Ash Grunwald featuring Vika and Linda Bull - Australia

Since the turn of the millennium Australian blues and surfing devotee Ash Grunwald has amassed a loyal following of fans that can’t stop dancing to his acoustic bluegrass, folk/rock style.

Ash started off strictly acoustic then began incorporating modern technology. He explains: “The technology is not that subtle. I use the stomp box on my left foot and a tambourine on my right. I also use a foot controlled sampler. I layer in percussion by recording myself hitting my guitars (the sound goes to the sampler via my acoustic pickups) and creating loops on the spot. I use a Boss phrase looper. It looks pretty much like a normal guitar pedal except it has two pedals, one for record and one to stop. I can layer as many overdubs as I want down. The only tricky bit is that if you stuff up you have to start again because you can’t take a layer away!” (The New Black Magazine).

Ash Grunwald's fifth studio album, Hot Mama Vibes, is neck-deep in the technological swamp of the 21st Century. It's also the most primal concoction of elemental junkyard soul to stomp through your speakers this year.

At WOMAD, Ash will be joined on stage by sister vocal duo Linda and Vika Bull who came to prominence after being asked to sing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The Black Sorrows. After six years with the Black Sorrows the sisters created their own act which led to the release of their debut album Vika and Linda (1994) produced by Paul Kelly. Seven albums later this duo has more recently been producing music which reflects their gospel roots.

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