Interview with Jonny Ash
North Wales indie quartet Jonny Ash have just stormed into 2022 with the release of their new single ‘Disco’. Building on their growing reputation from ‘We Are The People’ and ‘Boys With Black Eyes’ in 2021, the new single is already a live favorite with a raucous chorus that will have you on your feet and bouncing around the room. The BPM of the track is set to the sweet spot of actual disco music, this allows the listener to fall in line with the beat without even realising it.
We caught up with the band to talk about ‘Disco’ as well as their plans for 2022.
Hi Guys! How’s everything going right now?
Yeah we’re good man! Finished recovering from the Christmas hangover, we’re buzzing to get gigging again now.
What classic album cover is your current mood?
Probably Velvet Underground and Nico. Only because I didn’t realise you can actually take off the banana peel, that blew my mind. Haven’t played the vinyl yet still messing about with the banana.
Your new single “Disco” is out on February 11th and its a cracker – tell us a bit about it and how you went about recording it?
We wanted to add an element of actual disco music to it, so the drums throughout the verses have been looped and the bpm of the track has even been set to the sweet spot of disco music.
Its the song you often close your live shows with – it really has an “end-of-gig-let-yourself-go” euphoric feel to it.
We love playing it live because of the interaction we get. Our frontman usually goes walk about in the crowd to get the everyone bouncing.
If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
I’m sure we’d all have different answers in the band but mine (Pete) has gotta be Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous album, the guitar playing and songwriting has had a massive influence on me.
Where did the band name came from? Is it an homage to your favorite C&W singer?
I’ve haven’t personally met the infamous Jonny Ash so for all I know he could be an undercover Country and Western idol. Our singer and bassist’s dad works with a guy called Jonny Ash who is known for drinking and smoking excessively, so we thought that was a perfect aesthetic for the band.
Oasis are clearly a big influence on the band. Who are your other musical influences and are there any new bands or records that you currently have on repeat?
Might not here it listening to some of our music but there’s so many other influences we have collectively from the likes of Beatles, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Brian Jonestown Massacre to more newer bands like DMAS.
You have some local dates scheduled in the next few months – are you going to be doing anything further afield or any festivals this year?
We’re trying to focus locally at the moment to build up some hype in our hometown, but we’ll still be travelling wherever we’re needed to supply the rock n roll
What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
We’re gonna go for a Wrexham favourite, the Jonny Ash brown pizza. Topped both bacon and hash browns.
What else do you have planned for 2022?
Think we need to make up for some lost time over the last couple years so we’re gonna be gigging, releasing music, releasing merchandise, playing festivals. Plenty of tasty stuff to look forward to.
Jonny Ash are made up of brothers Callum Gaughran (Frontman), Dan Gaughran (Bassist), Peter Roberts (Lead guitarist) and Mike Jones (Drummer). Since starting out as a band in 2021 and releasing two tracks (We Are The People and Boys With Black Eyes), Jonny Ash have already received nationwide recognition and radio play by the likes of BBC Wales, XS Manchester and Amazing Radio. In their short existence, they have worked alongside the likes of Happy Mondays Shaun Ryder, The Sherlocks and This Feeling.
