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Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer drops solo album 'Superbloom' as he triumphs battle with his demons

'The album explores my inner philosophies and feelings about the walk of life I have found myself on. I’m ridiculously excited to share this with you,' Irwin said

Ashton Irwin, drummer of Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS), has dropped his first solo album titled 'Superbloom'. Announcing the album, Irwin took to Twitter and wrote, "Superbloom is officially here. I hope you find positivity and a welcoming feeling to my little world of music. I have enjoyed every single step of making this record and am a better person today because of it, and look forward to what is to come!"

'Superbloom' is the first solo album by a member of 5SOS. It was first teased with the launch of Irwin’s official website ashtonirwinofficial.com and, musically, it departs from 5SOS' signature pop-punk sound with Irwin opting for an alternative approach. It was first officially announced on September 23, 2020, on Irwin’s social media accounts, with him stating: "It is with a great explosion of joy and with my entire soul that I am proudly announcing to you all that I am releasing my first solo record. The album explores my inner philosophies and feelings about the walk of life I have found myself on. I’m ridiculously excited to share this with you, it feels like this record has been over a decade in the making. It brings me the greatest joy of all that I am in a band that allows me to create freely inside and outside of it. I can’t wait for you to hear it." The song 'Skinny Skinny' was released as the album’s lead single on September 24.

The album tracklist is as follows: 'Scar', 'Have U Found What Ur Looking For?', 'Skinny Skinny', 'Greyhound', 'Matter of Time (Interlude)', 'Sunshine', 'The Sweetness', 'I'm to Blame', 'Drive' and 'Perfect Lie'. The first song 'Scar', for instance, shows the struggle of holding on while 'Skinny Skinny' is about the struggle of not feeling at home in your own body.

Ashton Irwin's battle with personal demons

The 5SOS star has never shied away from discussing his issues with alcoholism and mental health. In an interview with Alternative Press, Irwin said, "I’ve always been terribly afraid of becoming an alcoholic. On the road, you have this constant state of being the life of the party; that’s what being in a touring band is. I was dealing with my feelings in the beginning with just alcohol. I had to overcome that pretty quick if I wanted the next period to be successful, and that was a process really that I’m still dealing with. It’s a constant thing." Speaking about his childhood and upbringing, Irwin said, "My upbringing is…interesting. I didn’t have a father, and my mom has struggled with alcoholism my whole life. I’ve grown up kind of bringing other people up…I’ve had to be relentlessly positive, and I have a very depressed mind."

Talking about his writing process and how he feels inspired, the drummer said, "I actually dove inward for the first time. I was living alone, and the only way I was able to focus on the album was diving into my actual songwriting and processing who I actually was through song. I was feeling down and the most depressed I’ve ever felt, but apparently that’s when you create your best work."

Talking about mental health, he said, "The support network isn't there just yet. There needs to be more talk about the ups and downs, especially in the entertainment industry." He also said that the 5SOS member have been burned out multiple times: "Artists can be some of the most depressed people. I'm glad that the awareness is being brought up and it just needs to spoken about freely by people who have experienced it and come out the other side. People seem surprised when artists maybe do something that's out of nowhere and sad, and crushes everyone's world. But you've got to listen to the person's lyrics...that's where you hear where they're really coming from."

Later, in April 2020, Irwin revealed that, at the time, he had been sober for 10 months. Using ice baths as an affirmation of having overcome his personal struggles, Irwin said, "I was posting the ice baths because that was a highlight and statement to people that I am doing this every single day on tour. They were a part of me proving that my mind is stronger than my addictions and it was an outward expression of motivating myself."