“We aim to honour the blues masters whose shoulders we stand on, and to help preserve their legacy. At the same time, as we are part of the evolution and expansion of the art form in contemporary blues and blues rock, in our small way we are broadening and diversifying the audiences who come to appreciate blues-based music. Even if they don’t know it yet, everyone needs blues music in their lives eventually, for reflection, commiseration in spirit, and uplift!”

Ethan Askey: Let The Good Time Roll

Ethan Askey & the Elevators have released their newest single “Clarksdale,” a road-ready slice of upbeat blues that fuses slide guitar, harmonica, heartfelt storytelling, and deep groove. Written by frontman Ethan Askey and guitarist Keith Larsen, the track pays homage to spiritual birthplaces of blues, soul, and rock and roll. “Purveyors of fine Rocky Mountain roots & boogie blues,” Ethan Askey & the Elevators are building a reputation for inventive songwriting and electrifying live shows mostly in Western Canada, where they are based. The band’s sound is driven by Askey’s baritone vocals and blues harp stylings, Larsen’s expressive guitar, and a locomotive rhythm section with drummer Ben Dunn and bassist Mike Honeyman. They make modern blues that move dance floors and radio dials alike. The band was formed to follow up the success of Askey’s impressive solo debut album ‘Walk When You Wanna Run,’ an independent release in 2022 that he created with the studio contributions of musical associates in the Calgary and Toronto music scenes, and with co-producer credits going to Canadian heavyweight blues rock artist Steve Marriner. The album got steady international radio play and charted weekly for over 160 weeks, earning a place on the year-end “Best Of” (Top 200) Contemporary Blues charts, worldwide, for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024.

(Ethan Askey & the Elevators / Photo by Morgan Turner)

There is most definitely a thread connecting the early country and blues artists along the mighty Mississippi, through time and space, to the contemporary blues and rock music made today by Ethan Askey & the Elevators in the Canadian Rockies. With “Clarksdale,” they stake out solid ground as modern storytellers with an authentic voice and some vintage voltage. The single bridges north and south, tradition and innovation, memory and motion. It’s a song about chasing warmth – in spirit, perhaps even more than in temperature. The still-new band is already preparing their next single release, “Big Bad Boss Man,” and a full-length album slated for mid-2026, accompanied by further touring within Canada. 

Interview by Michael Limnios               Special Thanks: Ethan Askey &  Eric Alper

What do you learn about yourself from the blues, and what does the blues mean to you?

Blues music owns some of my soul. I’m walking through this world in wonder - literally wondering what is around the next corner and how this all plays out over time - with my heart and mind on a roller coaster ride. Blues music open its arms to me and invites me into a sort of spiritual place of hard truths, resilience, and optimism as I cope and express myself. I draw sustenance from blues music, and I’m in great company with the artists who created that space.

How do you describe your sound and songbook? What keeps a musician passionate over the years playing harmonica?

As live performers Ethan Askey & The Elevators are a high-energy, modern roots and boogie blues band. As a songwriter and recording artist I tend to colour outside the lines of traditional blues, and that is reflected in the radio play charts we’ve landed on for Contemporary Blues, Alt Country, and Americana roots music. In our original music and in our broader repertoire you’ll hear some Chicago club electricity, some Delta and Nashville country blues too, and some West Coast swing. I’ve got one foot firmly in the past as a harmonica player and primary songwriter, honouring many blues traditions and artists, while my other foot wanders with the muse to give voice to songs in the key of my own life. Right now, I’m satisfied with how our songbook is growing in depth and breadth as we evolve as a band to become collaborative songwriters that draw from different musical backgrounds.

A big part of what keeps me passionate over the years as a harp player and singer is mixing it up, musically, and doing deep dives back into listening to the blues masters! I’ve done a fair bit of hired-gun session work with others over the years, in live performance and studio recording, in genres as diverse as progressive metal, Christian country music, and Celtic punk funk. In blues music, I still like to jam when opportunity presents, and I love to collaborate in improvisational performance with other blues and roots musicians, like I do at the renowned Hornby Island Blues camp as instructor / performer and at festival workshops.                                           (Photo: Ethan Askey)

“I write songs about the world in which I live, now, and how I see it. The scope of my lyrics include personal relationships, struggles and joys, morality, local and global events, the natural environment. The musical arrangements and feels of our music vary considerably. With that approach to music I’m confident that we’ll continue to engage at least some listeners of any generation.”

Why do you think the Canadian blues scene continues to generate a devoted following?

The Canadian blues scene is patchy; it keeps producing talents of international stature, and it has some devoted following to be sure, but I would call it “niche”. In addition to the audiencesand dedicated fans, among the most devoted followers are the radio program hosts and the organizations and individuals who put blues music in centre stage at festivals and clubs, year in and year out, across the country. They are absolutely critical in keeping this artform alive, relevant and evolving. A generation of people in North America and Europe experienced a resurgence of American blues music in the 1960s and 1970s and its off-shoot, rock and roll. And then another generation in the modern era was exposed to blues-based music through The Black Keys, The White Stripes and (in Canada) Colin James, MonkeyJunk, and Big Sugar as a few examples. Audiences of all ages for this music yearn for big tones, big feels, and blues grooves. 

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, opening acts and studio session which you’d like to share with us?

Memories that stand out include my first time sitting in with one of my string-bending heroes, Amos Garrett, and his band The Eh Team in the mid ‘90s. Amos had made music with legendary harmonica players Stevie Wonder, Paul Butterfield, and David Burgin, and he pressure-cooked me with that reminder before the show! That same year I think, the first time I played in Chicago was another one for the books: it was in the wee hours when musicians often move between clubs and sit in with other bands; I sat in with the JW Williams band at Kingston Mines, and luckily it was before harp player Sugar Blue (of Rolling Stones fame) came through and brought the house down. Later that week I played for Junior Wells and Buddy Guy at a jam at Buddy’s club Legends, and also heard Junior play for his friends and fans at Rosa’s Lounge. I’ll never forget how intimate that show was, and how it had the feel of his live recording at Theresa’s Lounge in the ‘60s. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to play at all types of venues in North America, and to tour in Europe twice including at clubs, theatres and festival venues in ancient village squares. Recently I had the great pleasure of being part of the backing bands for touring blues musicians Lil’ Jimmy Reed and John Primer, the latter being Muddy Waters’ bandleader for many years. We traveled in space and time together on those stages.

“Blues music owns some of my soul. I’m walking through this world in wonder - literally wondering what is around the next corner and how this all plays out over time - with my heart and mind on a roller coaster ride. Blues music open its arms to me and invites me into a sort of spiritual place of hard truths, resilience, and optimism as I cope and express myself. I draw sustenance from blues music, and I’m in great company with the artists who created that space.” (Photo: Ethan Askey)

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

We continue to lose the remaining “blues masters” to time, so more and more we have only their recorded bodies of work to experience them. The blues records and shows of the past moved me in mysterious ways, from the rawness of the lyrics to the idiosyncrasies of the recording projects, with all their imperfections and beauty. The tones and feels! Now, in western Canada at least, I’m seeing blues clubs and festivals struggle to stay in business as demographics shift, musical tastes change, and costs increase. We’re a country of long drives between cities and generally low population density, so it can be tough for artists to connect live with new audiences.

The most dedicated, talented and hard-working blues artists today have been able to overcome the odds and tap that demand for authentic musicand a good show. There are also some fantastic young blues talents who continue to surface everywhere, and who can keep this train rolling into the future. I’m hoping that audience demand for such experiences and music made by real people with real instruments can be sustained, and not get completely overwhelmed and displaced by derivative and generative AI forms of creation.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your music path?

Well, music generally may have taught me this, but more specifically Annie Lennox of The Eurythmics offered this lesson that I’ve followed as best I could: “My mother told me good, my mother told me strong: Be true to yourself and you can’t go wrong”. 

“The Canadian blues scene is patchy; it keeps producing talents of international stature, and it has some devoted following to be sure, but I would call it “niche”. In addition to the audiencesand dedicated fans, among the most devoted followers are the radio program hosts and the organizations and individuals who put blues music in centre stage at festivals and clubs, year in and year out, across the country.” (Ethan Askey & the Elevators / Photo by Morgan Turner)

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I’m not sure what “relevance” means; we’re certainly not chasing after pop culture trends or paying robots to listen to our music to boost the social media metrics. I think originality or authenticity in artistic expression will always be relevant and important. I write songs about the world in which I live, now, and how I see it. The scope of my lyrics include personal relationships, struggles and joys, morality, local and global events, the natural environment. The musical arrangements and feels of our music vary considerably. With that approach to music I’m confident that we’ll continue to engage at least some listeners of any generation.

Why is it important that we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music and musicians in today’s society?

I think it was Hemingway who is quoted as saying “Write hard and clear about what hurts”, and to that I would add “…and then present it to audiences with a great blues band”. As songwriters and musicians, through modern music platforms and in live performance we continue to have opportunities to share stories and experiences, and to connect meaningfully, with other people around the world.

We aim to honour the blues masters whose shoulders we stand on, and to help preserve their legacy. At the same time, as we are part of the evolution and expansion of the art form in contemporary blues and blues rock, in our small way we are broadening and diversifying the audiences who come to appreciate blues-based music. Even if they don’t know it yet, everyone needs blues music in their lives eventually, for reflection, commiseration in spirit, and uplift!

Ethan Askey & the Elevators - Home

(Ethan Askey & the Elevators / Photo by Morgan Turner)