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Daniel Gaston Ash (born 31 July 1957) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. Daniel Ash was born from a French mother and English father. He was born in England and spent his childhood in Northampton. He became prominent in the late 1970s as the guitarist for the goth rock band Bauhaus, which spawned two related bands led by Ash: Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets and more recently Ashes and Diamonds. He also reunited with bandmate Kevin Haskins to form Poptone, a retrospective of their respective careers, featuring Kevin's daughter Diva Dompe on bass. He has also recorded several solo albums. Several guitarists have listed Ash as an influence, including Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction, Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Hide of X Japan
and John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
That song, released in 1979, became one of the most influential songs in gothic rock music, even though they saw themselves as a "dark glam" band and have always distanced themselves from the gothic label. From early on, he was intent on sounding original, and often tried to "make the guitar not sound like a guitar". He worked to develop a guitar style that included other-worldly and atmospheric sounds. In an interview with John Robb, he said that he first bought an EBow in 1981. He typically has used a Telecaster guitar, HH amplifiers and Marshall 4x12 cabinets for his stage gear. Later in his career, he relied heavily on the Fernandes Sustainer system to achieve sounds similar to the EBow.
After nearly five years of recording and performing, Bauhaus broke up and Ash put together Tones on Tail with Bauhaus drummer Kevin Haskins. As Ash described them: "We were a motley crew of individuals who essentially wanted to sound like a band from Venus or Mars!" In 1984, Tones on Tail was disbanded; Ash founded Love and Rockets in 1985 with Haskins and David J, also of Bauhaus. In an interview in June 2009, Ash emphatically stated that he had no further plans to play with Love and Rockets.
Ash has stated that guitar solos do not interest him much, since they rely on a musician's ego. He cares much more for the craft of songwriting and the overall production of a song rather than a focus on guitar or any other single instrument. During the last ten years, he has been experimenting more with electronic music, both with Love and Rockets and solo, limiting the use of guitar as an extra element to the songs. In an extensive interview by Visual Music Japan (VMJ) with Mandah Frénot, Ash said:
" Shredding is all testosterone and ego (laughs) — just too academic. It becomes this exercise in cramming as many notes as possible into three seconds. It’s like ego-wanking, really. No soul, no feeling ... It leaves me absolutely cold ... By the time I picked up a guitar, it felt like everything had already been done — and done better than I could do it. I mean, I loved Jimi Hendrix, but what’s the point in trying to compete with someone who was already a master? I just didn’t see any originality in copying that kind of playing. Also — and I’ve said this before — I was probably a bit lazy. I didn’t have the discipline or the interest to learn scales or technique in that academic way. That route just didn’t appeal to me. So, I went the experimental path because it felt more creative and more authentic to who I was. I never even considered doing it the normal way — I was just following what felt interesting to me."In 1994, Ash moved to LA, America for the motorcycle culture – one of his passion. Ash said:
" I’ve loved bikes ever since I was about twelve. My dad had Lambretta scooters, and I’d sneak out on those around the neighborhood. The day I was legally old enough to ride a motorcycle, I was on one. From about 16 or 17, I’ve always had a bike on the road. Living near the mountains now means I can get out of the city every day if I want. I really appreciate that solitude more and more as I grow older. Riding has been part of my life since I was twelve years old. It’s more than a hobby — it’s how I stay mentally balanced. I never go for a walk, I don’t swim, I don’t do yoga, I don’t meditate — I ride bikes. Every day, if I can. It’s the one thing that resets me. If I’m feeling low, anxious, depressed, or just scattered, a long ride puts me right again. Some people might find peace in nature or through exercise."
In 2008, Bauhaus released Go Away White, (their first studio album in 25 years) which was followed by a world tour.
Love and Rockets played at Coachella Music and Arts Festival and Lollapalooza in 2008.
In June 2009, Ash released a cover of the David Essex song "Rock On", featuring singer Zak Ambrose on vocals. Recorded at the Swing House rehearsal and recording complex in Hollywood, the track is on the Swing House Sessions Vol 1 EP. Later in 2009, Ash released a four-song EP exclusively through iTunes, entitled "It's A Burn Out".
In March 2017, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins and Haskin's daughter Diva Dompé announced Poptone and a US tour, featuring songs by Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets and Bauhaus.
In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, Ash created a new band, Ashes and Diamonds, comprising Paul Denman on bass, formerly of Sade, and Bruce Smith the former drummer with The Pop Group, Rip Rig + Panic and Public Image Ltd.
Ash joined Jane's Addiction on stage at Madison Square Garden in 2022 to perform Jane's Addiction's "Jane Says" and "Slice of Life" by Bauhaus.
Love and Rockets reunited in 2023 for a short reunion tour of the United States between May and June 2023, making their first performance since 2008 at Pasadena's annual Cruel World Festival at the Rose Bowl.
Ash reunited with Kevin Haskins and Diva Dompe under the Tones on Tail moniker at Cruel World in May 2024.
Ashes and Diamonds had begun to record in 2020 but due to the pandemic, the release was postponed. Ashes and Diamonds are set to release their debut album, Ashes and Diamonds are Forever in October 2025 via Cleopatra Records.
| 1990 | Coming Down
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| 1992 | Foolish Thing Desire
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| 2002 | Daniel Ash
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| 2005 | Come Alive
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| 2014 | Stripped
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| 2017 | Freedom I Love |
| 1990 | "This Love"
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| 1991 | "Walk This Way"
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| 1992 | "Get Out of Control"
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| 1993 | "Here She Comes"
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| 2000 | Daniel Ash EP
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| 2000 | "Burning Man"
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| 2001 | "Spooky"
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| 2002 | Burning Man x6 + 1
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| 2009 | "Rock On (Dirty Queen)"
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| 2009 | It's A Burn Out EP
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| 2010 | The Soldiers of Everyday
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| 2011 | The Push
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| 2011 | That's What She Said
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| 2013 | Anthology
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