Cork-based post-punk trio Ash Red have released their debut album “The Foreign Game” via Blowtorch Records now.
Following the success of their STUPID EP, which charted on the UK Alternative Albums Charts, Ash Red continue to evolve their signature dark, bass-heavy post-punk sound with this full-length debut.
Singles such as ‘DB Cooper’ and ‘Friends?’ have garnered significant traction on Spotify and other streaming platforms, signalling the arrival of a bold, confident full-length statement. The Foreign Game captures Ash Red at a peak of creative evolution, blending jagged post- punk riffs, brooding atmospherics, and expansive sonic textures. The album features “Albini-esque” production, emphasising raw, live energy while allowing dynamic variation between heavy and light moments—seen on tracks like the intense ‘Island’s Edge’ and the more delicate ‘Alone Again’.
The albums closer and title track exemplifies the band’s central approach, exploring themain themes of the album: what it means to be an outsider: the exile, isolated and lost.
Using football as its frame, the album title draws on the history of ‘Rule 27’, whichGAA used to forbid its members from playing so-called ‘foreign games’ until 1971.
The band themselves use this as an analogy for the ‘Importance of being yourself’ Since forming in 2019, Arthur Murray (guitar/vocals), Tadhg O’Keeffe (bass/backing vocals), and Isaac Walsh (drums) have built a devoted following through relentless live performances across Ireland, including headline shows at The Workman’s Club (Dublin), as well as supporting major acts such as Public Image Limited.