ASH
Conquering the world is all in a day's work for ASH. Especially when you've got a new pair of hands to help tour the new album, Nu-Clear Sounds, around the country. ameionathan Trew
WHILE MOST 21-YEAR-0LDS WAKE
each morning and contemplate either
another day of wage slavery or an extended session of dossing in the scratcher. Tim Wheeler has other tltings on his mind: world domination being just one of them.
Wheeler is the lead singer with Ash. the power pop four-piece from Portadown in Northern Ireland who
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have sold over 85().()()() copies of their dehut alhunt. N77. Since its release two years ago. the album has gone platinum in countries front Ireland to 'I‘hailand. the hand ltave been on the cover of almost every music mag around the world and their collective mantelpieces are sagging under the weight of countless awards.
Once they had conquered the music world. Ilollywood heckoned and .-\sh wrote the title track to the Iiwan .\lc(iregor/(‘ameron l)ia/ hlockhttster lilm .‘I life I.('.\‘.\' ()n/imujv.
"I'he director Danny Boyle sent tts a script.' explains Wheeler. 'Ile's got a hit of a soft spot for The l'ndertones. and I think that‘s how he ended tip digging its and that‘s how he came to ask its to write a song for for it. I went to the screening and Michael Stipe was sitting behind me.‘
The track. like almost all of their singles. went Top Ten effortlessly. With cinema ttnder their helt. :\sh
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then turned their attention to politics and headlined at the Yes Vote Referendum concert at the Belfast \‘v'aterfront in May. While Ash didn't single-handedly hring peace to the province. they certainly played a part in replacing the hullet with the ballot.
Rumours that they are working on a cure for cancer and have invented an engine that runs on water ltave yet to
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he confirtned. httt hefore they‘re awarded a well-deserved .\'ohe| pri/e. there’s the slight matter of promoting their second album XII-(lem- Sounds.
Balancing their trademark poppy thrash workouts with a numher of more melodic and wistful tracks. .\'u- ('lmr Sounds sees Ash displaying a pt'eviottsly unstispected sensitive side while still reserving the right to rock like hastards every now attd then.
'I still thittk N77 is a really good alhunt. htit you get horcd with it.‘ is Wheeler‘s take. “This is just really different. There are more extremes on this alhttm. Some of the full-on songs are pretty intense.‘
The tnain difference is the iltILIIIIUlI of new guitarist ('harlotte Ilatlterlcy. who made her dehut with the previously all-hloke trio at \")7 last year. the same day that she got her ;\ level results.
‘I felt that we were restricted as a three—piece] explains Wheeler. 'lt was
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so ntuclt work on my shoulders. so I felt that another guitarist would he a lot hetter. I've always wattted to ltave two guitars. hut I‘d never met anyone good enough really. I love Thin Lizzy and they had two top guitarists. That was so cool ~- those guitar duelsf (iiven Ash‘s reputation for laddish hell—raising (/977 ends with the sound
of vomit splattering the ground after
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'I love Thin Lizzy and they had two top guitarists. That was so cool — those guitar duels.'
Tim Wheeler
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the hand ingested too tttttclt acid). Ilatlterley seems strangely uncon- cerned at the thought of some form of hoy s' own adventure tour bus hell.
‘We definitely haven‘t calmed down hut it’s nice having a girl around.’ considers Wlteelcr. 'It stops everything getting too . . . ’
‘:\s well as all the boys in the hand. there's all the crew and they‘re guys as well.’ interrupts Ilatherlcy. ntercifully stopping Wheeler hefore he can elahorate further. 'But for some reason. I haven't noticed any gettder differences or anything.’
‘We're all going to start having periods at the same time.~ chortles Wheeler. gleefully warming to his theme.
Here‘s hoping that Ilatherley can tttake them change their tttne.
Ash play Glasgow Barrowland, Tue 20 Oct. Nu-Clear Sounds is out now on Infectious Records