Ash: redefining the music industry from A-Z

August 2, 2010 No Comments

Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t but it’s what our beloved Ash lads have been working tirelessly on over the past year. Lynsey Rogers shines a light on the A-Z series…

Andy Warhol once said that ‘the idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.’ While this could generally be accepted as a truism, it’s a principle that, in practice, is much harder to realise, especially when it comes to music. Today it seems that no sooner have a band announced the impending release of a new record than the internet is abuzz with news of a ‘leak’, therefore eradicating that excitement almost entirely. As long-time music fan Chris emphasises, ‘people now have a lot less issues with stealing music, ten or fifteen years ago people wouldn’t have been able or wanted to, but nowadays it’s fine to download music without paying for it.’

Granted, not every single music fan illegally downloads, but it is an occurrence that is only increasing and will result in devastating both the financial and artistic state of music. I still vividly recall the days when the top 100 singles chart was the highlight of the radio week, or how exciting it felt to physically hold and experience a new album by your favourite band for the first time. Sure, the myriad of alternatives available to our tech savvy generation may be quicker and cheaper, but does it really match up to the genuine experience? Is there anything remotely personalised about it? I argue not.

Consider this: When was the last time that you listened to an album, and I mean really listened? I don’t mean skipping straight to your favourite songs, or throwing it into the vast depths of your iTunes library, only to make a rare appearance via the shuffle function. I’m talking about buying a physical copy of an album and listening to it from start to finish, in the artist’s intended order, without interruption. If you actually sit and study the inlay, from the lyrics to the artwork right down to the ‘thank you’s’ then congratulations, because you’re a truly vintage listener.

Okay, that may sound a tad hyperbolic, but the depressing truth is that people no longer listen to music in the same way. Music seems to be dominated by gratification; the hunger for new songs to be falling onto our collective lap as often as possible (but god forbid they are substandard, mind) with the wait for an album proving too torturous for our impatient little ears. And while the news often decries the internet, and more frequently social networking sites, as the new evil, in some ways this exaggerated, extreme view is actually very relevant to the eternal music debate; the internet runs the risk of ruining the music industry sooner rather than later.

Think about it: when a friend recommends a band, or a song, do you buy it instantly, whether through a legal means of downloading like iTunes, or do you buy it on CD? No. You look it up on YouTube or you ‘Spotify’ them, the most recent addition to the music internet family, so current that it’s a verb. We’re all guilty of it, and I throw my hands up to it entirely. These methods aren’t without their virtues, as they can provide an entry point into a band or style of music you’re unfamiliar with, but the real concern is what you do after that initial listen.

One band that have tuned into this current attitude with admirable individuality and aplomb are Ash, currently based in their Atomic Heart Records studio in New York City. Back in 2007, following the departure of guitarist Charlotte Hatherley, the band, self-confessed as ’disillusioned and uninspired by the traditional album cycle,’ announced that their sixth album, ‘Twilight of the Innocents’, would be their last. But this move was, thankfully, not to be the final nail in the coffin for Ash. Acknowledging the need for a speedier, direct way of getting their music to fans, Ash made a finely crafted move towards a new era of music consumption. Albums were out, but singles very much ‘in’, hinting to their ‘A-Z Series’ with a cryptic blog post back in 2008: ‘26+26= 52, feel free to speculate.’

The idea behind the project is so simple and effective that you wonder why more bands haven’t abandoned the linear approach for one like it. In one year, October 2009-September 2010 to be exact, the band would release a single every two weeks, amounting to 26 singles in total, reflecting the number of letters in the alphabet, hence the ‘A-Z’ moniker. An intriguing plan; but how exactly would it work? Well, it does two things which are arguably are at the heart of its ingenuity; it not only satisfies the fans by emailing them brand new material straight to their inbox every two weeks, but simultaneously it caters to retro tastes by releasing each single on an etched, colourfully-packed vinyl of a limited print run, proving that the digital and physical formats of music can sit comfortably side by side.

The idea of the song being delivered straight to you adds something of a personalised tone to the procedure, and the band is keen to provide us with bonus tracks and an interactive tone to their website. Better still, this whole bundle costs fans a reasonable £13, making it affordable for everyone.

While the ‘A-Z Series’ satisfies the needs of the fans, the project also unleashes a revitalised  creative energy for the band; challenging them to produce a large number of songs in a short space of time, of which high quality is understandably demanded. Sure, there will always be people ready to be bemoan, or songs you just can’t bring yourself to love (I’m looking at you, ‘Song of Your Desire’), but this approach frees the band from the restrictions of producing a coherent collection of songs that an album inherently demands.

Factor in all of the production and promotion involved with a band that never seem to stop touring, you can’t help but admire Ash’s decision. Their career has now spanned a mammoth 18 years, a fact which Bassist Mark Hamilton can’t seem to comprehend himself, once commenting that he didn’t expect to reach this age, never mind still be making music in a successful band. Their ambition and work ethos has secured them longevity, and projects like this one only serve to cement their reputation in an industry that is rife with disposability.

But what do the fans think? Maysie, a fan who could only be described as ‘old school,’ asserts that the project is something ‘very different and keeps the fans interested’ while newer convert Kat enthuses that ‘I couldn’t have predicted how I’d fall for the A-Z Series, and how innovative and clever an idea it actually is… it is an immensely rewarding experience for a fan.’ I know I certainly get a prickle of excitement when I know there’s a new Ash track waiting in my inbox, and I genuinely believe that freeing themselves from the restrictions of an album has produced some of their best material yet. You know you’re on to a good thing when you’re pleasing fans old and new alike.

Ash’s scheme is wise and a method that other bands would do well to take inspiration from in a world where record companies are only willing to sign up ‘safe bets’ or people can download entire back catalogues of an artist with one click. The danger with the latter is, however much money it saves you in avoiding an album loaded with ‘fillers’,  there will come a point when people don’t think as much, if at all, about actually buying the album. This will have a huge impact on bands from all walks of life often struggling to get their music heard fairly (and we wouldn’t want them to starve, would we?) Simple starter alternatives such as offering free ‘taster’ tracks through the official website can be an important step towards encouraging fans to keep actively buying music.

We still have a long way to go before this issue is resolved completely, and perhaps it never will be, but bands such as Ash are thankfully refusing to be defeated by dwindling album sales, instead carving out their own opportunities to keep making the music they love, redefining how it will be shared in the process. It’s a unique experience that is sadly nearing its end with the release of ‘V’ track ‘Carnal Love’ this month. This type of music production and distribution may still be in its infancy, but the success of the ‘A-Z Series’ is proof that it can work.

So go on, sign up and blast out the deliciously cheesy ‘True Love 1980’, and have a dance around in your underwear. Or fully clothed, whatever works for you.

By Lynsey Rogers

Sign up to the Ash A-Z Series @ www.ash-offical.com

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