Ash Soan

Ash Soan
Soan in 2024
Soan in 2024
Background information
GenresPop rock, alternative rock, new wave
OccupationDrummer
Years active1990s–present
Member ofDel Amitri
Formerly ofFaithless, Squeeze, Producers/The Trevor Horn Band

Ashley Soan is a British drummer. He is currently playing with Del Amitri,[1] Snow Patrol[2] and Tori Amos.[3] He has previously played live with Squeeze,[4] The Waterboys,[5] The Trevor Horn Band,[6] Mike Oldfield,[7] Lisa Stansfield and Belinda Carlisle.[8] He has also done sessions with Alicia Keys, Dua Lipa, Cher, Robbie Williams, Adele, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and many more.[9]

Drummer Ash Soan in session at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Early life

Educated at the Grove School In Market Drayton, Shropshire, Ashley Soan started having lessons at an early age with Brian Stone and then with Andy Richards. He studied music at Salford University and then went on to study at Drumtech (now BIMM London & formally Tech Music School) in Fulham, London.

Career

Soan's first break was a short stint with Tom Robinson and then in 1994 joined the band Del Amitri. He toured and recorded as a member of that band and left Del Amitri in 1997, and subsequently joined Faithless, then went on to tour and record with Squeeze, staying with them until their break-up in 1999.

He has done varied session work since, including touring with Will Young, Tom McRae, Lisa Stansfield, Rick Wakeman, Belinda Carlisle, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook (of Squeeze) and recording with CeeLo Green, Adele, Clare Maguire, Will Young, Brian McFadden, Delta Goodrem, Vex Red, Pete Lawrie, the Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow single "Shame", Enrique Iglesias, Ronan Keating, Marianne Faithfull, Natasha Bedingfield, James Morrison (Songs for You, Truths for Me and the single, "Broken Strings"), Will Young (Let It Go), Alesha Dixon, Boyzone, Dua Lipa and Alicia Keys, Eros Ramazzotti.[10]

Soan's drumkit for the Producers at the band's second live show, 7 February 2007

Soan is a member of Producers/The Trevor Horn Band along with Trevor Horn, Steve Lipson and Lol Creme. He continues to work on further projects produced by Horn, including with Robbie Williams on his November 2009 release, Reality Killed the Video Star. He also works with Horn's former Buggles partner Geoff Downes, including on the Downes Braide Association's 2017 album Skyscraper Souls. Soan's most recent recording work includes Cher, Billy Idol, Mark Owen and The Wanted.

As of 2020, Soan is again a member of Del Amitri, having recorded drums for the group's album Fatal Mistakes,[1] which was released on 28 May 2021.[11]

On 30 October 2021, Tori Amos announced that Soan would be joining her on her 2022 tour for her 16th album, Ocean to Ocean.

References

  1. ^ a b "Del Amitri releases new single 'It's Feelings'". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  2. ^ Soan, Ash [@ashsoan] (5 February 2024). "You can see me playing live this summer with @snowpatrol..." Retrieved 30 May 2024 – via Instagram.
  3. ^ "Drummer Ash Soan on why major labels are "killing the golden goose"". headlinermagazine.net. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  4. ^ "THE BIG SQUEEZE REINVENTION TURNS OUT TO BE A DIFFICULT WORD FOR THE BRITISH BAND TO PRONOUNCE". Buffalo News. 19 June 1998. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  5. ^ "MORE MUSICIANS CONFIRMED FOR THE "MR YEATS" WATERBOYS BAND". 27 January 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  6. ^ Ginneke, Ariane van (13 July 2015). "The Trevor Horn Band in Paradiso Amsterdam". .: Maxazine :. (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Ash Soan | Gretsch". www.gretsch.com. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Drummerszone - Ash Soan". Drummerszone.com. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Artist Profile: Ash Soan". Toontrack. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Ash Soan". Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  11. ^ @Delamitri (12 March 2021). "Due to unavoidable issues regarding production relating to the pandemic, Del Amitri's new album 'Fatal Mistakes' has been moved to May 28th 2021" (Tweet) – via Twitter.