Bio: Newall & the Gang™

2021 Update: Greatest Misses redux, the best of the best of, coming out soon! 

[Updated: Oct., 2017] Newall & the Gang™ is the latest iteration of the Ashley Newall Band, originally formed in 1998 (in Ottawa). We released our “best-of/best-yet” double-album called "Greatest Misses" in 2015, then gigging under the moniker Ashley Newall & the Raging Suburbanites.

We have 4 CD's to our credit (plus the aforementioned "Greatest Misses" double-album, which came out on CasSed™); 2000's Shakespeare In the Park, 2008's In Between, 2010's Ashley Newall LIVE, & 2011's Light the Lamp. 

Newall & the Gang™ are a trio formation, featuring myself -Ashley Newall- on acoustic guitar, Jack MacGregor on drums, & Adam Fogo on "lead bass"(!) & electric viola da gamba. Previous concert venues played include Zaphod Beeblebrox, Irene's Pub, & Bluesfest (in Ottawa), and Clinton's, The Rivoli, & C'est What (in Toronto). Our sound is best described as eclectic, straddling everything from pop-rock to folk to reggae to latin & beyond.

Contact: ashnewall at gmail dot com

[Photos by Remi Theriault for Trackster]

Hey Earthling: The Story Behind the Music Video

Hey Earthling, the video, was filmed by a creative partner in crime, Sylvain Morin. Sylvain & I play his songs ensemble (gigging very occasionally), & he's has helped edit & produce a couple of my previous music videos (Enough's Enough & Nature's House). We started the shoot with a vague idea of what we were going to do, & Sylvain added aspects as we went along to tell a story. He wanted to do more filming, to add an urban aspect to juxtapose against the Nature one, which I didn't think was necessary & couldn't be bothered with. (That yin-yang effect came together elsewise later, in editing.) Hence, the footage sat on two SD cards (from the 2 cams we used) untouched for 8 months. Finally I reviewed the footage, & at long last saved it to my computer; there was clearly enough to make a solid video already existing, & when Sylvain saw it he heartily agreed. We booked time at SAW Video, and the 1st night Ottawa Explosion fest was also taking place at the neighbouring SAW Gallery & in the shared courtyard. Hence there was beer for sale, tons of excitement around, plus several of my concert-going friends stumbling about in various states of intoxication. Technical difficulties ensued at a couple sessions after, for instance with us finalizing the video with no proper speakers (with just 1 set of headphones between us, or perhaps the built-in computer speaker), but we prevailed & are quite happy with our home-made video, which is firmly in our style.

Click here to see the Hey Earthling video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY3k0SWDNSA

Hey Earthling : Ashley Newall

Music & instrumentation by Ashley Newall / Lyrics by Keri Davey
Video by Sylvain Morin
Double-album release of "Ashley Newall: Greatest Misses" Fri., May 29 @ Mavericks! FB event pg: https://www.facebook.com/events/1060423590637887/

Lisa Fowler & The Prowlers @ Heart & Crown (Ottawa): Pics

Ashley Newall & The Raging Suburbanites: "Greatest Misses" Double-Album Release | Feat. The Owl Eyes Project, Braden Folks, & Prett Melberts

On the 20th anniversary of my first official EP (a cassette!) I'm releasing the very best tracks of the last 2 decades! Along for practically the whole ride have been Brendan Allistone, Jack MacGregor & Adam Fogo, and -the 'newest' band member- Neil Gerster joined us in time for our latest EP, 2011's Light The Lamp. It's a (best-of/best-yet, greatest-hits-style) double-album, with album 1 being the actual "Greatest Misses", & album 2 being top notch (& produced) live, demo, & b-side tracks. Two tracks on the release are never-before-heard mixes, three tracks have been re-mastered (or rather, mastered for the 1st time), & one track has never been heard before. (Many, MANY others have never been posted online & hence will be completely new to most.) Then there's the new single, Hey Earthling, for which I'm releasing a music video on Tues., May 12th!

This release show is also planned as a (music-related) product launch, so stay tooned for deets on THAT!

We are absolutely THRILLED to share the bill with our good friends The Owl Eyes Project, Braden Folks, & Prett Melberts (the latter who, coincidentally, just released their own album)!

$10 at-the-door ($9 for students), & pre-show tickets $5 (available @ Vertigo Records -193 Rideau St.- & also directly from the bands).

8pm doors, 19+

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: www.facebook.com/events/1060423590637887/

Danielle Allard: Chameleon CD Release Sat., May 9

I, er, I mean Zee Bongo King, will be playing this show on percush in Danielle's band.

Ashley Newall & The Raging Suburbanites: Recent @ Zaphod's (Planned) & Atomic Rooster (Impromptu)