Hi all this has been worked on for a while. We want a definative Bio for the profile to replace the crap that's up there now. Telling the full history of the band. I'm sure there's missing events but i think most of the major stuff is covered. Please leave comments and suggestions if you think anything is omited. The bio will eventually be linked up blog stylee.

ta and enjoy!


The ASH Biography


1989-1991: Downpatrick, Co. Down, N. Ireland Starting high school Timothy James Arthur Wheeler and Mark Alexander Hamilton meet at the age of 12. They are rubbish at football. Turning to music they set out on an excellent adventure, but gain reputation locally as the worst band in County Down as guitarist and bassist in Iron Maiden wannabes Vietnam.


1992: With grunge hitting its peak Vietnam split. Stuck for a drummer they recruit cowboy booted church sticksmith Richard Wilson McMurray aged 16. Hed been seen to wander the school corridors alone with a demented bug eyed stare, a total freak! Picking the first short word they like in the dictionary, ASH is born.

Inspired by Nirvana, Mudhoney, The Pixies and local punk rock gurus Lazergun Nun our teenage heroes play most weekends at dives in Belfast and Downpatrick, changing their reputation into a super-teen punk pop machine. Over this first ultra prolific summer together they record approximately 50 demo songs at local 7-track studio Cosmic Rays, 1 track was broken. The tapes, Solar Happy and Shed are self-funded from money saved by starving themselves during lunch break and an infamous tuck shop scam.


1993: Ashs third demo tape, Garage Girl tops local charts and Mark uses their schools Young Enterprise scheme to fund and press their first record, self-releasing the track, Season with other local acts on the Raptor Records 12. Despite these achievements the band start to get disillusioned playing to the same 20 kids at every gig. With GCSE exams looming they wonder how to get a record deal in a country with a non-existent music industry and few avenues to get noticed. These are the pre-myspace days folks!

Things are looking bleak, but Tim finds time on holiday to write evergreen classic, Girl From Mars. On the verge of breaking up, enter local Svengali Bill McCabe who markets them as rent boys and sends their tapes off to his London contacts. Working at Nirvanas press agency, publicist Paddy Davis and radio plugger Stephen Taverner fall for the tape. Taverner takes a leap off faith sending the band £300 to go into the studio...


1994: The bands first single, Jack Names The Planets is released on Taverners newly formed La La Land label and picks up play on Radio One, impressing influential DJs; Steve Lamaq, John Peel and Mark Radcliffe. Months later the 17 year olds fates are sealed, they sign to Infectious Records after a whirlwind tour of England supporting PWEI and Compulsion. Their first London show follows at the Camden Falcon. All done on Easter break!

The summer sees a frantic weeklong recording session in London with producer Marc Waterman. He is a studio slave grinder but lessons are learned. The first Infectious singles, Petrol and Uncle Pat top the UK indie charts. NME calls them, "pieces of teen genius and imagination". Trailer the mini album is released in October and also receives warm accolades.

Tim sustains a serious knee ligament injury during Ju-Jitsu lessons and is rendered to crutches, he soldiers on and performs on a stool as Ash play their first major festival at the London Fleadh and headline The Water Rats the same night.

The first US release takes place through indie Generator Records, A limited release of, Petrol on 4 different colored vinyl 7s. In the UK Fierce Panda release the cover of Helen Loves, Punk Boy on a Limited split 7 single with Supergrass.

Ash continues turning heads by publicly turning down supports with both Pearl Jam and Bon Jovi before agreeing to play with Elastica on their UK tour. This involves Taverner joining Down Highs detention cue to ask permission from their school headmaster. Not much homework gets done.


1995: In March Infectious releases, Kung Fu Wheelers paean to martial arts hero Jackie Chan and The Ramones. Eric Cantonas infamous flying kick dons the cover art. He berates the band faxing the label, I spit on your record. Critics and fans love it and the band starts to gain momentum, earning credible support slots with Smashing Pumpkins, Ride, Babes In Toyland and are special guests to Therapy? at The Point, Dublin.

After leaving school in June and embarking on a sold out riot around the UK, Girl From Mars crashes into the UK Top 20, and establishes Wheeler as a writer of truly great pop tunes. At home the parents watch in disbelief as their sons appear on BBC institution, Top Of The Pops. Several US labels take notice starting a bidding war and after an extravagant courting session in LA the band sign to Warner Records.

NASA use, Girl From Mars as hold music on their phone systems!

Ash falls in love with the Reading festival. Their first rawkus appearance in the Radio One tent is so dangerously over-packed and out of control security stops the show twice! The band commence its first world tour, trashing hotel rooms and experiencing Beatlemania in Japan and all sorts of underage debauchery across America and Australia. Angel Interceptor the third in a wonderful series of singles continues the bands trajectory along with swift but bone shattering UK tour, introducing friends Placebo to the public.

US director Phil Harder shoots a video in London for Jack names the Planets. Along with Kung Fu it is featured in the US teen movie, Angus. Kung Fu is also picked up by Jackie Chan himself and the song is used in the title credits to, Rumble in the Bronx.

Fantastic Plastic records release an ultra limited 7 of Ash covering, Smokey Robinsons Get Ready. The bands debut album is awaited with bated breath.


1996: After 3 months in Rockfield studios with maverick Oasis producer Owen Morris the band emerge with the album, 1977. Named after the year Wheeler and Hamilton were born and the year Star Wars was released. The Welsh maniacs drug fueled production techniques involved making the band perform in dresses. Despite this the album is a scorcher and shoots straight to the top of the UK charts. Their nihilistic teenage rampage becomes a press sensation and before the band know it, covers on Smash Hits, NME, Select and Kerrang hit the shelves.

Ash are asked to support the Sex Pistols at their massive Finsbury Park reunion show as John Lydon tells Radio One, 1977 is a tribute to him. The offer is turned down with McMurray telling Rotten to, Get back in your cab Grandpa live on air! Opening slots at Oasiss Knebworth shows are also turned down.

The summer of 96 belongs to Ash. While Britpops in bloom the Irish boys scalp 2 UK Top 5 hits with, Goldfinger and Oh Yeah. Ashtoria is announced and 5 nights straight at the London Astoria sell out. The ultra limited Barbie 7 is given away free to fans at the event.

On the crest of a wave they hit the road for the rest of the year, touring Europe with Scarfo, China Drum and 60ft Dolls and opening in the US for Stabbing Westward and Weezer on their amazing, Pinkerton tour. Asian hospitality opens theirs eyes in many more ways than one and the festival season crescendos at Reading, with over 60,000 heat scorched bodies singing along to, Oh Yeah the anthem of the summer as the sunsets over the main stage.

In Australia the band record a live radio session on Tripe J, its deemed good enough for release. Live At The Wireless is promptly available on Infectious spin-off Deathstar records.

The on-going tour excess is documented on film. Narrated by Ewan (Obi-wan) McGregor the self funded, Teenage Wildlife is yet to be released due to concerns of family disownment! By Christmas the band return home to play their largest Irish headline show at The Point Theatre, Dublin.

1977 goes on to sell over a million copies worldwide.


1997: Glastonbury, June 97. Its the year of the mud and Steve Winwood pulls out at the last minute. On site and having already headlined the Other stage on the Friday night, Michael Eavis offers us the chance to make history. We gladly accept and close the Pyramid stage on Sunday evening to become the first to headline the mega festival twice in one year.

Ash expand and three become four with the addition of guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, poached from London outfit Nightnurse. Her first gigs are in front of 40,000 people at the V97 Festival and under the huge arches of U2s Pop set at Botanic Gardens, Belfast and Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Talk about being thrown in the deep end!

Having laid relatively low for the start of the year following a hectic previous 18 months the band hit back with yet another classic. Written for the film of the same name, A Lifeless Ordinary is produced by Arthur Baker and hits the UK Top 10, it marks the end of the 1977 chapter. Star of the movie Ewan McGregor arranges for Ash to play on set at the wrap party for the new Star Wars film, The Phantom Menace. Ash performs, Cantina Band in front of a crowd including George Lucas and R2-D2!

Somewhat dazed and burnt out by the blitz of the last three years, and under pressure to repeat the success of, 1977 the writing of the follow up is a troublesome time. Ash retreat into country isolation at Stambridge Farm Studios to demo and Wheeler suffers writers block. Stress creates tensions, there are in-fights, the process takes months and the songs seem reactionary to label expectations. It is difficult for all involved.

The intensity is broken up with brief moments of fun. One such night is the mushroom festival from hell on Halloween. Mark befriends a local woodsman called Pete and builds a massive bonfire with two truckloads of wood. Despite heavy rain the petrol doused fire resembles a blazing inferno. Hours later part time Ash DJ Dick Kurtaine falls into the middle of the white-hot embers as the party gets out of hand. Tav reacts and pulls him out. Miraculously he is completely unhurt. Everyone is freaked, convinced they have just witnessed divine intervention, the weirdness continued


1998: Once recording finally begins it soon becomes apparent there will be problems with the producer, we move studios, budgets are wastefully squandered, mixes fail to impress, hair is ripped out and deadlines are missed. Before the session is scrapped Tim receives a very important phone call

It is planet Earths President himself Bono. The conversation results in Ash playing a part in the single most important event they have yet to be involved in. Publicly campaigning for the Yes vote in Northern Irelands Good Friday Agreement referendum.

Growing up during the troubles meant becoming nothing but apathetic to the political stalemate and after years of violence we didnt think twice before backing the option for peace. Most parties from across the political divide were united and a real new hope for Northern Ireland to move forward was on the table. The No campaigners were out to wreck it and looked to be getting their way in the polls. John Hume leader of the SDLP had talked to Bono and asked for his help to turn the tide, to make the press focus on the positive and stage a huge media event.

A historic concert at Belfasts Waterfront Hall takes place, Hume and rival politician UUP leader David Trimble meet on stage and shake hands. Ash and U2 perform to a packed crowd of young voters and hoards of local and international press. The following week the papers are full of it and the positive publicity helps to pass the referendum. Today the ceasefire still holds, the peace process is as always difficult but progresses, and Belfast prospers under investment not seen during the conflict. Ash might only have been used as pawns to an end but we are very humbled to have been involved at a pivotal moment in our Countrys history.

Hume and Trimble go on to share the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998.

Owen Morris is re-recruited to perform a salvage job and Ash return to Rockfield in Wales, chaos ensues, Jeeps are wrecked and eventually the toil filled album is delivered. Taking a harder and darker direction, Nu-Clear Sounds is critically acclaimed but confuses the general public.

Despite playing in 4 countries on the day of release, (The band play Virgin Megastores in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast on a whirlwind jet setting promo push) the album only charts at No. 7, but still yields the hit single, Jesus Says and gains gold status in the UK.

An awesome sold out UK tour with Scotlands Idlewild and Dublins pop-starlets Chicks raises moral along with main stage performances at Glastonbury and Reading. In Japan reaction is as strong as ever, though a long European tour with friends Carrie drags as attendances vary reflecting poor sales. Out of the country the album peters out in the UK as the single, Wildsurf fails to gain video or radio airplay and also charts disappointingly.

Lose Control is featured in the playstation game Gran Turismo. Setting a new precedent it is one of the first video games to license bands for the soundtrack. It goes on to be the playstations best selling game ever. Unbeknownst to Ash these royalties will save them in leaner times ahead.


1999: After a fun filled January touring on the Big Day Out festival in Australia and a one off headline benefit concert as part of Unison's Campaign For A Higher Living Wage at Newcastle's Telewest Arena, reality hits hard.1999 marks the nadir of the bands career, Nu-Clear Sounds hasnt achieved what it could have, Tim seems intent on not doing press and goes AWOL, ending up in New York making the self-deprecating, blood, drug and sex fueled video for, Numbskull. Tim sends Tav a note with the video saying, Ive killed Bambi.

Ash follow their US A&R man changing labels from Warners to Dreamworks, the album is released but after sudden personnel changes we find ourselves stranded with little support in the company. The full extent of US touring is limited to 3 shows. It is a complete disaster!

Im Gonna Fall is featured prominently in Tom Greens college caper Road Trip.

In Japan for Fuji Rock the band meet Clash legend Joe Strummer, he surprises everyone buying us a very expensive dinner, sharing stories and offering advice. By the end of the night Rick and Joe are BFF!

After only a handful of festivals Ash returns home to Downpatrick, Ireland to rethink...

In November Tim and Charlotte travel to New York to model for Calvin Klein! The pictures are later published in a worldwide campaign.


2000: After six months off springtime sees a rejuvenated Ash reconvene at Tims folks house, playing and creating songs in the same garage where it all began in 92. The process is stress free and the writing is prolific.

In July NIN ask for the band to open for them at their Lost Weekend show at the London Docklands Arena. Ash are flattered and agree but on the day of the show disaster strikes. NIN pullout due to illness and promoters force us to close the show. The crowd have waited for this event for years and have traveled the length of the country, they are not happy. Mudhoneys Touch Me Im Sick is dedicated to the missing headliners and goes down like the Hindenburg. It feels like a baptism of fire but afterwards Ash feel they are ready for anything.

Armed with over 30 songs and Rock McMurrays new Mohawk, (pre-Beckham) they head to a villa in the decadent Mecca of Puerto Banus, Southern Spain with guru Owen Morris to record. Our heroes have the summer of their lives with sun, guns, endless nights at The Devils Bar, and cheap shots at the local melon man. The songs were coming effortlessly and moral was sky high. Theyd made their best album yet, but it wasnt going to be easy to re-convince the public.

Using the internet to re-establish their fan-base they release the download only single, Warmer Than Fire and then hit the road with friends Little Hell on a UK tour of tiny venues off the beaten track, all voted for by fans online.


2001: The touring pays off and in January Ashs first chart single in almost two years, Shining Light smashes its way into the UK Top 10. Two fingers to the haters who had written them off, Ash were back.

The rifftastic, Burn Baby Burn with scorching hot cheerleader video puts the rock back in the singles chart at Lucky 13. Headlines are grabbed as some perfectly timed publicity stunts are staged, bringing outrageous Pop Idol reject Darius Danesh on stage at an instore to sing, Girl From Mars and then burning 300 Westlife CDs in front of tabloid photographers. After a mega Heaven and Hell themed launch party, Free All Angels is released in May beating Janet Jackson to the coveted number 1 spot. Crazed drummer Rita McNutray is prompted to ring the offices of Virgin Records, leaving a stirring rendition of Outkasts, Im Sorry Miss Jackson. The platinum-selling album arrives on the nick of time, as Ash are £1000 away from bankruptcy.

With the band in their element, UK touring commences with a sold out production tour with support from friends Snow Patrol and label-mates Seafood. The summer is hectic, packed full with 44 European festivals cumulating in a triumphant Reading headline set. As well as opening to 100,000 ecstatic U2 fans at Slane Castle, minutes after they watched Ireland beat Holland and qualify for the World Cup!

The world tour takes Ash up to Christmas but it almost ends abruptly in Switzerland when Darth Hamilton narrowly escapes death, falling head first off the back of the tour trailer during an imaginary Jedi fight. The crew finds him, blood gushing from his skull after being alerted by fans. The Swiss doctor concludes that if he werent so drunk he would have tensed and broken his neck. With a head full of stitches and bandages Mark is severely concussed but is back on stage in 48 hours! Albeit worse for the wear

The tour resumes including stints in with label-mates My Vitriol. The live DVD Tokyo Blitz is filmed at the Akasaka Blitz in Japan and Ash return to the UK selling out the London Brixton Academy twice.

Free All Angels spawns two more hit singles in, Sometimes and, Candy. Q magazine crowns what has been a successful return to form presenting the band with Single Of The Year for, Burn Baby Burn.


2002: Theres A Star gives the band their 5th UK Top 20 hit from, Free All Angels. Burn Baby Burn is awarded, Best Single by the readers of NME. At the Irish Hot Press Awards, Free All Angels picks up the gong for, Best Irish Album and, Shining Light comes away with, Best Single. Meanwhile Mr. Wheeler wins, Best Contemporary Song for Shining Light at The British Academy Of Composers And Songwriters Ivor Novello Awards.

In March Ash are invited to the Cham Jam Festival in Chamonix, France. Promoters put the band up in a luxury ski lodge and by the end of the week Tim and Mark are hooked to snowboarding. A free and intimate show at the Arbate is played to a packed crowd of extreme sport-aholics.

Walking Barefoot is released as a single in Australia.

On tour in the States a recording session results in the Motown punk of, Envy a brand new track for the singles collection, Intergalactic Sonic Sevens. The compilation includes a second CD of 22 b-sides (as voted for by fans) labeled, Cosmic Debris and earns the band another UK Top 5 album and gold disc.

Meanwhile things are looking promising stateside as Free All Angels gets its US release on dance label Kinetic records.

After UK festival appearances at Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight, the second half of the year is almost entirely spent on the road in the US. Opening on the Area 2 tour with David Bowie is Charlottes dream gig, however the band is jinxed by bus problems. Breaking down in the desert outside LA, Ash are rescued by Moby who is alerted by Mark running down the highway waving an Axe and a week later they are lucky to escape serious injury as an early morning crash throws the band from their bunks. Rick suffers the worst with broken ribs and the imminent Reading performance is cast in doubt. Healing like a Rooney metatarsal and against doctors orders he plays through the pain in a blistering greatest hits set.

After a secret unannounced show opening for Foo Fighters at the London Astoria, Ash return to America and the band dig in for a long stretch of cabin fever, Slasher movies and breakfasts at Dennys, ew!

In December Tav re-releases the original recording of, Jack Names The Planets for the first time on CD through his new label Double Dragon Music. It also includes the original recording of, Season from the Raptor 12.


2003: January sees Ash shoot an abstract short film with a duo of French directors. The art movie is entitled, Love and Destruction and features the band being abducted by kidnappers who then interrogate each member extracting deeply personal information. The half hour movie is shown on Channel 4. It baffles as much as impresses. A one off screening at The Electric cinema on Londons Portobello road is attended by press and select fans. Those attending receive the exclusive promo CD of Ashs Serious Drinking cover, Im On Drugs. 10 Masked Mens amazing speed metal cover of Candy is the b-side.

Having spent most of the previous year opening for Moby, Our Lady Peace, Coldplay, Dashboard Confessional and Saves The Day, Ash finally headline their first US tour in 6 years! The tour is a success, and an exclusive EP Satellite transmissions is sold at the shows featuring live XM Radio sessions. However the FAA adventure crashes to an abrupt halt. After 9 months on the road and a promising radio build with Burn Baby Burn, Shining Light never makes it to US airwaves as Kinetic go bankrupt. Disappointed but encouraged by the ground gained the band returns home to recuperate.

New songs are debuted and received well at a one off performance with Supergrass at Londons Royal Albert Hall in March. The show is in aid of The Teenage Cancer Trust. Long time fan and cancer fighter Simon Brown is there introduce us to a group of kids the charity helps support during their personal battles. Sadly Simon passes in November. Ash will later dedicate the new album to his memory.

Results of the incessant touring are evident during the writing of the next album. Rock McMurray has grown into his name and the direction of the new material is harder and more aggressive. After two spells of rehearsals the songs are demoed and ready for the studio.

Ash are approached by LucasArts to contribute to a new Star Wars game they are developing. By pure coincidence the song, Clones had just been written.

The summer sees Ash headline to a sold out Somerset House and perform at the excellent V Festivals in Chelmsford and Staffordshire, before playing in front of the largest crowds of their career supporting UK pop phenomenon Robbie Williams at Knebworth Castle and Phoenix Park, Dublin. Taking the money and running they rent Julia Roberts old mansion on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills and settle into their new recording crib and party HQ.

Foo Fighters producer Nick Rasculinecz is so enthusiastic about making the album Ash cant refuse. Taking them to Sound City Studios, the birthplace of Nirvanas Nevermind to record is like a pilgrimage, only to be superceded by the presence of King Grohl himself at the sessions and Halloween parties at Chez Dave.

By the end of the year Meltdown is created, a slick album retaining Ashs gum-tingling pop harmonies and guitar-throttling riffs but swelling their reedy punk sinew into full on rock muscle. Ash are brimming with confidence and ready for the road having made the rock album theyd always strived to.


2004: From Californian dreaming, back to reality! After lengthy US exploits Ash return to the UK and Euro club circuits previewing the new album in its entirety. The sets are recorded, mixed and later released as Meltdown Live a bonus CD with the limited edition version of the album.

Clones the first single is an internet only download with a dark and gritty performance video. Its harder edge deliberately chosen to grab attention, along with the albums uber-metal artwork.

Orpheus gets hammered on UK airwaves thanks to support from Radio One and Xfm. It graces the singles chart at number 15. Title track, Meltdown and Orpheus are featured in the cult movie, Shaun Of The Dead. Ash also cover the Buzzcocks song, Everybodys Happy Nowadays with Chris Martin for the movies title credits.

Brilliant sets at the Derry One Big Weekend and Xfms St. Patricks Day party set the album off to great start. Meltdown debuts at No. 5 in the album chart achieving instant gold. The UK production tour with support from Saves The Day and The Crimea sells out and peaks with Tims flaming V saluting the crowd at Hammersmith Apollo, our largest ever London headline show!

Problems arise in Europe when Warners lay off almost half of their workforce on the week the album is released. Sales suffer and Meltdown is lost in the wake of the chaos. Despite this the German tour is well attended. Ash fly to Romania and shoot the video for Starcrossed, a tribute to Romeo and Juliet. The epic power ballad fails to impact at radio but the video helps it reach 21 in the UK chart.

The summer is filled festival hopping. Highlights being the hysteric reception at Fuji Rock, chilling at Splendor in the Grass in Australia, Tim singing with Iggy and the Stooges in Turkey, opening for the Pixies in Europe and Har Mar Superstars striptease during Kung Fu on the main stage at Reading. Backstage antics with The Hives and The Distillers at Leeds result in dressing room bonfires, suplexes, broken fingers and yellow cards from the promoters.

In August Charlotte releases her debut solo album, Grey Will Fade on Double Dragon Music.

LucasArts fly the band to San Franciso to visit Skywalker Ranch and see Republic Commando in development.

Renegade Cavalcade turns out to be the final single taken from Meltdown. The first video is scrapped after it fails to impress and the band shoot a low budget alternative at a club in Vienna on Halloween. Perhaps its the wrong choice of single or the heavier US production puts off fans but Renegade performs poorly and scrapes the UK charts at 33.

After more European touring with Sparta, Ash return to the UK and open for The Darkness on their huge winter Arena tour. Isolation and indifference from the crowds on the huge stages is uninspiring and it becomes a tough slog. The return to headline their spiritual home The Astoria for a one-off Kerrang event feels like a godsend. The sold out show and fanatical reception is a welcome boost and a secret gig downstairs at club Frog reminds us of how fun it should always be.

The year ends on a high returning to Germany to support friends Sportfreunde Stiller. Their fans embrace Ash, and we enjoy every moment.


2005: 2005 starts with a bang in Japan, the sold out tour reminds us of how amazing our Japanese fans are. A DJ set with Mr. Tanaka at Club Snoozer in Tokyo turns into utter chaos.

Ash return to the US in March and take to the road on a co-headline tour with band of the moment The Bravery. The tour seems like a musical mismatch but the 2 bands hit it off, good times are had. Meltdown is released in the States by Ashs new label Record Collection.

The tour includes a private show for Lucasfilm, LucasArts and ILM staff at the ILM sound stages in San Rafael. LucasArts release the video game Republic Commando featuring Clones and Mark accepts another trip to Skywalker ranch for a guest screening of Revenge of the Sith. Pig in shit comes to mind. A 4-track tie-in EP simply titled, Commando is released for the tour.

The summer sees the band continue to tour the US with west coast club gigs and important radio shows. Almost predictably the bus jinx strikes again! Hours after a storming LA gig at The Knitting Factory, (Quentin Tarantino was seen on the edge of the pit!) the touring party are woken by a smoke filled bus. The engine is on fire! After evacuating and waiting hung-over in the desert, we find out the replacement bus has broken down and also caught fire! A hellish 6-hour cab ride is our only option and the band only just make it in time to the Live 105 bash in San Francisco. Using The Braverys gear the show goes on! Despite our efforts Meltdown fails to receive the continued backing it needs to take Ash to the next level.

Returning to Northern Ireland Ash embark on a short tour of small venues with The Chalets and V Formation as warm ups for their sole festival appearance at Glastonbury.

July sees another quick visit to Japan, Ash play with fans Asian Kung Fu Generation and the most surreal Karaoke evening ever occurs on Ricks birthday.

Tim receives an honorary degree from LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) presented to him by founder Sir Paul McCartney.

Ash complete the, Meltdown era in grand style supporting U2 on their 3rd consecutive world tour. Playing stadiums in London, Dublin, Zurich, Milan and Romes colossal Olympic Stadium. Ready for a long break they return to their respective homes and take a 6-month hiatus.

After 8 years living in London Tim and Mark relocate to New York City.


2006: February, after 9 years Charlotte Hatherley and Ash mutually agree to part company. Ash wish her all the best with her solo career and thank her for her contribution to the band. Charlotte is currently recording tracks for her second solo album, which she plans to release in the autumn this year.

March sees the eventual release on Underwater Records of Arthur Bakers, Glow. Tim provides vocals on the indie / dance hybrid.

As if by fate Tim stumbles across unwanted studio in space Manhattan. The room is perfect and Ash take on the lease. Having their own base to record and rehearse from is something theyve always dreamed of. Rick regularly darts across the pond from Scotland and after several rehearsals the band have 27 songs to begin work on. The transition back to a 3 piece is both exciting and prolific.

In June the trio begin recording the untitled new album. The new studio is wired and built around them and by the end of the month the first new tracks are mixed. Despite pizza addiction and World Cup distraction the wheels are turning and a plot is in motion. Follow their continued adventures and making of the album here on the Ash myspace blog.


2007: Its a crazy rollercoaster of a story and where it goes next is anyones guess! We plan to release the new album 5.5 (not the actual title!) in the spring and then hit the road. God willing well see you there!

Ash would like to thank all our fans for all their amazing support over the years. We only live the dream because youve let us, we hope you guys enjoy following it through us.