October 06, 2008

Ash: We've Loved Them Since '1977'

By Cheryl Leong

They were barely even out of high school when they hit the big time. Little did Tim Wheeler (vocals and guitar), Mark Hamilton (bass guitar) and Rick McMurray (drums) know that they were soon to become Ireland's finest alternative rock band, Ash.

Formed in 1992, Ash went from releasing demo tapes, to putting out their critically acclaimed, first full-length feature, 1977. Hits like "Oh Yeah," "Goldfinger" and "Girl From Mars" were some of their hit classics. Even till today (more than a decade later), their albums are among one of the "must-own" rock records to date.

These past few years, Ash has released their latest outing, Twilight of the Innocents, gone on a UK tour, played at festivals all over the world, and even weathered the departure of their former guitarist, Charlotte Hatherley, in 2006.

MTV Asia caught up with the boys on their Singapore stop, and spoke to Ash about philosophy, the 3Gs and getting the ladies.

Hey guys! So I'm assuming this is your first time here in Singapore?

Tim: Oh it's actually our second! We came here almost ten years ago, and played in Zouk in 1999.

Really? Why'd it take you guys so long to come back here?

Rick: I think there's been a couple of times that we've planned. But economically, it just hasn't work out. Been a long gap, but we're glad to be back now!

It's been said that the band name has been chosen from the dictionary, where 'Ash' happens to be the first word that you like. What about it struck you as being suitable for a band name?

Mark: It was nice and short.

Rick: Yeah just take a one word name for the band, something that'd be memorable. That was kind of the first thing that we agreed on.

Mark: It was also around the time that there were great bands like Blur, Nirvana, that we liked, and they were all one-word names. And we wanted something easy that people could remember.

Tim: It's connected with fire and trees. And the evil dead. [Laughs]

Have you guys ever thought of changing it since?

Tim: Oh never. It's a good name. Short, just three letters. Like the three of us now.

Your first album came out when you guys were barely out of school. So from then till now, how do you think the music of Ash has evolved?

Tim: Ahhh... I don't really know, actually. I think it's gotten more sophisticated over the years. But we've still kept the energy.

Mark: We've become more accomplished musicians, I think. But there are certain themes that we've stuck with, like the melodies and the energy, that are tied together through our career. But that said, there's also varying slants to every album, different flavors.

What are some of the themes that you find yourselves revisiting in your albums, if any?

Tim: Crazy rock guitar solos? [Laughs]

Rick: Crazy rock drum solos? [Laughs]

Mark: I think a lot of the subject matter tends to be about girls.

Tim: Yeah! Girls, guitars and drums. The 3Gs!

Rick: 3Gs? Drums? 'Grums'? [Laughs]

Do you think Charlotte's leaving has affected your music in any way? Like, are there new sounds that reflect Ash as a threesome now etc?

Rick: Yeah. It's made it better. [Laughs]

Mark: Because it's only three of us, we have to be one third better each.

Tim: Isn't it one quarter better each? What's a quarter divided by three?

Mark: I don't know. We just have to be one third better each.

Tim: A wise man once said to me, never analyze analogies too much. Just leave it.

Mark: Who was this wise man? Was it... Coniferus? Some Chinese philosopher?

Rick: Confucius?! Coniferus... [Laughs]

What's coming up next for Ash, seeing as you've mentioned that Twilight of the Innocents is going to be the last album?

Tim: Well actually that's not true, because our first album's now going to be our last. We're doing a re-issue of 1977, and yes, that's going to be the last album. Now we're just going to release singles. We've been recording a lot the whole year. At the moment, we're trying to work out the structure for releasing those next year. Once we're done with that, we'll be able to release singles whenever we feel like it.

Rick: We're bored of the whole album cycle process. It takes like three years to compile and put together a record. Sometimes if you write a song just after the album comes out, you have to wait another three years before people get to hear it. By doing singles, we just record a song, and put it out there as soon as possible. It keeps things spontaneous and fresh.

Tim: That's more exciting, giving people something in installments. You don't have to give people everything at once. You can spread things out, and keep people interested for over a year. Instead of all at once, and then you have to wait three years for the next record.

Rick: The concept of the album's been around for over 60 years anyway. Probably time for it to retire.

If you could have my job, who's the first person you'd like to interview, and what would you ask him or her?

Tim: Uhmm... I'd probably like interview Billy Connelly or Steven Fry.

Rick: I'd interview Vladimir Putin. I'd encourage him to go to war! Make the world a bit more interesting. [Laughs]

Now here's the time to dish a little dirt on one another. I'm going to ask you a series of questions, like: Who's the loudest, funniest etc. So here goes...

Tim: Uh-oh...

Who's the practical joker in the group?

Mark: I think that's got to be Rick. He's got a quick and fast wit. Not so much practical joker. Practical jokers are really annoying actually.

Tim: Rick sometimes makes funny faces. But I'm not sure if it's on purpose! [Laughs]

Who's the most romantic?

Tim: I think that's me.

Ahh... so what's the most romantic thing you've done?

Tim: Uhm...

Mark: Write songs for girls.

Tim: Yeah, yeah! [Laughs]

The 3Gs eh... Okay, then who takes the longest time in the bathroom?

Tim & Rick: Definitely Mark. Have a lot of ... to do in there, especially on tour. [Laughs]

Who can't get out of bed in the morning?

Tim: Me!

Who's got the best fashion sense?

Tim: Probably Rick.

Mark: If you can call that fashion.

Rick: At least I pay for my clothes. [Laughs]

Who's the most adventurous?

Tim: Mark. He's the most prone to like, climb things he shouldn't when he's drunk. Get himself into physically dangerous situations.

Okay, last one. Who gets all the ladies?

Tim: We don't really like...

Rick: I get all the men... [Laughs]

Tim: You got to make sure that quote gets attributed to the right person... Rick. [Laughs]