Cork trio Ash Red release STUPID EP ahead of their debut album
Richard Blowes- May 9
- 2 min read
Ash Red's STUPID EP contains previous releases and some new tracks which tease a different style for their debut album later this year.
Track: STUPID EP
Band: Ash Red
Released: May 9 2025
Blowtorch Records have been working with Ash Red since they released the brilliant Stupid Song in 2021. Along with Downtown, it has been re-recorded for the STUPID EP but still has the standout melodic simplicity and starkness which is what attracted our attention originally.
Downtown is the first song Ash Red wrote and as we noted in our review when it was originally released "It also pulls off the neat trick of combining a rock vibe (think Rory Gallagher), a revered 90s sound (Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine) and a claustrophobic post punk density."
Having built a reputation for their intoxicating indie-alt-rock sound, Ash Red's new STUPID EP captures the band at a creative crossroads - bridging their early raw energy with a more expansive, brooding sound teasing the sonic approach that stylises their upcoming debut album out later this year.
Recorded (in Cork's Claycastle Studios) to capture the band’s raw energy and live feel, the EP embraces a tastefully loose production style that lets their natural sound and unfiltered approach shine through. On tracks like The Stupid Song biting guitar tones, boxy drums, and a grounding bassline evoke the spirit of Joy Division and The Buzzcocks, layered with a '90s alt-rock edge beneath jagged, urgent vocals. Swirling reverbs add an atmospheric dimension, blending post-punk, indie rock and shoegaze into a vivid, evocative soundscape.
In contrast, tracks like Before take a more stripped-back approach, starting with a subdued acoustic arrangement that gradually builds into elegantly placed, expressive guitar lines.
Talking about the new release, the band explain: “The EP captures a raw and direct snapshot of a band in transition - bridging the gap between our earlier sound and what’s to come on the full length album.”
Since their formation in 2019, Ash Red - Arthur Murray (guitar/vocals), Tadhg O’Keeffe (bass/backing vocals), and Isaac Walsh (drums) have carved out a devoted fanbase with their dark, bass-heavy post-punk inspired by Joy Division, The Cure, and a stark Irish sensibility all their own. With over 70 shows in Cork alone, appearances in every major Irish city, and headline performances at The Workman’s Club (Dublin) and Voodoo (Belfast), Ash Red have become a vital part of Ireland’s underground music circuit. Having built support across RTE and Hot Press among other major Irish outlets.
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