It’s fair to say that when 2020 began, no one – especially not the artist himself – expected that we would be witnessing the launch of a solo career from Ashton Irwin. Having risen to fame as a member of Sydney outfit 5 Seconds of Summer, most fans would have likely expected that this year would be focused solely on the touring and celebration of the band’s chart-topping fourth album, with CALM arriving back in March.
Of course, no one expected a global pandemic, either. With lockdowns in place, and time on his hands, Irwin quickly found himself teaming up with his producer housemate Matt Pauling, with the pair buckling down on his solo debut.
In September, Irwin emerged from lockdown with the news that his first solo record would be released in just under a month. Titled Superbloom, the ten-track album was teased by the release of his first single, “Skinny Skinny”, with the likes of “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?” and “SCAR” following soon after.
Something of a departure from the usual sound explored with 5 Seconds of Summer, Superbloom provided Irwin with a unique platform, one which allowed him to showcase his musical influences – ranging from the likes of Foo Fighters, My Bloody Valentine, Helmet, and more – and one which saw him able to explore the vast array of topics he wished to face from a lyrical point of view.
“The over-arching narrative is support system, healing, recovery, strength and focus on true self. I felt like I had a lot to write about,” he explained at the time.
“I had to reach a certain level of lyrical maturity in order to write about something I actually cared about. I think it’s always important as an artist to have a mission statement, like, ‘why do you make music? Why do you write the lyrics you write?’”
With Superbloom out today, Irwin spoke to Rolling Stone in anticipation of its release to discuss how it all came to be, how it allowed him to showcase his true musical self, and what the future might hold for his solo work.
Firstly, congratulations on the record, it’s an absolutely amazing album and something you must be feeling really proud of?
The way I feel today is really positive. I’m really happy with the conversations that I’ve been having about Superbloom. I think, conceptually, it’s really aligned with who I am as a being and a person, so I feel like I can really converse and deliver the definition of the songs and the motives behind making the music. So, I’m feeling good about everything today.
Before I get deep into the record, I guess I should kick off with the standard question – how have you been dealing with everything in the world?
Yeah, y’know, I’m…. I’ve kind of been, in terms of my purpose in my little world with my friends and the conversations that I have with the people that are in my everyday life, we’ve kind of abolished the phrase “when everything goes back to normal”. We’re kind of agreeing with each other that we have to be positive, we have to remain creative, we have to come up with creative solutions because that is our job in this society as artists. We have to think outside of the box, and that box, and outside that box, and et cetera, and we have to keep maintaining and persevering to create things in whatever environment we’re given.
So my life has changed a lot, and I’ve been dealing with – pretty much – only positive experiences, because we’ve actively chosen that lane. But also, side-note and sidebar, I’ve been given the most marvellous resources and I’ve cultivated the most marvellous team that I work with here in LA over the last ten years, and I’m so blessed to have an audience that has allowed me… I’ve been in a successful pop band for nine years, and I’m just so stoked to be able to have the resources to make an album at home in the first place. So that’s where I’m at.
I’m just so lucky to be able to be busy, able to make a whole record at home with my best mate, and able to make a record that sounds fantastic here at home, and not many people have that ability. So y’know, I’m just thankful in general.
Of course, no one expected a global pandemic, either. With lockdowns in place, and time on his hands, Irwin quickly found himself teaming up with his producer housemate Matt Pauling, with the pair buckling down on his solo debut.
In September, Irwin emerged from lockdown with the news that his first solo record would be released in just under a month. Titled Superbloom, the ten-track album was teased by the release of his first single, “Skinny Skinny”, with the likes of “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?” and “SCAR” following soon after.
Something of a departure from the usual sound explored with 5 Seconds of Summer, Superbloom provided Irwin with a unique platform, one which allowed him to showcase his musical influences – ranging from the likes of Foo Fighters, My Bloody Valentine, Helmet, and more – and one which saw him able to explore the vast array of topics he wished to face from a lyrical point of view.
“The over-arching narrative is support system, healing, recovery, strength and focus on true self. I felt like I had a lot to write about,” he explained at the time.
“I had to reach a certain level of lyrical maturity in order to write about something I actually cared about. I think it’s always important as an artist to have a mission statement, like, ‘why do you make music? Why do you write the lyrics you write?’”
With Superbloom out today, Irwin spoke to Rolling Stone in anticipation of its release to discuss how it all came to be, how it allowed him to showcase his true musical self, and what the future might hold for his solo work.
Firstly, congratulations on the record, it’s an absolutely amazing album and something you must be feeling really proud of?
The way I feel today is really positive. I’m really happy with the conversations that I’ve been having about Superbloom. I think, conceptually, it’s really aligned with who I am as a being and a person, so I feel like I can really converse and deliver the definition of the songs and the motives behind making the music. So, I’m feeling good about everything today.
Before I get deep into the record, I guess I should kick off with the standard question – how have you been dealing with everything in the world?
Yeah, y’know, I’m…. I’ve kind of been, in terms of my purpose in my little world with my friends and the conversations that I have with the people that are in my everyday life, we’ve kind of abolished the phrase “when everything goes back to normal”. We’re kind of agreeing with each other that we have to be positive, we have to remain creative, we have to come up with creative solutions because that is our job in this society as artists. We have to think outside of the box, and that box, and outside that box, and et cetera, and we have to keep maintaining and persevering to create things in whatever environment we’re given.
So my life has changed a lot, and I’ve been dealing with – pretty much – only positive experiences, because we’ve actively chosen that lane. But also, side-note and sidebar, I’ve been given the most marvellous resources and I’ve cultivated the most marvellous team that I work with here in LA over the last ten years, and I’m so blessed to have an audience that has allowed me… I’ve been in a successful pop band for nine years, and I’m just so stoked to be able to have the resources to make an album at home in the first place. So that’s where I’m at.
I’m just so lucky to be able to be busy, able to make a whole record at home with my best mate, and able to make a record that sounds fantastic here at home, and not many people have that ability. So y’know, I’m just thankful in general.
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