Introducing: Ball Park Music

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Ball Park Music are a quintet from Brisbane Australia. Made up of Sam Cromack (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Jennifer Boyce (bassist/backing vocals), Paul Furness (keyboards/trombone) and twins Dean and Daniel Hanson (rhythm guitar and drums respectively), the band have self-released their third album (due out in the UK on 1 June via Dramatico). “Puddinghead” is an eclectic mix of 11 indie rock jams that evoke Aussie beaches and seamlessly blend it with a sound that’s two parts The Doors and three parts Nirvana.

Recorded in a leased “fibro-shack” in Brisbane’s northern suburbs, which Ball Park Music transformed into a semi-derelict recording studio. The shack was in woeful condition – the band smashed the property’s broken door, dug out mud from the doorway, and recorded, with Sam serving as both producer and engineer.

The recording was a smooth success, despite the unpredictable nature of noise from both inside and outside the studio – resulting in what is the band’s most interesting work yet.

Their third album in three years (“Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs” and “Museum” came out in 2011 and 2012), “Puddinghead” had received positive reviews from a variety of highly regarded publications, including Alphabet Pony, who declared it to be a “considered and well-rounded pop record”. The AU Review stated that “Puddinghead” cements Ball Park Music’s position as a ‘talented, important band’, and themusic.com, praising Cromack particularly, commented that “without really belting at all, the front man tells 11 stories, all unique in form, but linked through a mature sense of clarity.”

Ball Park Music had three songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2014, and “Puddinghead” was also number 2 in the Triple J Listener’s Top Albums. Additionally, “Puddinghead” was Spotify’s 9th most streamed Australian album that year.

This album was released across Europe in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in February via Embassy of Music and it was FluxFM’s Album of the Week. Ball Park Music have recently performed showcases at SXSW in Austin and will play the prestigious Australian touring festival Groovin The Moo this spring.

Ball Park Music are coming to Europe in May, starting in Zurich, Switzerland, and culminating with a gig at The Lexington, London, on 1 June. For further information regarding their album, tour and tickets, see their official website.

About the author

Lisa has been writing for over 20 years, starting as the entertainment editor on her university newspaper. Since then she's written for Popwrapped, Maximum Pop, Celebmix, and ListenOnRepeat.

Lisa loves all good music, with particular fondness for Jedward and David Bowie. She's interviewed Edward Grimes (Jedward), Kevin Godley, Trevor Horn, Paul Young, Peter Cox (Go West), Brendan B Brown (Wheatus), Bruce Foxton (The Jam), among many many more. Lisa is also available for freelance writing - please email lisa@essentiallypop.com