Rock act Ash embraces singles-only deal

By Mark Sutherland

LONDON (Billboard) - Northern Irish rock group Ash is predicting the imminent demise of the album format as it switches to a singles-only release schedule for its next deal. And other acts may soon follow the band's lead.

"Weird things are happening with the album," Ash frontman Tim Wheeler says. "People are giving them away at live shows or as free gifts with newspapers. It's time to try something different."

Ash has a reputation as a singles act, having scored 17 top 40 U.K. hits since 1995. It has also enjoyed five consecutive top 10 albums, two of them No. 1s. Despite regular touring, Ash has struggled for U.S. success, with career sales of slightly more than 170,000 albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The band releases its fifth full-length album, "Twilight of the Innocents," July 2 on Infectious Records via Warner in the United Kingdom, with a U.S. release scheduled for early 2008.

It's the final album in the current deal, and band manager Stephen Taverner says the next contract will be structured around delivery of a set number of tracks during a defined period of time. Releases will be scheduled year-round, with the band's official Web site playing a crucial role in marketing directly to the fan base.

"It's going to be a full-time job," Taverner says. "But there won't be the intense pressure you get with a traditional album release. The label will be able to spread the cost -- and the risk."

Once sufficient singles -- likely to be available on 7-inch vinyl as well as downloads -- have been issued, a compilation CD will be released.

The pioneering deal is believed to be the first of its kind for an established artist, although Wheeler is convinced it won't be the last. Radiohead, which is currently without a deal, is on record as saying it wants to get away from the restrictions of the album format, but has yet to decide how its new material will be released. Media reports that dance act Faithless is about to embrace a similar business model have been denied by the band's U.K. publicist.