Ash Grunwald (Australia)
Ash Grunwald put together his first album, Introducing Ash Grunwald, leaning heavily on traditional blues, but it was his second album I Don’t Believe, in 2004, that would change his state of play. It was the first time he would graft technology onto the deeply rooted foliage of the Delta swamp.
Live and studio recordings followed, and this young and fearless blues singer and guitarist honed his sound and toured nationally and internationally, with critics and fans raving about his unique blend of roots, blues, beats and a whole lot of groove.
He says his greatest achievement to date has been his most internal album. Trouble’s Door found life in the fiery breath of injustice; the frustration of severe political and environmental mismanagement. “I had just done a benefit gig to stop coal seam gas mining. There were other issues going on at the time…and it occurred to me that our system just doesn’t work. We are experiencing the result of rampant unchecked capitalism.”
The music traverses many a tale as well; the blues propelled by driving dance-floor rhythms, buoyed by hip hop beats, and slammed by the dubstep crunch. 10 years since the release of that first blues record and hundreds of thousands of arses shaken since, Ash welcomes you as always to strive toward life’s greatest mission amongst the sadness and the challenges – the presence of good times and the possession of a happy heart.
