Just over a week from the launch of his solo career, 5 Seconds of Summer co-founder Ashton Irwin has returned with his second single, “Have U Found What Ur Looking For”.
The track follows on from the release of “Skinny Skinny”, and is set to serve as one of the tracks on Irwin’s upcoming debut album, Superbloom, which is slated to release on October 23rd.
“We wrote the song in an hour and it inspired my mission statement for my whole year,” Irwin explains of the new single.
“We were like, ‘oh my God, we could actually make a record in quarantine’. It made us chase it down like a pack of wolves. With its mix of heavy guitars, dreamy soundscapes, indelible hook and lyrics about finding your way out of the abyss, it set a template for the record both sonically and thematically. It has a positive uplifting tone but it’s also about being in a fog of depression.”
Working at his Los Angeles home with producer housemate Matt Pauling, “Have U Found What Ur Looking For” is described as the impetus of the Superbloom project, with its foggy mental origins soon giving rise to a full-length project which is set to arrive in just a matter of weeks.
Discussing the new record upon its announcement, Irwin explained that while he felt a solo album would always eventuate, the possibility gave him a chance to showcase the influences of his favourite artists while also speaking about topics close to his heart, including discussions around his own childhood, alcoholism, depression, death, addiction, despair, and hope.
“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 explains.
“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?’”
Ashton Irwin’s “Have U Found What Ur Looking For” is out now, while his debut album, Superbloom, will be released on October 23rd via EMI Music Australia, with pre-orders available now.
