' single [] - Release of 'Sky Burial' single [] - Release of 'There Is Hope Again' single [] 2011 - Release of 'The Best Of Ash' album [17 October] 2012 - Release of 'Little Infinity' EP [16 June] 2015 - Release of 'Cocoon' single [18 February] - Release of 'Kablammo!' album [25 May] - Release of 'Free' single [29 June] - Release of 'Machinery' single [09 October] - Release of 'Let's Ride' single [04 December] 2016 - Release of 'Live On Mars' album [02 December] 2018 - Release of 'Islands' album [18 May]