Rick McMurray, best known as the drummer for seminal Northern Irish rock band Ash, has today released the first material from his new side project, Burned As Witches. The project, which McMurray has been developing over the past few years, was born out of a deeply personal moment following the loss of a close friend in 2021. In his own words, “today is the day I’m bringing it kicking and screaming into the daylight.”
The debut track, ‘Hold Your Nerve’, is now available on all major streaming platforms here. Fans can also look forward to the first Burned As Witches album, set to release via Fierce Panda and Earblind Records on 17th April 2026. Pre-orders for vinyl and exclusive merchandise, including t-shirts, are available here.
In addition, McMurray has announced that there will be some live shows leading up to the album release, with tickets available here.
Reflecting on the release, McMurray shared:
“This feels quite surreal to have this thing I’ve lived with for so long to suddenly be out in the wild. I’ll tell you the story behind the whole thing another time. For now I’m just trying to get my head around this being real…”
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