Ash are a Northern Irish indie rock band from Downpatrick, formed in the early 1990s by vocalist and guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray. Their debut album *1977* (1996) went straight to number one on the UK Albums Chart - a remarkable feat for a group of teenagers. *Free All Angels* (2001) repeated that chart-topping success, and the band have since accumulated 18 UK top-40 singles, an Ivor Novello Award and a headline slot at Glastonbury. Their ninth studio album, *Ad Astra*, was released in October 2025 to strong critical notices and debuted at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart.
The ninth studio album *Ad Astra* was released on 3 October 2025 via Fierce Panda Records and reached number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
*Ad Astra* received widespread press attention with a Metacritic score of 79/100; Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and God Is in the TV rated it 9 out of 10.
Ash released a double A-side single featuring guitarist Graham Coxon (Blur) as a guest, ahead of the release of *Ad Astra*.
The band announced the extended Ad Astra Tour for autumn/winter 2025-2026, with 25 dates across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Ash returned with a cover of Harry Belafonte's 'Jump in the Line', the first single from the new album, released on 2 April 2025.
