"Blues is a very wide-ranging genre, much more than the general public might imagine."

Fiona Boyes: Blues in Her Heart

Fiona Boyes plays deep Blues, influenced by a myriad of traditional regional styles. She has carved an international reputation as a blues guitarist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter. International reviewers have described her as a ‘musical anomaly’ and ‘Bonnie Raitt’s evil twin’! A distinctive finger-picking and slide guitarist, Fiona’s soulful, authoritative style has earned her unprecedented recognition overseas as an Australian artist. Winner of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, she has toured widely, performing at acoustic, guitar, jazz, and blues festivals, clubs and cultural centers in more than 20 countries. Fiona’s latest release is a remastered 20th Anniversary Edition of her debut solo album ‘Blues in My Heart’ (originally released in 2000), a 16 track celebration of acoustic ragtime finger-style blues. Recorded live to analogue tape, it captures a unique performance moment much like the early historical blues recordings she so admires.                             (Fiona Boyes / Photo by Jason Rosewarne)

Fiona’s most recent studio offering ‘Voodoo in the Shadows’ (2018) extends her exploration of the musical stylings of Mississippi and Louisiana, featuring swampy electric guitar along with a collection of unique cigar-box guitars and a rare National Reso-Lectric baritione. Fiona’s nomination for the Koko Taylor Award (Best Traditional Female Artist) at the 2019 USA Blues Music Awards in Memphis was her 8th BMA nomination over various categories since 2007. Fiona is the only Australian ever to be nominated for these awards, which are considered to be the Grammies of the Blues. Equally at home on acoustic or electric guitars, her mostly original repertoire is like a Blues travelogue. Listen to her play and you’ll hear Delta slide guitar, single chord Mississippi Hills grooves, intricate country blues finger picking, along with material drawn from the classic blues sounds of New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. As her friend and mentor, the late, great Hubert Sumlin said. 'She's got it! I've played with all of them - and she's got it!'

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues and Roots music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Blues music literally changed my life. It has taken me on many fantastic adventures. From a 17 year-old music fan, to a 28 year-old fledgling musician, to winning the International Blues Challenge in Memphis at age 44…and still the journey continues! Playing the Blues has taken me to performances in over 20 countries, connected me to a world-wide music community, and given me the opportunity to meet, play, and record with some of my Blues heroes.  One of the things that first impressed me about this musical style is the idea that both young and old people play it; that it is intergenerational music with respect for elders.

How do you describe your music philosophy? What touched you from the finger-style and resophonic guitar?

Unlike a lot of musicians, I didn’t start seriously playing guitar until I was in my mid 20’s. I didn’t see any other women guitarists in my scene and I was keenly aware that most of my male peers had years of playing experience ahead of me.  This shaped my musical philosophy, which remains the same today: aim for the next gig, try to improve your musicianship, and respect the deep traditions of the Blues. 

The first Blues I heard, and fell in love with, were from the 1920’s – 1950’s; very traditional and raw recordings. As well as the classic Chicago Blues greats, I listened to a lot of early finger-style Blues and ragtime players like Mississippi John Hurt, Rev Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Big Bill Broonzy and others. One of my biggest early influences was our local Australian blues ‘godfather’, Dutch Tilders, who played a lot like Big Bill Broonzy. Although it was great to hear the music on records, Dutch was the first person I saw playing this sort of finger-style blues live. Seeing a real musician playing live, up close in a small club, was a revelation. Wow! I was hooked.

"I was a big Blues fan for many years before I tried to become a player myself. I went to lots of gigs. It seems that those heady days of regular crowded, sweaty, club shows have mostly gone. I feel a bit sorry for people who may have missed the experience of great, roots-based live music in this way. The world-wide pandemic did not help…" (Fiona Boyes / Photo by Cristina Arrigoni)

Are there any specific memories or highlights of your career that you would like to tell us about?!

Wow – so many highlights! One of my most precious experiences was visiting legendary bluesman Hubert Sumlin in his home one weekend. We got his huge, old Cadillac out of the garage, drove it the store and bought wine, fried chicken and watermelon. We talked, jammed and sat together for hours. Hubert is rightly known for his long association with Howling Wolf, but that is not the limit to his contribution as a seminal guitarist. He was also a very sweet person. We’ve lost so many of the older players in recent years. I am truly blessed to have played with legends and elders like pianist Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith, Mississippi Hills guitarist Robert ‘Wolfman’ Belfour, and bassist Bob Stroger. Bob Stroger just celebrated his 92nd birthday, by the way!

Performance highlights would have to include receiving several nominations, and playing, at the prestigious USA Blues Music Awards in Memphis. I’ve played some fabulous major festivals all over the world, but along with these ‘big shows’, some of the gigs that I hold most fondly in my heart are the funky, little ones. People and places that are steeped in deep Blues tradition, like the Bradfordville Blues Club (Tallahassee, Florida), Teddy’s Juke Joint (Zachary, Louisiana) and Red Paden’s iconic ‘Red’s Lounge’ in Clarksdale, Mississippi. My song ‘Party at Red’s’ on the album ‘Voodoo in the Shadows’ is about that juke, and I’m honored to have played the song for Red at my gigs there.

Why was the Blues never a part of the pop/popular music? What's the balance in music between technique and soul?

Well, I guess it was popular music back in the day! The early stars of the Blues, particularly the Classic Era women, sold large numbers of records. These days, and for many decades since the ‘Blues revival’ of the 1960’s, Blues has not been mainstream music. I’m not sure why, because you can hear echoes of the Blues in many other popular musical styles.

Blues is a very wide-ranging genre, much more than the general public might imagine. A big West Coast swing outfit with horns, to a solo player wailing on a single-string diddley bow, and everything in between. There are so many different regional styles, and I would include allied roots music like rockabilly, zydeco and New Orleans/swamp pop music in there too. Some of these styles, intricate rag-time finger picking for example, do require a lot of technique.  However, even then, the core of Blues music is soul and feel. You can play the same notes as the master players, but it is often the feel, or even what you are NOT playing – the spaces – that makes the music really sing.

"The first Blues I heard, and fell in love with, were from the 1920’s – 1950’s; very traditional and raw recordings.  As well as the classic Chicago Blues greats, I listened to a lot of early finger-style Blues and ragtime players like Mississippi John Hurt, Rev Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell, Big Bill Broonzy and others. One of my biggest early influences was our local Australian blues ‘godfather’, Dutch Tilders, who played a lot like Big Bill Broonzy. Although it was great to hear the music on records, Dutch was the first person I saw playing this sort of finger-style blues live. Seeing a real musician playing live, up close in a small club, was a revelation. Wow! I was hooked." (Fiona Boyes / Photo by Gina Milica)

What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I was a big Blues fan for many years before I tried to become a player myself. I went to lots of gigs. It seems that those heady days of regular crowded, sweaty, club shows have mostly gone. I feel a bit sorry for people who may have missed the experience of great, roots-based live music in this way. The world-wide pandemic did not help…

However, I’m always an optimist! It’s wonderful to see a new crop of very talented young musicians coming up in recent years. For example, I’ve been involved as a Masterclass Guitar Instructor at the Pinetop Perkins Foundation workshops held annually in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The workshops have nurtured some great young players such as guitarist Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and pianist Ben Levin, who have both just received nominations in this years’ USA Blues Music Awards, for example. Ultimately, I think the future of blues is assured. For myself, I can’t image doing anything else. 

What would you say characterizes Australian Blues Scene in comparison to US and European scenes and circuits?

I would say that we have a healthy, diverse Blues scene in Australia. It’s also great to see plenty of younger bands and players regularly joining the scene. Aussies can be a bit laconic and laid-back - sometimes you have to work to dazzle them - but that is good training for a musician! The fantastic thing is that a Blues fan is a Blues fan, anywhere in the world. In Europe, and America, I’ve always been impressed by the warm reception I’ve received. People have sometimes travelled long distances to see me, which I truly appreciate. The audience is everything.  It’s the reason a performing musician is at the show, so I always try to do my best for them.

"As a songwriter I can write about something personal, but hopefully the listener can relate and feel that they too have had that same experience. Blues is an earthy, honest style of music that really resonates for me. I love the idea that the Blues has an historic thread; with tradition, continuity, and respect for elders." (Fiona Boyes / Photo by Debra Novak)

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

Both the Blues scene and the Guitar scene are male dominated. It can be very tough for women to get respect. It is unfortunate that women in music, as in other many other professions, can be marginalised by their appearance, age or body shape. In general, I have attempted to avoid engaging in a lot of gender politics, preferring to simply work on my musicianship and concentrate on writing, playing and recording the music that I love. Maybe the fact that I am still doing it after so many years is my personal, political statement! I have experienced discrimination, but I have also enjoyed great support from some of my fellow male musicians. I am encouraged to see more young women playing these days – and I love it when I play at a family-friendly show and little girls want to come and look at my guitars.

I can see them thinking: ‘ahah! maybe one day I could do this too?’  That’s wonderful because I did not really have any role models as I started my musical career.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

On my first visit to America, I went looking for the grave of one of my early Blues heroes, guitarist Memphis Minnie. There is an inscription on her grave marker that says:

“The hundreds of side Minnie recorded are the perfect material to teach us about the blues.  For the Blues are at once general, and particular, speaking for millions but in a highly individual voice. We hear her fantasies, her dreams, her desires, but we will hear them as if they were our own.”

This is a great encapsulation of the way Blues has the potential to reach people emotionally, in a universal way. As a songwriter I can write about something personal, but hopefully the listener can relate and feel that they too have had that same experience. Blues is an earthy, honest style of music that really resonates for me. I love the idea that the Blues has an historic thread; with tradition, continuity, and respect for elders. Each individual musician and generation reinterpret the music and carries it along, but there is also a timeless quality to the style. When I play this music, I feel like I am part of something bigger; part of a world -wide musical community and part of a tradition.

Fiona Boyes - Home

(Fiona Boyes / Photo by Cristina Arrigoni)