ASH carved their niche in rock history last year with the A-Z Series, a run of fortnightly singles spread through the year, 26 very diverse songs in all, that left the Northern Irishmen exhilarated but exhausted.

The three-piece from Downpatrick, County Down, are back on the road once more, playing The Duchess in York tonight, a year after they appeared there midway through the marathon release schedule.

“I think it was a great project; at the end of it I was quite exhausted but the whole thing that made it interesting was to push ourselves,” says lead singer Tim Wheeler.

“What I learned is that people like us for lots of different reasons, because you now get such instant feedback on Facebook and Twitter.

“Whenever there was a straight-ahead rock track, that got a good reaction but when we pursued more challenging directions, the songs took longer to lodge a reaction, but some of the best stuff always takes a while to get used to.”

Since last year’s spurt of songs, Ash have taken a complete break from song-writing. “But I’ve been doing some work on a soundtrack, for a film called Ashes actually!” reveals Tim. “It’s a thriller; Ray Winstone is in it and he’s really amazing because he’s playing a typical geezer but with Alzheimer’s. His acting is incredible.”

Tim had been introduced to the director, Mat Whitecross, by Coldplay, for whom Mat had directed promo videos (as well as making the Ian Dury biopic, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll). The resulting soundtrack has been recorded by Tim and film music composer Ilan Eshkeri.

“I’ve known Ilan for a few years through friends. He did the soundtracks for Stardust and The Young Victoria so he’s really up and coming, and I’ve been trying to work with him for ages,” says Tim.

“We actually pitched together for Twilight though obviously we didn’t get that, but I got talking to Mat about his film; my dad passed away from Alzheimer’s at the start of the year and I said I’d love to do the film and he said that Ilan was already on board, ‘so why don’t you come on board too?’. “We’ve just started working together in London and I’ll be there for most of the summer.”

How does writing a soundtrack contrast with Ash’s music?

“It has to be tense and moody. Normally I write on keyboards and guitar but this time it will be guitar and strings, so I’ll be writing string parts, with me coming up with the melodies and Ilan will do so too and then he’ll pull it into shape.”

Tonight, meanwhile, Ash will combine hits with selections from the A-Z series, including an extended, eight-minute version of Return Of White Rabbit and maybe the ten-minute instrumental, Sky Burial. “That track really needs two guitarists and we’ve got Russell Lissack from Bloc Party playing second guitar for us this summer,” says Tim. “It sounds fantastic.”

• Ash play The Duchess, York, tonight, supported by Mabel Love. Doors open at 7.30pm; tickets are still available on 0844 4771000.