Fish Out of Water: Ash Grunwald

Ash Grunwald takes time out from an ‘English Summer’ day to chat to The Dwarf about being a Fish Out of Water…

It's 7.30am when I speak to Ash Grunwald. I compliment him on his alertness at this early hour and he fesses up with the defense of ‘lots of coffee’. His newest creation, Fish Out Of Water may even ‘push the genre boundaries further’, in Ash’s words.

“It’s been a happy coincidence that this is the one to push the genre boundaries further and really mesh, with using a producer, maybe push the level further with incorporating beats into a roots-based music. It’s not a very common thing in the root’s scene to be doing that. I sort of see roots music as being the antithesis’s of that kind of thing, having the reality of it…”

Further highlighting Ash’s genre pushing comments, Ash collaborated with ‘respected beat master’ Count Bounce from TZU, for the latest record. Ash tries to put the experience into words, working with Count Bounce on the album.

“Fantastic… really nice guy, easy… Absolutely (inspiring),” Ash says.

I speak to Ash briefly about labels…”Well the great thing about the blues and roots genres is how amazingly broad it is. I’ve got this thing over here at the moment, because of the name blues and roots, and they are coming to the shows… and they are going at the end of the show ‘you are not anything like Jack Johnson!’” he says.

“It’s a bit weird I suppose… but then I think it’s really great that they might of turned up because they like Jack Johnson or John Butler or someone like that and then you’ve got a chance to win them over once they get to the show even if their music is completely different.”

He expands on how he feels about the freedom his style of music offers – where I enquire if perhaps he is a guinea pig of his genre of choice?

“Yeah, because I think for me it’s always been really the sounds of the instruments I’ve used and I’ve always loved technology for example, yet I really like a lot of old blues as well but that’s sort of representative of who I am as a person and I don’t really feel like I have to use just the old ways because I love roots music – I want to make new music.”

Ash is often credited with bringing blues and roots to another generation. We talk about whether this is a hard feat – convincing the young’uns about the merits of the genre in the current moment of music styles?

“None of its really hard work at all… when I first started I was playing to a blues audience which was really small,” he says.

“It’s all been fun work – but if you added up the hours it’s a lot more than a day job… the good thing is as you are first starting out and getting more popular everything is a bonus. When I was playing and just started touring around Victoria and then going over to Tassie and stuff – playing 10 people here and then getting stoked when I’m playing for 50 people – I just loved all of that and because you have never experienced any more of that,” Ash says.

“For most of my career it has been a slow and steady incline and there was no big record deal or anything that made it happen – it’s just kept constant and happy,” he says.

“The only difficult thing is when you come to break in new territories because you have experienced what it is like to build up an audience to a certain level and then you have to start again.”

With Ash returning from touring around the UK, I wonder how his music translates in that part of the world.

“There are slight differences around the world but I think in most places it is pretty much the same. This year I have played a few festivals so that has been really good to get it up there… but last year I really came over and really tried to jump in there to kind of force it to happen – start playing little cafes and try to build it up.”

So after playing the big festivals, how does Ash feel about taking his music down a notch and returning to the intimate gigs of old?

“Yeah it was really great and it was good to test out and try to win people over a fresh crowd who’d never heard it before and that was really interesting. It wasn’t like it was before because I’ve been touring for a lot longer – were going to win people over because you’re better than you used to be… Not so apologetic anymore!”

“I’ve heard somebody say that – I don’t know who ever said this – if you want to be an expert at something it takes 10 years. I feel like I have become an expert at Ash Grunwald music, my own music. If I sat in with a band or something I would probably be worse than I was 10 years ago at the normal things that a guitarist does or whatever but I think I am really good at one thing, the things I do.”

So what’s next?

“Having a baby... due October, late. That’s the other reason I’m jamming the tour in!”

And for a moment we talk as pregnant writer and expectant father/musician. Spending a moment doing congratulations and talking excitement and trepidation about adding to the world’s population.

So for Ash, is the immanent arrival that a baby brings adding a new form of inspiration to Ash Grunwald music?

“Not yet… I think when it comes out but at the moment I am looking at the practicalities of jamming that tour in – a lot of people I have known have been inspired into song after one of their kids have been born. I don’t know if I have the form to do that… my music isn’t like it. Depends what style of music you do. When you do… heavy riffs and stuff…(laughs)…”

Fish Out of Water is out now through Delta Groove.

Ash Grunwald plays:

2 Oct- Republic Bar & Cafe- Hobart, Tasmania
3 Oct- Sirocco’s- Burnie, Tasmania
4 Oct- Batman Fawkner- Launceston, Tasmania
5 Oct- The Lewisham Tavern- Lewisham, Tasmania
8 Oct- The Loft- Warranambool, Victoria
9 Oct- Karova Lounge- Ballarat, Victoria
10 Oct- Ruby’s Lounge- Belgrave, Victoria
11 Oct- Peninsula Lounge- Moorooduc, Victoria
17 Oct- Torquay Hotel- Torquay, Victoria
18 Oct- The Nash- Geelong, Victoria

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