Manchester’s Ashley Sherlock set to release highly anticipated debut album “Just A Name” on Ruf Records

April 12, 2023 rocknews

Manchester is known for producing great bands, and Ashley Sherlock’s debut album “Just A Name” is the latest in a long line of musical offerings from the city. Available to pre-order from https://orcd.co/jr5yo10, the album will be released by Ruf Records on Friday 16 June. Fans can listen to the first single from the album, “Realise,” on Wednesday 12 April and watch the official music video here.

Ashley and his blues-rock power trio have already played at iconic venues and pricked up influential ears. The band’s members are Ashley Sherlock, Charlie Rachael Kay on bass and Danny Rigg on drums. They started performing together four years ago when Ashley was persuaded by a promoter to put together a band for one show, and they’ve been together ever since.

Ashley is no stranger to the UK live circuit. In the past 12 months, he has supported Kris Barras Band, The Quireboys and Laurence Jones. He has released two acclaimed EPs, “Ashley Sherlock” in 2019 and “If You’re Listening” in 2021. In 2022, he was nominated for UK Blues Federation’s Young Blues Artist of the Year.

Louder Than War praised Ashley’s music by saying, “Ashley’s music will put a big stupid grin on your face,” while Get Ready to Rock professed, “his music will leave you wanting more.”

The new album showcases twelve classic songs and will be performed on Ruf Records’ Blues Caravan Tour 2023, as well as Ashley’s own shows throughout the rest of the year. Tickets are available from www.ashleysherlock.com/tour.

The album was recorded in Manchester’s Hallam Mill in the dead of winter, and Ashley and his bandmates spent four solid days recording the album mostly live for ten hours a day. The whole recording process was a real learning experience, and Ashley said it brought the band closer together.

Blues might be a centuries-old genre, but Ashley’s influences from Guns N’ Roses, The Cadillac Three, Dire Straits, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Jeff Buckley have given the songs on “Just A Name” a modern twist. Each song makes its own distinct mark, and it’s hard to choose a favorite.

The album’s opening track “Trouble” is a sweet and sour rocker, announcing both Ashley’s gravity-defying falsetto and a guitar touch that builds storm cloud riffs towards a fret flaying solo. The raw jangle of “Realise” is edgy and urgent, while “Goodbye To You” embodies stabbed chords and sudden silences that invite plenty of drama.

When Ashley slows things down, the music’s just as powerful. He demonstrates this on “I Think She Knows,” which is rueful and reflective. “Our Love” is delicate as angel hair, worthy of comparison to Jeff Buckley’s “Grace.” Rolling with a rhythm that feels like a Wild West covered wagon, “Time” isn’t quite like anything else on the radio. “Empty Street” starts as an intimate moment, the singer-songwriter singing in our ear, before building to a soaring chorus that could rock the mainstream.

Overall, Ashley’s debut album “Just A Name” is an honest representation of their live sound, and the sense of melody has grown since his EPs. The songs twist and turn with a salute to soul, pop, hard rock, and more, and Ashley has created an album that is a must-listen for fans of blues-rock.

Album Track Listing

1. Trouble (4:47)
2. I Think She Knows (3:45)
3. Realise (2:24)
4. Empty Street (3:10)
5. Time (5:02)
6. Our Love (3:01)
7. Goodbye To You (3:30)
8. Dear Elizabeth (3:53)
9. Something’s Got To Give (2:48)
10. Last Call (3:29)
11. What If I Said To You (2:57)
12. Backstage Wall (3:33)

Ashley Sherlock – 2023 Tour Dates
Tickets Available from
www.ashleysherlock.com/tour

13/04/23 – Norderstedt, Blueswerk*
14/04/23 – Worpswede, Musichall*
15/04/23 – Forst, Manitu*
16/04/23 – Lichtentanne, Kulturzentrum St. Barbara*
18/04/23 – München, Backstage Kulturzentrum*
19/04/23 – Lindewerra, Gemeindesaal*
20/04/23 – Menen, CC de Stijger*
21/04/23 – Koblenz, Café Hahn*
22/04/23 – Luxembourg, Sang & Klang*
25/04/23 – Stuttgart, Merlin*
26/04/23 – Karlsruhe, Jubez*
27/04/23 – Kassel, Theaterstübchen*
28/04/23 – Offenburg, Reithalle*
29/04/23 – Isernhagen – Hannover, Blues Garage*
30/04/23 – Twist, Heimathaus*
01/05/23 – Weinheim, Muddy’s Club*
03/05/23 – Bonn, Harmonie*
04/05/23 – Oberhausen, Zentrum Altenberg*
05/05/23 – Ospel, Moulin Blues*
06/05/23 – Cleon, La Traverse*
07/05/23 – Dortmund, Musiktheater Piano*
09/05/23 – Vienna, Reigen*
10/05/23 – Rimsting, Blues Club Chiemgau*
11/05/23 – Eppstein, Wunderbar Weite Welt*
12/05/23 – Rheine, Hypothalamus*
13/05/23 – Lebus, Kulturhaus*

*Blues Caravan 2023 Spring Tour