Ash

Ash formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992, making them one of the few non-English bands absorbed into the Britpop mainstream. Tim Wheeler was seventeen when their debut single was released. 1977, their debut album, arrived in 1996 with a title that referenced the year of both Star Wars and the punk explosion, and contained the rocket-fast guitar pop of Goldfinger and Girl from Mars — songs built on Rick McMurray's ferocious drumming and Wheeler's melodic instinct. Charlotte Hatherly joined on second guitar in 1997, adding a harder edge. Wheeler plays Gibson SG and Les Paul guitars through Marshall amplifiers.