For Fans Of: Spring King, Larkins, Blossoms
No Hot Ashes formed in Stockport in 2012 and were originally influenced by the likes of early Arctic Monkeys and The Stone Roses before developing their trademark disco funk sound. Comprising of Isaac Taylor (vocals/guitar), Luigi Di Vuono (guitar/vocals), Jack Walsh (bass) and Matthew Buckley (drums), they have now surpassed 93,000 monthly Spotify listeners, and gathered a nation-wide fanbase.
The vibrant indie-funk-pop band have since adopted a bio from Clash magazine which described them as “the poster boys for a new age” with “lyrics about love, heartache, getting pissed and politics”. Currently signed to the independent record label Modern Sky UK (The Blinders, The Slow Readers Club, Spinn) based in Liverpool, they have racked up an eclectic discography that has intrigued a vast amount of avid listeners.
They released their breakthrough bass-heavy singles ‘Goose’ and ‘Skank’ in 2014; the period in which Di Vuono said they truly began to find their sound. After working with producer Gavin Monaghan (JAWS, Editors, The Sherlocks), No Hot Ashes have refined their contemporary 70s and 80s-inspired tracks, full of eccentric melodies and tight funky rhythms.
Their debut EP Skint Kids Disco was released in March 2018, March 2018 and coincided with their huge sell out Manchester Academy 2 show. Gigslutz said of the release “A fitting ode to No Hot Ashes’ ability to be both incredibly cool and shamelessly fun, [it] has the ability to fill any dancefloor”. The title track as well as slower bop ‘Eight Till Late’ also became regular hits on Radio X and BBC Radio 6.
Last month, they released their debut album Hardship Starship, recorded at Liverpool’s Parr Street studios alongside the infamous Chris Taylor (Ian Brown, The Coral, Everything Everything). In this release, funk meets the extraterrestrial as every song is dowsed in space metaphors and references. It features firm fan favourite ‘Bellyaches’ (which was released as a single two years ago yet still manages to pack the same punch) as well as 10 new innovative tracks. Themes vary from scathing political rages (‘Indecision/Intermission’) to a note to their mothers at home during time on the road, shining a light on touring life but encrypting it from the point of view of an astronaut (‘Sick’).
Born Music commented “Taking the leap from odd releases and EPs to that debut full length can be daunting, but No Hot Ashes look to have made this transition seamlessly. […] With enough style and substance to gain serious contemporary indie credibility, the sky truly is the limit.”
RGM agreed, saying “You can’t help but be excited by what No Hot Ashes are doing, and Hardship Starship conveys something quite profound; it’s about looking at the world in the right light, and being optimistic at the same time as being realistic.”
No Hot Ashes have a supported many reputable bands on tour including Spring King, Blossoms and The Amazons, as well as having played major festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Y Not, Neighbourhood and Tramlines. Where their music gives more of a pop feel, their live shows allow for their underlying punk image to come through as their rowdy sets are not ones to be easily forgotten.
Website – nohotashes.bigcartel.com
Facebook – /nohotashesband
Twitter – @nohotashesband