Interviews and Features on Indie Blues Artists
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Peter Parcek Peter Parcek’s daring, incendiary and soulful style is a distinctive hybrid. He weaves rock, gypsy-jazz, country, folk, and blues– especially blues– into a tapestry of melody, harmony and daredevil solos that push those styles to their limits without sacrificing the warmth of his own […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Kat Riggins Inspired by the variety and abundance of music in her parents’ collection, it makes sense that her own music is peppered with hints of R&B, soul, country, gospel, hip-hop, and rock-n-roll. Make no mistake; however, Kat Riggins is undeniably a BLUES WOMAN! She travels […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Bart Ryan! Starlight and Tall Tales to be released via Blackbird Record Label, Sept 18th Bart Ryan is an LA-born/Nashville-based session guitarist and award-winning singer-songwriter who’s honed his performance chops across the U.S., Europe, and Japan. His experiences inform Starlight and Tall Tales, an ambitious album […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Crooked Eye Tommy Forged in the blood of brothers Tommy and Paddy Marsh, Crooked Eye Tommy casts a musical spell with the depths of joy and melancholy that can only result from a lifetime of playing music together. Since first entering the music scene in Ventura […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Anthony Geraci Pianist, Hammond organist and composer Anthony Geraci was born in New Haven, Conn. in 1954. His interest in playing piano began at age four when he told his parents “I want a piano!” Kind of an odd request when most kids want a […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Wily Bo Walker Wily Bo Walker is an award-winning solo artist, songwriter, composer and performer noted for his swaggering ‘live’ performances and is regarded as one of the top blues vocalists in Europe Renowned as being a diverse and prolific artist and hailing originally from Glasgow, […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Cary Morin Described as “one of the best acoustic pickers on the scene today,” Cary Morin brings together the great musical traditions of America and beyond like no other. With deft fingerstyle guitar and vocals that alternately convey melodic elation and gritty world-weariness, Morin crafts an […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz of the Lucky Losers Accompanied by a dynamic four piece ensemble, veteran Bay Area artists, Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz deliver a truly signature sound, layering elements of Stax/Volt styled R&B, electric Americana, and psychedelic rock atop a Chicago and Texas […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with JD Taylor! JD Taylor grew up in Brownsville TN. never dreaming that at age 30 a gift of a harmonica would change his life forever. In just 3 short years of writing songs practicing harmonica, hanging out on Beale Street and and catching all the greats traveling […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jon Strahl We are a group of musicians interested in exploring the Blues and the many interweaving genres of American music. Our playing and songwriting is straightforward and heartfelt, always moving forward while remaining rooted in tradition. We continue to create, perform, and entertain on our […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Rick Berthod Rick started playing Blues Guitar in his late teens influenced by Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Rory Gallagher,Jeff Beck ,Jimi Hendrix ,& BB King. Rick played clubs in town even though he was barely old enough to get into a bar. While living in […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jay Moonah One man. A suitcase kick-drum. A toolbox of harmonicas. A beat-up guitar. Also a mini-washboard, and a bit of kazoo for good measure. Broke Fuse is a one-man folk-blues band from Toronto, playing originals alongside classic songs by Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter, […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Gerald McClendon Gerald, known in Chicago as the “Soulkeeper.” One of the most reminiscent and versatile soul, R&B, singer/songwriter/performer in the recording industry. Gerald McClendon has graced the stage to sellout crowds to practically all the major entertainment venues throughout the Midwest area. In addition, his […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Mandalyn! Mandalyn hales from NW Indiana (the region). She was born with a love of music in her soul. Being classically trained, Mandalyn started competing in various competitions at a young age. In her late teens, she started performing at live venues. Mandalyn’s background includes studio […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Johnny Ryan of Johnny and the Mongrels Johnny & The Mongrels is a high-powered, New Orleans-influenced band that is “the perfect combination of a funk filled heart & a deep bayou soul.” Its founders, currently based in Fort Collins, Colorado, are singer/songwriter Johnny Ryan and singer/bassist/songwriter […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Hurricane Ruth LaMaster earned her “Hurricane” nickname because people had difficulty believing that her powerhouse vocals could be coming out of such a small woman. Ruth grew up in Beardstown, IL. Her father’s Glendale Tavern was her music school. “The bar featured live blues, jazz, and […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with CD Woodbury From a reputation as an ace sideman and “The Northwest’s best kept secret” in the Pacific NW blues scene; CD Woodbury is emerging as an internationally recognized singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The CD Woodbury Band album “Monday Night!” charted internationally in its genre, […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Gregg Martinez Gregg Martinez is an American rhythm and blues singer and purveyor of the south Louisiana genre called Swamp Pop. He is also referred to as “Mac Daddy” and is a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. His vocal style has been inspired and influenced by the soul […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Eric Hughes Eric Hughes has been called a “guaranteed crowd-pleaser” by Living Blues Magazine; his enthusiasm for Memphis music, and his authenticity, are obvious. Hughes was born and raised in Memphis and spent his weekends in Mississippi, where he came to cherish blues music. After a couple […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Marie Martens Swedish born and raised Marie Martens takes the intensity and feeling of blues and various rock n roll and roots music to a new level. With the help of a slide and a wah-wah she enhances the experience of funky roves from swamp pop to rock ‘n’ roll and of course that always present deep […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Ava Grace and Big Earl Matthews of Gravel and Grace Gravel & Grace is a seven-piece Blues and R&B outfit that plays a wide range of classic covers and original songs. The band features Big Earl Matthews on vocals, Ava Grace on vocals and keyboards, Issac […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Tim Langford of Too Slim and the Taildraggers Tim “Too Slim“ Langford is a monster guitarist and unabashed blues rocker whose influences run the gamut from Lightnin’ Hopkins, Freddy King, Duane Allman, and Lynyrd Skynyrd to Robin Trower. He is a prolific singer/songwriter whose songs have now yielded an impressive […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Johnny Burgin Johnny Burgin earns his name as The Worldwide West Side Guitar Man by performing up to 250 shows a year in Europe, Japan and coast to coast in the US. Johnny started his career in the rough and tumble neighborhood blues joints on Chicago’s West Side with […]
Home Page Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Mark Telesca! Mark Telesca is an American songwriter, singer, guitarist, bassist, band leader and author. He has started off the New Year of 2020 with a new solo acoustic CD titled “ Higher Vibrations” along with a new book titled “Love Music-Hate Cancer” “Higher Vibrations” is […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Zakiya Hooker Zakiya Hooker was born in the Motor City – Detroit, Michigan – but she was also born into the blues. You could even say she had a front-row seat to the best the genre had to offer, right in her own living room – […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Corey Lueck of the Smoke Wagon Blues Band! Featuring whisky-stained soul vocals, funky blues harmonica, slick R&B/roots guitar, swinging piano work, soulful organ, riveting saxophone, with a racy, taut rhythm section, The Smoke Wagon Blues Band has been performing on festival stages for over two decades. […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain of Aloud! Some bands you can always recognize–they produce the same sound, even the same song, year after year. But great musicians don’t just keep playing, they constantly evolve. Aloud’s new record, Sprezzatura, is a showcase for a band joyfully […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Mick Hayes Mick Hayes began his career at age seven. When he was given his first guitar by his parents, who were both accomplished musicians in their own right. Largely self taught by accompanying his families diverse record collection Mick developed a love for the blues and […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jose Ramirez At 32 years old, Jose Ramirez is Costa Rica’s premier blues artist and has played with some of the biggest names in the blues industry. These artists include Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, Janiva Magness, Mark Hummel and Bryan Lee, to name a few. The […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Michael Mills The Michael Mills Band have developed their sound from a mixture of Blues/Soul/Funk and R&B. MMB influences are too many to mention but to try to name a few…..Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, The Delgado Brothers, Tedeschi Trucks and of course SRV. I am leaving hundreds […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jim Odom of Louisiana’s LeRoux Their 1978 Capitol press release read, “LeRoux takes its name from the Cajun French term for the thick and hearty gravy base that’s used to make a gumbo.” LeRoux’s eponymous first album was a musical gumbo that blended various instruments and music […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Scott Ellison A talented singer-songwriter, guitarist, and blues-rocker, Scott Ellison was born on June13, 1954, in Tulsa, OK. By the ’70s, Tulsa had become an unexpected hotbed of blues-based rock bands as proven by both Eric Clapton and Freddie King’s backing bands hailing from the area. […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Tony Holiday There are many young players on the current international blues scene and Tony Holiday is one that stands out among the finest! Tony Holiday, a Vocalist and Harmonica player hailing from Memphis TN has been recognized by peers such as Charlie Musselwhite and James […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Steve Howell Steve Howell was thirteen when he first heard Mississippi John Hurt fingerpicking country blues. The year was 1965, and the experience became a revelation that opened the door to a new musical universe. Steve knew immediately that tame, folky strumming of the guitar was […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with John Primer John Primer has undisputedly helped build the sound and style of Chicago blues as we know it today. The echos of tradition bellowing from the birthplaces he played such as: Maxwell Street, Theresa’s, Checkerboard and Rosa’s Lounges, pulse from every chord in his fingers […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Sonny Charles of the Backtrack Blues Band The Backtrack Blues Band hails from the Tampa Bay region of Florida and has been performing original blues music since 1980. As one of Florida’s longest running blues acts, Backtrack has performed with many blues legends – Stevie Ray […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents An Interview with Rusty Ends Rusty Ends is the real deal, a true link between the rock and blues of the 50’s and 60’s and the 21st century. Rusty learned his craft as a teenager playing in the bars and taverns up and down Dixie Highway between Louisville and […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with 8 Ball Aitken For more than a decade, blues-rocker 8 Ball Aitken has toured the world – performing his swampy, slide guitar-driven songs at more than 200 gigs each year. His live shows have rocked music festivals across the US, Australia, Europe, Canada, and Asia. Since […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jim Diamond For thirty plus years, Jim Diamond has been a force in the Ohio / Tennessee Valley blues scene. Leading The Groove Syndicate since 1989 he’s released four albums that showcase a rocking, soul-blues sound. His latest album, Friends & Family, sees a subtle shift […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Eliza Neals Eliza Neals is a prolific songwriter, confident producer, arranger, bandleader, pianist, and one-of-a-kind live performer. Eliza sings with unearthly passion and velvety grit, effortlessly pushing air to new heights. Her operatically trained voice has been called both sexy and menacing. None of this is surprising, […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Brian Templeton of The Proven Ones It’s one thing to claim you are “proven,” it’s quite another to have the credentials to back it up. Comprised of five of the most formidable musicians on the blues scene today — guitarist Kid Ramos, vocalist Brian Templeton, keyboardist […]
Making a Scene Presents an interview with Louise Cappi Louise Cappi, is an American & internationally acclaimed Jazz/Blues, Soul singer-songwriter, recording artist & Bandleader. She is the child of the late great Jazz guitarist & pioneer of the seven string guitar, Mr. Al Cappi. Louise has performed with Jazz Royalty, Delfeoyo Marsalis, the Prince of […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Chickenbone Slim Chickenbone Slim is an original blues artist from San Diego, CA. with 30 years of music experience, first as a bassist, and since 2011 as a guitarist, vocalist and bandleader. Chickenbone plays original and traditional electric blues, born in the middle of the last century. […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Peter Karp Peter Karp is known for many things. An assertive singer, a skilled guitarist and a passionate performer, he’s also an individual who writes songs that frequently reflect tales told as part of life’s journey, spawned by passion and personal experience. Consequently he’s not easily […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an interview with Lisa Mills Originally recorded by Little Richard in the early 1970s in Muscle Shoals, Mills’ rendition of “Greenwood, Mississippi” is the first single release off of her upcoming album, The Triangle, and is a tribute to the incredible sound and feel of the great southern soul music […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview of Liz Mandeville Mandeville grew up in an arts-filled home in a musical family in Wisconsin. Her father sang folk songs and played the guitar, and her mother was a teacher and theater buff. Her father taught her to sing and paint, and she started playing the guitar at […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Blind Lemon Pledge Throughout his recording and performing career, Blind Lemon Pledge, aka Bay Area bluesman James Byfield, has gained critical recognition for the broad scope of his stylistic skills; and for his ability to capture the essence of American Roots Music in his compositions. From […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Crystal Shawanda Crystal Shawanda grew up on the Wikwemikong reserve on an island in Ontario, Canada, Her parents raised her on Country music and taught her to sing and play guitar, but it was her oldest brother who introduced her to the blues. He would hang […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Watermelon Slim! Bill “Watermelon Slim” Homans has built a remarkable reputation with his raw, impassioned intensity. HARP Magazine wrote “From sizzling slide guitar…to nitty-gritty harp blowing…to a gruff, resonating Okie twang, Slim delivers acutely personal workingman blues with both hands on the wheel of life, a […]
HOME PAGE Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Shaun Lovell of the Missing Frets! A collective of diverse backgrounds, The Missing Frets, forge a sound of Alternative, Indie Blues-Rock, and African Rockabilly. The concept of the band was inspired by songwriter, guitarist Shaun Lovell and materialised in 2013 with bassist Bindu Lovell. The energetic […]