Irish rockers find heavy American sounds on fifth album
After recording four albums on their side of the Atlantic, Northern Ireland’s Ash decamped to American soil for the recording of their fifth, expected out in late spring.
“We wanted to work with an American producer,” says frontman Tim Wheeler. “One who knew the kind of sounds we wanted to make.” Pleased with his work behind the boards with the Foo Fighters, Ash chose Nick Raskulinecz.
“Bands complain that they get pigeonholed,” says drummer Rick McMurray. “I think we’ve had the opposite problem. People have a hard time figuring out what we’re on about. We wanted to make a more cohesive album.” Wheeler agrees and cites Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction as records that fit the bill.
On the second to last day of mixing at Sound City Studios in Hollywood, Wheeler looks at home in his cowboy boots and jeans, with he and his bandmates having had four months to acclimate to the Hollywood life and identify the best junk food the town has to offer. When asked, the group knowingly sings the praises of Krispie Kremes, In-N-Out and Fat Burger.
Heineken in hand, Wheeler singles out the track “Clones” as “heavier than anything we’ve ever done before,” in the midst of an album preview that includes other newbies such as “Evil Eye”, “Meltdown“, “Orpheus” and “Detonator”, and both Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton credit McMurray’s increasingly aggressive drumming style with helping spark the band’s higher octane sound.
Although it was a busy four months, recording from 2pm. to 2am. each day and returning at night to a rented house on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, it wasn’t all hard work. On a night off from recording, Ash attended a Halloween party at Dave Grohl’s house, with members of the group dressing as Batman, Jason from Friday the 13th and the grim reaper.
“Jack Black answered the door,” says McMurray. “Typical Irish band, we stayed until 5 a.m. and drank all the whiskey. I think Dave’s wife was wanting us to leave.”