FISH OUT OF WATER - Grunwald, Ash
| Subject to supplier availability | |
| Format | CD |
| Available | 01-09-2008 |
| Sourced | Australia |
$14.99 |
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Each year, Mushroom Publishing holds a writing workshop in a mansion situated in the gorgeous surrounds of Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. The aim is to team up two songwriters from divergent backgrounds and challenge them to write and record one new song in a day. It was here that TZU beatsmith Countbounce and Australian bluesman Ash Grunwald first formally met. The two had been admirers of each other’s work from afar; but exchanging greetings backstage at festivals was as much as their paths had crossed.
Yet the two clicked instantly and one year later, they have produced Grunwald’s career highlight “Fish Out Of Water” – a genre-defying record that is set to take the Australian bluesman to the next level. The thrilling hybrid of styles captured on the album will delight fans of quality Australian music, and cement Grunwald’s growing status as one of our most talented and exciting performers, a reputation that’s been building over the past four albums and countless shows on the road, and a reputation that is also spreading globally.
Earlier this year, Grunwald was back in the United States (his first trip was reward for taking out the 2003 MBAS Blues Performer of the Year award, earning him a spot at the International Blues Challenge) where he earned a strong buzz for his show at the South By Southwest Music Festival; picking up a US management deal, plus a UK label and tour. Then he was off to Canada for his debut tour there, performing to sell out crowds. In May, it was back to Japan for his second visit, supporting the Japanese release of Give Signs, including a performance at the Green Room Festival. June and July this year see him return to tour the UK, supporting the English release of the same album, playing festivals and his own side shows at venues such as London’s renowned The Borderline.
Which brings us back to Mushroom Publishing’s retreat in Macedon. Prior to the outing, Grunwald had taken to writing in an exercise book on tour. “Then, when it comes to actually recording, I make up a riff, improvise and then draw on the material I have been writing previously.” Grunwald recalls not being particularly enthused about the song writing day. “I was really busy at the time, I hardly had any days off, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never written a song with anyone before. But it was just great.”
Grunwald was attracted to Countbounce’s experience with both rock and hip-hop. “He knows about conventional song writing and normal band music, but also hiphop and electronica,” Grunwald says. “I wanted to draw on that well. I've always wanted to work with a good beats mechanic; I’ve been looking for somebody like that for years.”
Grunwald had regularly placed beats in his music, but it was often simply a mash-up of DIY electronic beats with his blues tracks placed on top.“I wanted to smash the two together really hard, so that you couldn’t tell which side started it first,” Countbounce says. “More of a soul hip-hop approach. The drums would be sampled. And the feel of a hip-hop rhythm section with his guitars on top.” Although Countbounce brought a number of his own ideas to the table for co-writing opportunities, Grunwald found his creative juices were flowing freely. “He would bring songs to me, or even just a riff, and I’d write a beat around it with him,” Countbounce says. “I did all the beats for the record.”
Indeed, Grunwald says that both Countbounce’s musical knowledge and personal musical history – as well as his samples - helped to create the sound on the album. “I wanted to shake up what Ash does a bit,” he says. “I wanted to test his boundaries and see what he is comfortable with. And he was actually comfortable with a whole lot of different sounds.” The two co-wrote five tracks on the album, and spent several months last year demoing tracks in a shipping container in Countbounce’s backyard, which doubles as a recording studio. By that time they were ready to record the album.
“We took another ten days out, he came to my house, we re-tracked it all,” Grunwald says. “We used really good amps, and vintage mics. We played a lot of junk percussion. It was a bit sharper this time around. We mixed it at Sing Sing.” Grunwald is delighted with the acoustic tracks on the record. The two attempted to create a vintage sound and have pulled it off spectacularly. “There's more emphasis on the beats and this album in general pushes further way from the blues,” he says.
Yet the two clicked instantly and one year later, they have produced Grunwald’s career highlight “Fish Out Of Water” – a genre-defying record that is set to take the Australian bluesman to the next level. The thrilling hybrid of styles captured on the album will delight fans of quality Australian music, and cement Grunwald’s growing status as one of our most talented and exciting performers, a reputation that’s been building over the past four albums and countless shows on the road, and a reputation that is also spreading globally.
Earlier this year, Grunwald was back in the United States (his first trip was reward for taking out the 2003 MBAS Blues Performer of the Year award, earning him a spot at the International Blues Challenge) where he earned a strong buzz for his show at the South By Southwest Music Festival; picking up a US management deal, plus a UK label and tour. Then he was off to Canada for his debut tour there, performing to sell out crowds. In May, it was back to Japan for his second visit, supporting the Japanese release of Give Signs, including a performance at the Green Room Festival. June and July this year see him return to tour the UK, supporting the English release of the same album, playing festivals and his own side shows at venues such as London’s renowned The Borderline.
Which brings us back to Mushroom Publishing’s retreat in Macedon. Prior to the outing, Grunwald had taken to writing in an exercise book on tour. “Then, when it comes to actually recording, I make up a riff, improvise and then draw on the material I have been writing previously.” Grunwald recalls not being particularly enthused about the song writing day. “I was really busy at the time, I hardly had any days off, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never written a song with anyone before. But it was just great.”
Grunwald was attracted to Countbounce’s experience with both rock and hip-hop. “He knows about conventional song writing and normal band music, but also hiphop and electronica,” Grunwald says. “I wanted to draw on that well. I've always wanted to work with a good beats mechanic; I’ve been looking for somebody like that for years.”
Grunwald had regularly placed beats in his music, but it was often simply a mash-up of DIY electronic beats with his blues tracks placed on top.“I wanted to smash the two together really hard, so that you couldn’t tell which side started it first,” Countbounce says. “More of a soul hip-hop approach. The drums would be sampled. And the feel of a hip-hop rhythm section with his guitars on top.” Although Countbounce brought a number of his own ideas to the table for co-writing opportunities, Grunwald found his creative juices were flowing freely. “He would bring songs to me, or even just a riff, and I’d write a beat around it with him,” Countbounce says. “I did all the beats for the record.”
Indeed, Grunwald says that both Countbounce’s musical knowledge and personal musical history – as well as his samples - helped to create the sound on the album. “I wanted to shake up what Ash does a bit,” he says. “I wanted to test his boundaries and see what he is comfortable with. And he was actually comfortable with a whole lot of different sounds.” The two co-wrote five tracks on the album, and spent several months last year demoing tracks in a shipping container in Countbounce’s backyard, which doubles as a recording studio. By that time they were ready to record the album.
“We took another ten days out, he came to my house, we re-tracked it all,” Grunwald says. “We used really good amps, and vintage mics. We played a lot of junk percussion. It was a bit sharper this time around. We mixed it at Sing Sing.” Grunwald is delighted with the acoustic tracks on the record. The two attempted to create a vintage sound and have pulled it off spectacularly. “There's more emphasis on the beats and this album in general pushes further way from the blues,” he says.
"Fish Out Of Water” works in a comparatively contrasting style of it its protagonists. “To me, the album is more up tempo and happy then my previous stuff,” Grunwald acknowledges. “But Pip sees it as dark and brooding compared to things he’s worked on before.”
With his career on a steep ascent, Grunwald has already shared the bill with the likes of James Brown and Bo Diddley, plus the crème of Australia’s local talents. “Ash is committed to being independent, he’s well respected, and he’s got his machine oiled and ready to go,” Countbounce says. Grunwald is proudly independent in his musical outlook. It’s never made sense to him to have a record company in between himself and his distributor. Having self managed for over five years, several years ago, he began to build a strong team behind him: distributor, publicist and booking agency. Team Grunwald are jubilant about the album: a major step forward for the longevity of his career.
“I’ve spent more time and money on this album then all of my others put together,” Grunwald says, emphasising his passion behind the project. “”My whole career in the past has been almost based around playing live. This album will change that.”
With his career on a steep ascent, Grunwald has already shared the bill with the likes of James Brown and Bo Diddley, plus the crème of Australia’s local talents. “Ash is committed to being independent, he’s well respected, and he’s got his machine oiled and ready to go,” Countbounce says. Grunwald is proudly independent in his musical outlook. It’s never made sense to him to have a record company in between himself and his distributor. Having self managed for over five years, several years ago, he began to build a strong team behind him: distributor, publicist and booking agency. Team Grunwald are jubilant about the album: a major step forward for the longevity of his career.
“I’ve spent more time and money on this album then all of my others put together,” Grunwald says, emphasising his passion behind the project. “”My whole career in the past has been almost based around playing live. This album will change that.”
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Can U Find
- Mojo
- Fish Out Of Water
- Give Something Away
- Devil
- Joke On Me
- Breakout
- Working Hard
- The Bottle
- Get What U Want
- Port Campbell
- Shake
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