Welcome to Ashton Irwin’s Ambitious Second Act

What does a globally in-demand musician do when they finally get some rare time off? For Ashton Irwin, drummer of 5 Seconds of Summer, it meant a return to his roots in Sydney for summer – a much-needed break after relentless touring over the course of five studio albums.

But there’s no rest for the driven (as seen with his bandmates), and Irwin, now 30, wasted no time exploring new creative boundaries outside the band, setting his sights on his next solo release.

“Suddenly I found myself back in [NSW town] Windsor, my hometown, for three and a half months, reconnecting with everyone I’d missed,” he reflects over Zoom from LA. “After the exhaustion of touring, my family reminded me how much of a gift this music career is. It gave me the space to think about what comes next and why.”

Irwin’s debut solo album, Superbloom, went into personal themes like trauma and recovery back in 2020, territory 5SOS hadn’t really explored. “I think that’s the whole point of a solo project, to venture out and explore what resonates with you,” as Irwin told Rolling Stone AU/NZ at the time. 

That spirit is beaten into BLOOD ON THE DRUMS, his ambitious follow-up album with 16 tracks of introspection, propulsive pop-rock, and, of course, those signature thunderous drums. 

“Superbloom was about accepting the times, the pandemic, and learning to engineer and mix a record from home – that was a really crazy process,” he reflects. “With BLOOD ON THE DRUMS, I wanted the vocals to be beautifully recorded and the drums to be massive. I also really wanted to explore the contemporary side of my songwriting, where I feel most at home.

“I learned from producer Andrew Watt, who I worked with a few times in 5SOS, and also John [Feldmann], to create as much as you can in a short time. It pushed me to get every song I dreamed of on this record.” 

Irwin’s visceral album title comes from countless gigs where his hands literally bled from beating the drums. “I’m beating the shit out of those drums,” he laughs. “It’s a message of resilience – to keep pushing and show my growth to listeners, both mine and the band’s.” 

Credit: Ryan Fleming

Sonically, Irwin takes cues from arena-rock legends like The Who and T. Rex, and the moody rock vibes of ’80s bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, INXS, Blondie, and Aussie alternative rockers The Church.

“I really love these old school, saturated sonics,” he says. “I’m also a fan of lead vocalists from bands like Foreigner. I think that kind of classic arena rock can stand up in a contemporary setting.”

While BLOOD ON THE DRUMS is more about outward expression than Superbloom, it still holds onto the intimacy and honesty of his debut. Spending time back in Sydney gave Irwin a chance to reflect on the past decade, the people he’s been apart from, and his personal battles, especially with addiction.

He highlights “The Canyon” as a standout track, a lush, driving tune with vocals recorded on tape that touches on the heavy topic of suicide, wrapped in deceptively sunny melodies.

“Growing up without a father made me question the man I’d become and whether I could break free from addiction chains and all these kinds of things,” he shares. “It speaks about passing through a valley of depression, coming out the other side with self-understanding and feeling enlightenment to some extent on who I am and mastering who I’m becoming as a person.”   

Reflecting on his growth since Superbloom, Irwin says, “I felt like the only way for me to warrant solo music was to write about something that was real to me. I wasn’t really obsessed with trying to have a hit song or anything.

“I just wanted an important song. Something that somebody could relate to, about inner strength, resilience, and rewiring the way you speak to yourself to survive.

“The power of a great song can really outlast your life and that’s such a thrill as a songwriter. At the end of the day it’s a reward for getting to know your deepest self. The general thought is, if I feel this way, I’m sure others do.” 

“I feel like I’m getting let out of my cave,” he chuckles. “It’s exciting to play drums but also get the chance to become a frontman, sing and play guitar. Obviously, I have experience on stage as a drummer for 14 years, but being alone without the band is daunting – it’s like skydiving.

“The band gives us confidence as a group. Together, we feel unstoppable. But alone, am I still unstoppable? I’m going to leap into that show and see what I can do.” 

“Sometimes, the best influence is not to be influenced by each other when it comes to solo work,” he muses. “It’s almost like seeing how much you can evolve while you’re away and what bag of tricks can you bring back to the band process next time. 

“We really look up to bands like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles – legends with both band and solo careers that fans can latch onto and enjoy.”

Feeling energized after two solo albums, Irwin is keen to push the limits of his solo work. “At this stage, I haven’t fully explored the full potential of my solo work. So there’s just a bit of wind in my sails.” 

Though LA has been home for a while now, Irwin’s heart is still with 5SOS’s Sydney roots. He’s planning to return to Australia part-time to reconnect with his roots and start a fresh chapter.

“I’m from a culture out west of Sydney where guys pick up an acoustic guitar and just blow your mind with vocal and acoustic storytelling. It’s pretty bare bones,” he says.

“Before joining 5 Seconds of Summer as a kid, I performed anywhere – outside Target at Westfield, Italian restaurants, pubs – playing acoustic songs. As much as I love big pop-rock shows, I want to reconnect with that more sensitive showmanship. That’s what really resonates with me.”

Ashton Irwin’s BLOOD ON THE DRUMS is out now via BMG.