Ash’s crazy beat

Hard as it may seem to those who recall the teenagers emerging with “Girl From Mars”, Ash can now be called elder statesman nine years after their debut single. Last years Best of confirmed their status as one of our great singles bands, confirmed by winning over 375,000 Robbie Williams fans live at Knebworth. So where next? Speaking before their Grolsch summer set gig at London’s Somerset House. Tim Wheeler and Rick McMurray explain how its all about to get odd.

“It won’t be as pop as people are used to. I can’t see there being a “Shining Light” on the next record”, says Tim Wheeler of the next Ash album, which he’s written 18 songs for. “Nick Rasculinecz, who did the last Foo Fighters record is producing it. He likes staying in Los Angeles as there are so many great studios out there. We start recording next month. It’s in the studio where Nirvana did Nevermind, that’s a dream come true for all of us”.

Rick McMurray a wry contrast to Tim Wheeler’s hyperactive enthusiasm calls Ash’s next album “The rock record we’ve always threatened we’d make one day”. The drummer adds “We spent seven months touring America last year and the new songs are very American. They sound much more traditionally hard than anything we’ve ever done before”. Tim explains “The lyrics aren’t about America, it’s not my hotel life, they’re my most personal ones to date.”

Tim Wheeler has been into beat poetry for several years, an interest he hopes will be reflected in Ash’s new album. “It’s hard to be truly poetic in song, as you’ve only got two verses and a chorus to go on usually,” he muses. “But while the lyrics are personal, I think they’ll be weirder and darker than anything I’ve tried. It’s wrong to call the next album experimental - It’ll still be rock music - but I want to challenge the way I write lyrics.”

Spending seven months in the US on tour last year saw Ash go back to playing small venues, which Tim and Rick agree strengthened the band’s relationship. “It was particularly good for Charlotte - she joined us after we’d succeeded, so she hadn’t seen what we’d all been through,” says Tim of Ash’s guitarist. “If we’d maybe got complacent about our lifestyles, playing toilets again was a wake-up call. That grubbiness comes out in the new songs.”

Tim Wheeler has written all the lyrics for the new album so far. As he and Rick debate whether to see the Doors reunion (they agree yes), Tim says “Ash will last five more years at least”. He dismisses any idea of a solo album saying “Ash are the outlet for all my songs, so there’s no point”. Would Rick do one “I would but I’ve got nothing to say” he grins. Tim giggles “You do but you only say it every two years, you lazy git.”

Set to play V2003 next weekend, Ash returned to UK gigging by supporting Robbie Williams at Knebworth. Asked what they feel about “sell out” accusations for supporting Robbie, Tim Wheeler reasons: “It was a challenge. Warming up to 125,000 Robbie fans a night - it’s gratifying they liked us. If they get into Ash, great, you can’t be snobbish about who likes your music. Robbie’s a good guy. He was terrified before the first night, bless him.”

A year ago, Ash revealed they were making a spoof horror movie with cameo’s by Chris Martin, Dave Grohl and a host of other musicians. So, where is it?. Rick McMurray says it’s bassist Mark Hamilton’s baby. “It won’t come out until we stop playing festivals” he says. “Every time, we get someone else in and the plot becomes thinner. We tried to get The Darkness involved last week. Put it this way, I think you’ll see a new Ash album sooner.”