Ball Park Music

Formed in 2008, Brisbane indie pop outfit Ball Park Music went from being the main output for lead singer Sam Cromack’s solo work to alternative radio mainstays through their earnest, off-kilter pop rock tunes. While studying at Queensland University of Technology, Cromack teamed up with Jennifer Boyce (bass), Paul Furness (keyboards), and twins Dean (guitar) and Daniel Hanson (drums) for their debut EP Rolling on the Floor, Laughing Ourselves to Sleep. Released in 2009, the EP was picked up by Triple J radio DJ Steph Hughes, who exposed their music to a wider audience. Following the release of their second EP, Conquer the Town, Easy as Cake (2010), Ball Park Music embarked on their first national tour and secured themselves a spot at the Big Day Out Festival by winning the Queensland Unearthed contest. More accolades ensued, as they were named Unearthed Artist of the Year at the Triple J Awards for their studio debut, Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs, released via the Sydney-based label Stop Start Music in 2011. Their sophomore effort, Museum, arrived in 2012, debuting at Number 9 on the ARIA Albums Chart, and the self-produced Puddinghead dropped in 2014, peaking at Number 2 and prompting a European tour, plus an appearance at the 2015 SXSW Festival. In 2016 Ball Park Music headed back to the studio for the psych rock-tinged Every Night the Same Dream, which was promoted through a series of sold-out shows throughout Australia. In subsequent years, the band hit Number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart with the album Good Mood (2018) and their self-titled sixth LP (2020) peaked at Number 2 with its single, “Cherub,” landing at Number 4 on the Triple J Hottest 100.