Los Angeles’ thriving darkwave post-punk trio ASHRR has emerged from a COVID quarantine hibernation with a new single titled “WAVES.” Premiering with Heavy Consequence / ConsequenceOfSound.net, the anthemic song bends genres with driving rhythmic guitars and progressive synth intertwined with mesmerizing melody and vocals, proving to be another lead forward in the band’s impressive musical evolution.
“Since our formation, Ashrr’s sound has been in a constant state of flux as we continually draw inspiration from the creative forces that surround us. Our musical journey led us to a style that explores elements of sound from across the spectrum of rock, from adrenaline fueled post-punk and brooding dark wave to futuristic analog synth and primal guitar driven rock, with all roads leading to our new single “WAVES.” – ASHRR
The new single is accompanied by a cinematic video directed and shot by Keith Musil (TWIN SHADOW, GRIZFOLK, TENNIS) that follows the long and arduous journey of a fish, a visual metaphor for the trials and tribulations of life found in the meaning of the lyrics to the song.
“The idea for this video came about because of COVID restrictions and a reaction to the social movements brewing at the time. We needed a concept that didn’t require a lot of actors and would be something I could produce, shoot and edit on my own. Originally, I wanted to document the journey of an inanimate object similar to “The Red Balloon.” What struck me most about that short film is how much you feel for the balloon. Our intention was to do just that but with a .31cent goldfish.” – Keith Musil
ASHRR exists at the crossroads of analog synth ecstasy, underground industrial darkness, and a dash of Big Easy voodoo. At the same time, three individual journeys coalesce within the final aural transmission. GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer, mixer, engineer, writer, and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Allen boasts an impressive discography, spanning Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ben Harper, Sheryl Crow, and Meg Myers, to name a few. Frontman Steven Davis draws from a fascinating well of experience, including performing in top live music venues from New York City to Tokyo, co-writing alongside John Oates, and contributing music to film and television productions such as Criminal Minds, Just Getting Started [Tommy Lee Jones and Morgan Freeman], and Startup. Mentored under Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® legend Dr. John, prodigious pianist/recording artist and multi-instrumentalist Josh Charles not only writes, records and produces for top artists, but he also crafts music for visual media and beyond.
A series of serendipitous events united the triumvirate in late 2017. They consistently rallied to conjure up music for ASHRR throughout 2018. In between regular live appearances and the self-titled ASHRR EP, the vision unfurled on the 2019 independent full-length debut, Oscillator. NPR touted the music video for “Don’t Wait Too Long” on its coveted “All Songs Considered” as acclaim came from POPDUST, AXS, LA Weekly, buzzbands.LA, airplay on KROQ, and many others. Maintaining a prolific pace, the Live in L.A. EP, a single “Sacrifice” followed and a remix of “All Yours All Mine” closed out 2019.
With touring on hold for the foreseeable future, ASHRR is currently finishing up recording a new EP and focused on writing their second full-length album to be released in 2021.
