Ashes and Diamonds, the trio of singer/guitarist Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), drummer Bruce Smith (PiL, The Pop Group) and Sade bassist Paul Denman, started in the late 2010s but were waylaid by the pandemic, reunions and other distractions. But they’ve now announced their debut album, Ashes and Diamonds Are Forever, which will be out October 31 via Cleopatra Records.
“Yes it’s been a long wait. We actually started this project about seven years ago but because of Covid it’s taken all this time to be truly satisfied with the final product,” Ash says. “It’s been so long I actually don’t recall how this band initially got together apart from the fact that Paul’s wife Kim suggested Bruce for drum duties. I do remember Paul wanting to work together many many years ago but that’s another story.”
After demoing songs remotely during the pandemic, Ash, Smith and Denman got together to record the album face to face in the studio with engineer Robert Adam Stevenson (Queens of the Stone Age, The Kills). “We recorded and mixed 12 songs in 10 days totally banging,” says Paul. “Old school. Loved it.”
The first single from the album is “On a Rocka,” a glammy stomper that revels in its simplicity with a killer signature riff from Ash. “We wanted to start with something hard and fast for major impact regarding the first single,” says Daniel. Adds Bruce, “It’s a killer piece of music. Super fresh, it doesn’t sound like anyone else. What else can you say?” It’s a banger.
The “On a Rocka” video was directed by Jake Scott (Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Radiohead) and features Ash showing off his other love: motorcycles. It premieres in this post and you can watch below.
ASHES AND DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Tracklisting
Hollywood
Teenage Robots
On A Rocka
ON
Boy Or Girl
The A Listers
Plastic Fantastic
Ice Queen
Setting Yourself Up For Love
Alien Love
Champagne Charlie
2020