• Vault Lines: Hannah Richardson on 1977 by Ash

    In the latest installment of Vault Lines, Hannah Richardson from fast-rising Derry pop-punk trio Cherym sings the praises of a stone-cold Northern Irish classic, 1977 by Ash Photo by Jane Donnelly I was introduced to Ash as a teenager by a friend. By this point in time I was well into my wee punky teenage-angsty phase, but I’d also started taking an interest in local bands and Irish bands in general. My friend grew up with ‘cool parents’ who listened to a lot of music and they had a bookshelf that occupied a space in their back hall, dedicated entirely…

  • Classic Album: Ash – 1977 (1996)

    For a moment, it seemed like anything could happen. Three teenagers from Downpatrick are staring blankly from the pages of Smash Hits magazine, fresh from appearing on Top of the Pops. And in 1996, this kind of thing just didn’t happen. Ash were breaking rules left right and centre, and it seemed like they could only go higher. As Oasis and Blur duelled it out with each other in the charts, the Little Band from Northern Ireland that Could seemed hell bent on one thing: destruction. I was 15 when 1977 came out, and it still seems as fresh now…