Ashes and Diamonds are Worth the Wait

Originally the trio of Bruce Smith (Public Image Ltd, The Pop Group), Daniel Ash (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, Tones on Tail), and Paul Spencer Denman (Sade, Sweetback) started playing together in 2019, but then the pandemic happened. Back in August, they released their first single, "On A Rocka".

They will release their debut album, Ashes and Diamonds are Forever on October 31st, 2025 (Cleopatra Records). Don't expect to wait seven years for a follow up.

SYL: Because of the pandemic, this album took about seven years to make, how does it feel now that the album is about to see the light of day?

Paul Spencer Denman: I'm excited to hear what people think. Although we all have massive histories TBH this is really a new band with a new sound so we are starting from the ground up. We actually got together for the first time in 2019 so yeah been a looooong old time to get this out there. We all have what I like to call ‘Day Jobs” and they did get in the way a bit. Everything has a time and a place. This is our time and this is our place.

Bruce Smith: The time spent making art is unimportant. Seven years or seven mins whatever, if it's good it's good!

SYL: The new album is coming out on Halloween. Why did you pick that date specifically and do you have anything planned for release day?

Paul Spencer Denman: I love Halloween. I would have liked to do shows around the release but for several reasons that hasn’t been possible.

Bruce Smith: The label chose that date. Daniel will be doing trick or treat on his motorcycle!

SYL: The musical chemistry between the three of you came together pretty quickly, did that realization come during one of the songs on the album or was it just jamming in general?

Paul Spencer Denman: I was really positive about us gelling. I'd played with Bruce in Sweetback in 1997 and loved what he did so I was always looking for an opportunity to play with him again. I auditioned for a band Daniel was putting together but didn’t get the job but I was impressed with Daniel, who I'd known for a long time. Obviously a startling talent but I just thought Daniel had a bit more gas in his tank than he has been able to express. I told my wife about my epic fail at the audition and she suggested that I ask Daniel to get together with me and Bruce…..so I set about making that happen. It was a great idea all I had to do was put it together.

Bruce Smith: We found it quite easy to play and write together from the first day we were in a rehearsal studio. We have a lot of shared musical background.

SYL: Because the 3 of you have played in bands that have very different styles of music (PiL, Sade, Love and Rockets, etc), was it surprising that things jelled as quickly as they did?

Paul Spencer Denman: I wasn’t surprised initially. But I was surprised at how good it got, no one could have predicted it. I think Bruce and Daniel really stepped up. They are both incredible musicians, who manage to navigate without being “muso." When me and Bruce give a track to Daniel the only thing that’s for sure is what he will give us back will be a surprise.

Bruce Smith: We have a shared history that begins with Glamrock when we were teenagers in the UK! And reggae. That’s a big one too.

SYL: How much did the songs evolve over these 7 years? Was there a song that required more tinkering than others? Do you have a favorite song from the album?

Paul Spencer Denman: We were really happy with the way the songs were sounding when we worked with a different engineer so we made the decision to re-record everything . We used Johnny Depp's place in LA and re-recorded the 12 songs in 10 days. It was hard work and a lotta fun, old school. We had to stick to a deadline which I haven't done since the 80s. Re-recording the songs again gave us a chance to review what we had done. Daniel got to really play around with the songs. Bruce played live drums, I just did what I do and it was a blast kinda old school. It took me back to a different period in my life….I loved it. In effect we really made two albums. 

Bruce Smith: Yes they did evolve. Mostly when we were in the studio with Robert. "ON" is my favorite, it's so dark and deep.

SYL: Why did you decide to record with Producer Robert Adam Stevenson (QOTSA, The Kills, Jane’s Addiction)? Have any of you worked with him before?

Paul Spencer Denman: We were introduced to Robert through our management team. I liked him immediately and he totally got the three of us as people. We talked the same talk and he laughed at our jokes! Always a good sign and we all felt incredibly relaxed with him. He is a massive talent.

Bruce Smith: He was introduced by our management team as they just finished working on Jane's Addiction with him. Robert is very good. It was very rewarding. We recorded everything in a week.

SYL: What is next for Ashes and Diamonds? Do you plan to tour?  

Paul Spencer Denman: I'd like to play some festivals and some one-off special shows but we don’t have anything planned at the moment. I'm working on getting us on the next Lady GaGA tour…not a joke! I think she's fuckin fantastic.

Bruce Smith: I hope so! Let's see how the album does.

SYL: Are you ready to work on the next Ashes and Diamonds release?

Paul Spencer Denman: I came up with the title of the album and its self explanatory. I want this to last forever.

Bruce Smith: It's already in process...