Ashes

About This Song

Growing up is hard. Dissecting those universal feelings and turning them into art is much harder, but that’s exactly what The Great Emu War Casualties have achieved on their debut album ‘Public Sweetheart No.1’, featuring lead track 'Ashes'. ‘Public Sweetheart No.1’ reflects on personal missteps, relationships, and the search for clarity amid chaos. Blunt, reflective and at times wryly self-aware, the album frames these reckonings through punchy, guitar-driven songwriting and sharp lyricism, presenting an honest self-examination that balances remorse, humour, and a determination to confront the past. Speaking on the album, Joe Jackson shares: "‘Public Sweetheart No.1’ is a blunt, honest self-assessment of my own behaviour over an extended period of time and the various ways in which I have affected the people closest to me, so I’ve at least tried to make it catchy in order to better live with myself. It’s about the clarity I’ve found in going back to basics, in trying to remove the chaos and noise of the world in favour of honesty. An anthemic apology, with some ‘sorry, not sorry’ sprinkled on top. I am sorry though, really." Joe says 'Ashes' is about "when one part of your life doesn't go to plan, and the other parts of your life don't wait for that to get any better."