Islands

Islands is the 7th album by Northern Irish rock group Ash.

It's an open-hearted set of songs dealing with love and loss, friendship and betrayal, identity, salvation, redemption and rebirth... all the important stuff. Pound-for-pound, it's also the strongest, most exhilarating long player of Ash's storied 26-year career, an album which reaffirms the trio's status as one of the most idiosyncratic and singularly thrilling guitar bands on these islands.

The title of this album alludes to the unique environments in which its constituent songs were birthed. In the spring of 2016, following a whirlwind Japanese tour to close out the touring cycle for 2015's 'Kablammo!' album, Ash frontman Tim Wheeler undertook a visit to the picturesque island of Naoshima, renowned worldwide for its modern art installations, architecture and sculptures. Wheeler found the island's tranquil, meditative atmosphere conducive to both reflection and creativity, and as he immersed himself in his craft, new song ideas began to ferment and flow.

Back in Manhattan, the singer/guitarist's home for the past 12 years, these fecund sessions continued. Wheeler embarked upon disciplined, hothouse song-writing exercises, challenging himself to write a song every hour across intense, focussed ten hour periods. In the wake of a difficult, traumatic break-up, further field trips were taken to Deia, Mallorca - the former home of poet and author Robert Graves - to Santorini, Greece and to Lambay Island, off the coast of North Dublin, each journey colouring Wheeler's song-writing in new and distinct ways as he sought to document, address and resolve the emotional fall-out of his broken relationship in his art. The results, arranged and perfected with bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray at the band's own studio in New York, emerged as some of the most powerful, personal, heart-felt and affecting songs of Ash's career.

[Buzzkill](https://youtu.be/MOZL_ZuYU10)