Ash Gale, vocalist and acoustic guitarist for South Australian band The Sundance Kids, is on his lunch break. “Working on the family farm gives me a bit of flexibility to go on tour.” Seeing the band has returned home to recoup in between tours, “today’s work day”.
Still based in the area in which he grew up, Gale started playing drums at a young age and only took to the front position when this band began. “I played drums for about nine years. I thought I was going to be a drummer, that’s what I wanted to do after school. But I wasn’t playing in a band for a while and I enjoyed writing songs, so it was just the next step really. It was very different to step up to a microphone and sing rather then just being secure behind a drum kit. So that took a little while to get use to but I eventually found out that it’s more fun,” he laughs.
The challenge was not only to find his voice and develop his songwriting skills but to be able to lead the performance on a live stage. For Gale, confidence is what he needed and in time has gained. He remembers his first gig behind the mic. “I was really nervous. I had a book down in front of me because I couldn’t remember all the lyrics. But it was in front of all our friends and they were supportive and encouraging, so it was fun.”
How did the experience compare to being behind the kit? “I was just more confident [on the drums]. I could play a beat and get away with it. But with singing, there’s no room for errors. So I think it’s more a vulnerability thing.”
Taking that next step and discovering his voice has paid off. The Sundance Kids didn’t expect to launch their first EP to a sold-out crowd or to receive the response that they have so far. The album, which is 99 percent complete, is appropriately titled Fall Into Place. It will be released early next year, with the first single out this September. “There’s a lot of themes in the album where sometimes life doesn’t go the way we want it to but in the end it kind of works out.”
Recording the album wasn’t all smooth sailing, but that was all part of the learning process. “We hired a guitar amp for the day and once we set it up it just exploded on us.” But on the flip-side, “It was really good leaving the studio each day knowing the songs were coming to life.”
The band too has significantly advanced over the years. What was once a small acoustic sound is now a full five-piece unit, with a sound and album reaching to higher levels. “When we recorded our EP we were still young, still figuring out our sound, and I was still learning as a songwriter. So I think with the album we have really found our feet and the songs are a bit more mature and creative.
“It was a huge process. We had a string orchestral arrangement and a choir come in to do parts on the album. We wanted this album to be as big as we could get it. We wanted there to be really anthemic and heartfelt songs.” So seeing the songs have the potential “we thought we’d go nuts with production really.”
He uses that word “mature” to describe their new material, but with a name like The Sundance Kids one can’t help think that there’s still something rather sweet and innocent about them. “Yeah I think our name does suit our personalities,” he laughs. “I guess you can say we are kind of childish and like to have a lot of fun. We don’t take things too seriously.” And the sweet part is in there too. “The actual name came from the movie Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. And our guitarist Luke, his parents went and saw that movie for the first time when they were dating,” he laughs. “So there’s the connection.”
As a collective they are The Kids, but who’s the biggest kid of the bunch? “I would have to say Suresh, our drummer. He’s the second oldest in the band but he’s still probably the most childish,” he laughs. “But we’re all little kids, if that doesn’t sound too cheesy.”
To finish on the same note, the best dancer? “I’ve actually never seen anyone dance, which is really funny. But I’d have to say Jeremy [bass] because when he dances he really gets into it.” Maybe they can be put to the test on the dance floor on the next tour. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll video that one. It will be online.” Watch this space.
The Sundance Kids hit the road with Avalon Drive for a three-week residency tour throughout Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide from 24 August to 10 September.
