Gig Preview: Ash Grunwald at the Prince

ASH Grunwald established himself as a progressive and hardworking blues artist when he burst onto the Australian music scene in 2001.

Nine studio albums later and no longer sporting his famous dreadlocks, Grunwald has become a name synonymous with the country's blues genre.

After the release of his latest full-length project Now in September last year, the dedicated songwriter has been busy touring the globe.

Amid the shows and a relentless schedule, Grunwald found time to create an entirely new full-length project late last year.

"Funny enough, I didn't plan for this to be true, but just before Christmas I went over to LA and recorded another album," Grunwald said.

An American producer, who had donated to Grunwald's crowd-funding call on Pledge Music to help fund the release of _Now _, contacted the renowned artist and proposed the idea.

"He paid for me to come over and he assembled all of these amazing musicians who have played with everybody," Grunwald said.

"I was touring relentlessly at the time and I really didn't have the time to write songs but I just had to say yes.

Grunwald said he plans to put on an upbeat show when he returns to the Prince of Wales Hotel on February 4.