EMBRACE - ASH 'HAVE RELEASED LAST ALBUM'

ASH 'HAVE RELEASED LAST ALBUM'

Ash frontman Tim Wheeler had said that his band have recorded their final album in the shape of forthcoming LP Twilight of the Innocents.

But Ash are not splitting up, instead the band will only be releasing singles in the future in an attempt to embrace instant digital music releases.

Wheeler said he was "constantly disappointed" with the records he bought and thought reverting to single track releases would keep the fans happier with a constant stream of music.

"The future lies elsewhere and we can have a lot of fun by changing things up. It's like the wild west at the moment, a time to take chances and try out new ideas," the singer said.

"When you're tied to the album format, you find yourself waiting six months between finishing a record and releasing it. By leaving this behind we can enter a new phase of spontaneity and creativity."

Having their own recording studio in New York has gone a long way to helping Ash with their new plan and Wheeler believes more bands will follows suit.

"We're the first band to do this, but I very much doubt we'll be the last," he said.

"We've been one of the best singles bands of the last two decades and we're still younger than a lot of bands on the current scene. I'm excited to push this claim further by dedicating ourselves wholly to the art of the single for the digital age."

Ash release their new single, Polaris, on June 18th and their fifth and apparently final album will appear on July 2nd.

The band will also play four shows at London's Koko on July 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th and will headline the Radio 1/NME stage at the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds festivals.