LEGENDARY Australian roots troubadour Ash Grunwald is set to return with a vengeance in 2017, opening a new chapter in his 15-year career with the release of blues/rock stomper Hammer and an Australian tour.

Taking cues from classic bluesmen including R.L Burnside and John Lee Hooker and old prison work songs, Grunwald drags the genre into the 21st century, adding a twist of classic rock, neo soul and a hat-tip to roots contemporaries including John Butler, Xavier Rudd and Ben Harper.

"Hammer feels like a rebirth for me in some ways,” Grunwald said.

"I'm not a new artist trying to find my niche or prove myself and I don't want to be a certain kind of artist fitting into a certain kind of box.

"I went in to record Hammer knowing the musical boundaries I wanted to push as well as the traditions I wanted to respect and tried to create something my fans would love - a signpost to the future in some ways, with ties to the past.”

Written as part of a 2016 US recording trip, the song is the first single from Grunwald's upcoming tenth studio album and his first since 2015's Now.

Grunwald will headline Gold Coast's Bleach Festival on Saturday, April 1.

"Being able to create a life as a musician is a true blessing and there's nothing better than playing in front of an audience of like-minded people and feeling that connection,” Grunwald said.

"Hammer was a clear crowd favourite at the festivals I played last year and, I'm really excited to have a recorded version to open what I think is going to be a really fulfilling year for me musically.”