Interview with Ball Park Music’s Sam Cromack

BBMLive.com’s Alexandra McIntyre steals a few moments with Ball Park Music’s lead singer, Sam Cromack to get the low-down on solo projects, balls, and looking at their female bass player as a boy.

You have just finished the Super Commuter Tour for JJJ and been picked up by an EMI label do you feel fresh faced and full of sunshine like optimism?
We’re just getting ready for the release of our new album and yeah we are really optimistic about that.

I’ve noticed that you all have solo projects how has that been whilst making the new album?
Some of us have more serious ones and others don’t really have one at all, I know it says they do on wikipedia, but I certainly have one and Jennifer has one and our guitarist… I think it’s just a natural product of being a musician is that the band occupies a lot of our time but time also goes really slowly in many ways we have 11 songs on our album and you write more than you need everyone has their own little avenues to make their own songs come to life.

If you were an animal while you were singing what would you be?
I’ve never really thought about it oh god. Maybe a honey badger they’re a good animal. They’re cranky and ruthless.

Describe your sound in non-musical terms.
Youthful.

Because you’re young?
Yeah and that means we don’t really refine our ideas so much and we just plunge forward without thinking about too much and that comes across in the music sometimes you hit the nail on the head other times it’s just “oh yeah”.

So what’s your intention with what you create?
I try not to over think it. Being a musician is a little bit of a no brainer if you put to much thought into it you will just quit and do something more meaningful with your life. My intention’s just to have a good time and to help other people do the same.

Any qualms about having the word ‘Ball’ in your name?
No. I guess because it’s got some other words straight after it and it’s not plural and people don’t think about scrotums that much…

Describe your band name.
I grew up traveling Australia with my dad who’s a baseball enthusiast he drives opening ball parks across Australia but baseball’s not very popular here so I decided to name us after that as a homage to my dad.

What is your favourite place to play then, a baseball stadium?
Nope. It is in Melbourne at the Northcotte Social Club… you are really close to the audience, the stage is really little. It’s a good balance between a really tiny venue and a bigger venue I just like it there it feels cosy. It’s a great venue to have a good party in.

Are you insanely jealous of any bands at the moment?
Personally I’m jealous of Gotye, I have been for a long time. I have been aware of that guy since I was a teenager; he is my number one jealous person. He’s 31 and I’m 22, so I’ve got a bit of time. I’m not jealous of anybody else actually.

Do you have a secret crush on any of your band members?
Nope.

That was very quick.
I am very certain.

I have a crush on your bass player she’s a babe.
Yeah I know, but I’ve known her for a long time she’s like a boy to me.

A major band you would love to play along side or even support?
I’ve tried to make a philosophy for myself that I will support any band that wants me to. I used to get offers from all these shitty bands and we would be inclined to say yes, why not? It would be really funny to tour with the shitty ones and really exciting to tour with the good ones. I’d play with anybody really it’s all an experience. I would even go on tour with Taylor Swift, she’d be playing in the most massive venues to heaps of screaming fans that would be a great opportunity.

By Alexandra McIntyre