Ash to abandon albums for singles

smackbunnybaby

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6751663.stm


Irish rock group Ash have said they will stop making albums and concentrate on releasing singles on the internet.

"With the advent of the download, the emphasis has reverted to single tracks," said frontman Tim Wheeler.

"It hasn't helped that most people have forgotten how to make a decent album," he added.

Rumours that the band were due to split started at the Isle of Wight Festival when Wheeler told the crowd he was playing songs from their "last album".

But in a statement on their website the group moved to end speculation, saying it was "time to make a stand".

Downloads now account for about 80% of singles sales in the UK.

"When you're tied to the album format, you find yourself waiting six months between finishing a record and releasing it," said Wheeler.

"By leaving this behind, we can record a track and release it the next day if we feel like it.

"We're the first band to do this, but I very much doubt we'll be the last."

Ash release their new album, Twilight of the Innocents, on 2 July. The band say they will still release compilations of their singles in the future.

Hailing from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, the band are primarily known as a singles act.

Formed as a three piece in 1992, they have had 17 top 40 hits in the UK, including Angel Interceptor, Girl From Mars and Burn Baby Burn.

Fourth member Charlotte Hatherley joined in 1997, but left last year to pursue a solo career.

Creamy Goodness

i've yet to hear their new material but if i go on what meltdown was like then this is no big loss.

magpie

"Ash album sales plummet - resort to selling singles as ringtones"

Mushy

They're not the greatest band, I'll admit that, but the song Twilight of the Innocents is one hell of a good song. Mesmerised me when I heard it. Hopefully the studio version will ive up to it now though.

CiaranC

smackbunnybaby wrote:

"It hasn't helped that most people have forgotten how to make a decent album," he added.

*snigger*

LundiMardi

Worst. singer. ever.

Only good thing about ash was the semi hot charlotte, even she upped and left

Mushy

LundiMardi wrote:

Only good thing about ash was the semi hot charlotte, even she upped and left

Quite obviously knows nothing about hte band pre/post Charlotte. Their stuff without that yolk was/is much better. For the good of their music, its better she's gone. Agree with the singing though, no matter how cool the guy is.

funktastic

They'll keep making albums. Just seems like something they'd say when bored in an interview when asked about the current state of music/downloading. They like a bit of publicity anyway, remember the time they set fire to 100 ?Westlife Cds and Louis Walsh went mad.

Not a great band, but I still listen to one or two songs from 1977 to remind me of my youth. :cool:

Driver 8

Their material is usually semi-decent, Wheeler's voice aside, but they always struck me as rather smug, i recall reading interviews over the years with them, and they always had a "cooler than thou attitude". Which is fine when they were slagging Starsailor, but when it got to mocking Radiohead it seemed a bit ridiculous.

And I'd rate Charlotte's first album above most of their work. At least her voice sounded like she had reached her twenties

mr_angry

1977 was a great album. Everything since has been pretty poor though. It seems pretty hypocritical that they're complaining that the art of album-making has been lost. Any chance of fitting 12 high-quality songs onto a disc this time round lads? No? Didn't think so!

nyarlothothep

wow, theres a lot of ash bashing going around, I think his predictions may fall flat if they dont come to fruition, that said Ash are the only Irish band that I like, aside from some stuff by Thin Lizzy. Imo theyre a great pop rock band and I like the more metallic route they took. And Wheeler may not be the greatest singer but his vocals add an unintended hilarity to the songs which is good because it makes the music more fun to listen to, just like AC/DC are fun to listen to when you hear Bon Scotts vocals, cheesy but entertaining. Or Guns N Roses, big heavy chugging guitars contrasted with a weedy voice from Axl

Cool_CM

Cremo wrote:

i've yet to hear their new material but if i go on what meltdown was like then this is no big loss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLOY_LrRet4
Latest song. I like ash, 1977 was/is a brilliant album which i used to sneak into my brother's room and steal when he was out(sorry), granted tim may have written some absolute sh!te in the time that they've been together(especially those one word choruses ie. envy, sometimes and the whole bsides bonus cd that came with intergalactic sonic 7's which nobody listens to)but they're just like your friend's band who even though they mightn't be the best you still like to see doing well.
Also I didn't mind meltdown that much even if some of they lyrics were terrible to say the least.

Pat the Baker

funktastic wrote:

They like a bit of publicity anyway, remember the time they set fire to 100 ?Westlife Cds and Louis Walsh went mad.

They where going head to head with Westlife for number 1 from what i can remember and Ash went and bought 100/1000 Westlife Cd's and burnt them, seen as it takes only about 1000 singles to get to number 1 in Ireland it was a bit of stupid stunt.

stovelid

Excellent news. Hopefully the next move will be to stop releasing singles.

mada999

I think ash are a decent band...

loved "1977" and "free all angels"... actually think tim has a great voice imo.

And I think he also won an ivor novello award for songwriting for "Shining light" which was a cracking tune...

rannerap

i dont buy albums really so its probably a good thing they're going to do it the way they are

lordgoat

stovelid wrote:

Excellent news. Hopefully the next move will be to stop releasing singles.

and then singing, just in general...

qwertplaywert

so these new singles will be download only?well that sucks for people like me who cant get broadband.........i love[d i suppose] ash

Hypnotoad

qwertplaywert wrote:

so these new singles will be download only?well that sucks for people like me who cant get broadband.........i love[d i suppose] ash

It would just take you longer to download it...

tony 2 tone

IMO every thing after Trailer has been poor, and his singing has gone to ****.