Track listing: Bitter Now, Yesterday's Tomorrow, The Day We Died, What Doesn't Kill Me (Acoustic Version)
I want to lead with the footnote for a change because we're at a wild time in the history of recorded music. Days To Remember is a new EP released by an artist called Ashborne, hailing from Leverkusen, Germany. That is real & true. The footnote is that Ashley Ashborne is an AI persona, an alter ego of German musician/lyricist/producer Frank Gregorowius. Real lyrics, real melodies, and true human intention behind the arrangement, instrumentation, and production decisions made across each of the EP's 4 tracks.
Similar to any concept album released in years past, Ashborne-via-Gregorowius has a backstory behind this record: a painful heartbreak, letters written, a yearning for connection with other people during our toughest moments. And like any songwriter needing to bring their songs to life, Ashborne assembled their band: bassist and musical director Claire Monroe, guitarists Tessa Rayne and Rachel Stone, keyboardist Siobhan Sheahan, and drummer (and also ex-wife) Lara Frost. Each member brings their own persona to their parts. And looking ahead, Ashborne is set to release an even more ambitious full-length album Missing the Idea in June of 2026.
Stylistically, Days To Remember is quintessential Alt/Rock--think 3 Doors Down, Godsmack, and perhaps touches of the more ominous overtones of Evanescence. Pretty classic sound overall. There are heavy moments to be sure--the post-chorus riff in "The Day We Died" leading into the bridge is a helluva headbanger.
Flipped to the other side of the spectrum, the EP closes with the acoustic "What Doesn't Kill Me." A sparse inspirational message, born from the depths of sadness and despair, this track offers hope in the midst of misery. A real human emotion, a reaction to a bad situation. You can step up and move on or wallow in darkness. The journey we follow as a Days To Remember listener is from the depths of heartache we all know, too well in some cases, to the recovery and reclamation of our own happiness.
Gregorowius has written these messages with his bare hands. But in a world where it's not essential to hire musicians, find new bandmates, or learn every instrument in a Prince-ly or Bruno Mars-ly fashion, he has formed his band out of the electronic ether of his own studio. We'll see and hear more of this before we see and hear less of AI-assisted creation of artwork. And while the critiques are many, and very vocal, what Ashborne has provided for Gregorowius is a method by which his songs and vision can come to life. Real life.