Brisbane staples Ball Park Music are back with a new album, just as they gear up for a sprawling trans-Tasman tour.
The focus track “Coast is Clear” is on ode to everyday joys and how they’re missed in the day-to-day grind, with swaying guitars and keys swelling into a sing-a-long chorus repeating “Someday You’ll Appear”.
Frontman Sam Cromack says the song had been “kicking around” since before their last album, Weirder & Weirder, but had “remained on the sidelines for some reason” only to be the first song to be recorded for their new release.
“It began with me thinking how busy/absent/distracted I can feel not just as a parent, but as a person,” said Cromack. “I often find it hard to unplug from the rush of the world and to be present with those I love, and am left feeling intense guilt and self-loathing at my inability to change.”
“I originally sang ‘Someday I’ll appear’ but it felt much better when changed to ‘you’. The original feeling of the song remained but now this mysterious open-ended question was cast over who it is that may appear one day. I liked that.”
The track follows the release of “Like Love” and “Please Don’t Move to Melbourne” from their eighth studio album, Like Love, out today.
It’s the latest in a line of strong releases for the band which have scored them six consecutive Top 10 ARIA Album Chart spots, with four also being certified Platinum.
Alongside their anticipated album comes a massive 30-date tour of Australia and New Zealand, with stops in major cities such as Sydney and Wellington to rural hubs like Gosford.
“The new record has seen us explore a more tender, introspective side of our band and we’re excited to redesign our show to accommodate this, as well as all our usual faves for the stage,” the band said after releasing single “Like Love”.
Ball Park Music’s Like Love (album) is out now.