Ash announce 'BBC Sessions 1994-1999' Record Store Day exclusive

Ash have announced the news that they will release an exclusive Record Store Day vinyl, titled BBC Sessions 1994-1999.

With the last year enforcing the band's first serious downtime, it enabled them to find the time to trawl the archive to put together a RSD release with some real value, something that shines a light on their early development. This collection promises to highlight how they grew up in public, from Northern Irish underground garage band, through the years of mad fame following their number 1 debut album, to the expansion of the line up and sound with the introduction of guitar legend Charlotte Hatherley.

Some of the tracks are being made available for the first time since they were broadcast 25 years ago, and include the voice of the late great John Peel introducing them for the PEEL Acres session in April, 1999.

"Ash have been big fans of RSD for years," the band wrote in a press statement. "The event captures the excitement and buzz we all felt as kids, trawling independent record stores for our favourite releases that were our teenage lifeblood.

"It’s also a huge deal for us to make our RSD debut with a BBC sessions record. Sharing of Nirvana’s legendary session appearances via cassette recordings of Peel’s show were a massive influence on us in the early days. Hearing their already stripped down aesthetic pared down to the absolute core was so special as was their inspired choices of covers. It’s such an honour to be able to reveal this side of Ash on vinyl for the first time, still following in our heroes footsteps all these years later!”

The numbered release is limited to 1000 copies on a bright pink vinyl. It follows their compilation “Teenage Wildlife - 25 Years of Ash” which reached #1 on both the UK's and Ireland's Official Independent Albums Chart in February 2020.