Ash: Keeping the fire alive

From teen idols to flops and back again, Ash have always been willing to adapt to the ever-changing music biz, writes Ed Power

THE past few years have been rough for Ash’s Tim Wheeler. In January 2011, his father passed away after a long, debilitating battle with Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, the popularity of his band has ebbed and flowed as they struggled to step outside the shadow of the glorious first phase of their career, and teenage hits such as ‘Girl From Mars’ and ‘Goldfinger’.