The band Ash have been going for donkeys years now, having recently re-released a special vinyl edition of their third album, Free All Angels. I felt it was time to finally sit down and have a chat with them to find out a little more about the reissue and the secret to their longevity. I chatted with Rick McMurray recently – find out more below!

By Jane Howkins

You recently released a vinyl reissue of your third album, Free All Angels. What can you tell us about the vinyl and why did you make the decision to reissue the album in this way?

It’s been something we’ve been planning to do since we signed to BMG in 2017. Part of the deal involved them buying our back catalogue and that’s enabled us to finally re-release the vinyl. Covid threw a spanner in the works of the release schedule but it’s great to finally get these out. I can stop leaving cryptic replies on social media now.

Your debut album, 1977, was also reissued on vinyl earlier this year; do you have plans to rerelease any of your other albums on vinyl?

Yes, we have more happening very soon. Possibly by the time you’ve read this.

Have you started writing for another album?

Yeah, we’ve got tons of new material, some of it is finished bar any final mix tweaks, some of it still in progress. There’s probably two albums worth of stuff, if not more. We want to get it all finished to a point where we can decide what goes together best as albums, but once we’re done, you can expect a couple of albums coming out pretty close to each other. We’ve been wanting to get on a roll with releases ever since we went back to the album format in 2015, but events have conspired against us. Hopefully we can put that behind us and get on an album and tour roll for a few years.

You’ve been in the music game for a long time now. What is the secret to your success?

I wish I knew. If I did I’d write a manual like the KLF. I think starting out so young helped us. We’d not come to it with a load of failed bands behind us, so I guess that helps it be all about the band rather than a bunch of individuals out for ourselves.

You also reunited with Charlotte Hatherley for those shows. What made you decide to reunite, and will you be working with Charlotte again in the future?

Yeah, they went great thanks. It was a blast to have Charlotte back with us for a few shows. She was a big part of that record and it really does that era justice to have her with us. It’s crazy to think it’s been 21 years since its release.

We’ve always got on well despite our parting of ways, and having her back for the shows was such a buzz for us. Hopefully for Chaz too. We’d happily have her back for shows like these. As for anything more, well let’s just say that door is open for further discussion.

Any last words for your fans?

Just a big thank you for sticking with us over the last thirty years. This band means the world to us, and it would be nothing without your support.