Ash’s Rick McMurray Launches Burned By Witches Solo Project With “Hold Your Nerve” Single

Ash drummer Rick McMurray‘s has announced that his solo project, Burned By Witches, will release it’s self-titled debut album on the 17th April through streaming platforms, the album can also be pre-ordered on vinyl here. The lead single, Hold Your Nerve, is kinda stoner rock but not really stoned, it’s altogether meatier and beaty and melodic, the album positively drips with heavy riffing, big-boned solos and crunching chords. McMurray also plays every note on every track, this is not like the day job! Burned As Witches started as a way of dealing with the untimely passing of Ash’s long term live agent, friend and rock n roll hellraiser Steve Strange in 2021 and it lands in the briefest of interludes from McMurray’s day job in Ash, who have basically been working non-stop since the release of Race The Night in 2023 and their current Ad Astra album.

“This was one of the last songs written for the album, it just tumbled out of my subconscious and I only figured out what it’s about as we were making the video. It’s about innocence in the face of a corrupt and venal world. Is it better to take the red pill and see the world as it is, when you feel so helpless to change it, or the blue pill and remain blissfully unaware of a world that exploits you? Musically, it’s the bastard child of Iommi and Page, bringing some Led Zep swagger to Sabbath’s doom, which somehow manages to conjure an undercurrent of glam. It started with me just writing some pretty dark riffs after we’d played The Roundhouse on our much postponed anniversary tour. We thought that gig would put the COVID years to bed but it turned into a wake for Strangey. By the time I started putting the music down in demo form, I realised I was writing a tribute record to him. That was too much to take and the demos went on the hard drive where solo projects go to die. But it kept tugging away at me. After a few months and a few tours I had another listen, which brought an epiphany in which I heard the words, ‘It doesn’t have to be about me’. Now, I’m not saying that Strangey spoke to me from beyond the veil or anything, it was probably my subconscious, but, whatever, I realised how proud he would be to have been the inspiration for me. Steve, I miss you and love you, you mad bastard. We all do.” (Rick McMurray)