keep the blues alive

Q&A with Portland, Oregon-based blues musician Anni Piper, takes to the road for her Spring 2026 Tour

“Blues is timeless. It’s about universal themes that we can all relate to, young or old. I have been more focused on social media for promoting my music and have been successful with that.”

Anni Piper: Blues On The Road

"Australia's First Lady of the Blues" Anni Piper takes to the road for her Spring 2026 Tour, performing locally on the first stop of the tour at The Rosebud Theatre, OR (March 26). Next stops: March 27, Livermore CA / Las Positas Vineyards; March 28, Upper Lake CA / Blue Wing Restaurant/Saloon; April 3, Eugene OR / Mac's Restaurant/Nightclub; April 17, Meridian ID / Dalton Royal. Piper is renowned as a formidable live performer, fronting her tight three-piece band on bass and vocals, with playful stage banter that make for a thoroughly enjoyable live show experience. The Portland, Oregon-based musician formerly represented the Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast at the IBC (International Blues Challenge) and has released seven well-received albums, including Jailbait (2004), Texas Hold 'Em (2007), More Guitars Than Friends (2016), and Blow Up Doll (2020). Her lyrics are sassy and fun, often poking fun at romance and relationships, and how men and women interact. Piper has earned a reputation as a songwriter of distinction, her work having a blues sensibility while still addressing the issues of today. In the Spring of 2026, Piper will release her new full-length album, Men Are Like Potato Chips.

(Anni Piper / Photo by Sveinn Kjartansson)

Born and raised in Australia, her passion for blues was ignited by the sound of late Texas guitar great, Stevie Ray Vaughan. In 2020 Piper -- who has called the United States her home since 2014. Piper has performed to packed houses at premier venues such as the House of Blues and BB King’s. She has earned critical acclaim from publications including Blues Revue and Blues Matters (UK).

Interview by Michael Limnios Archive: Anni Piper, 2015 interview

Special Thanks: Doug Deutsch

How has the music influenced your views of the world? How do you describe your sound and music philosophy?

Music has given me the opportunity to travel the world and perform. If I hadn’t been a musician, I would have stayed in my home town in Australia for most of my life. I wouldn’t have seen all the amazing sights, and wouldn’t have spent time with a variety of interesting people that I never would have had the chance to meet. I’ve been lucky enough to have been exposed to many different cultures and I’m grateful for the way new perspectives have allowed me to grow in self-awareness. Music, of course, is the universal language. I love the fact that you can walk into a blues jam anywhere on the planet and start playing tunes together because of that shared skill of improvisation. My sound is best described as blues rock. I love the structure that comes with a traditional 12 bar blues, however, I also enjoy having some freedom with my songwriting and being able to step outside that format.

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

My first album was released 22 years ago! I can hear the difference in my vocals. I have a lot more control of my voice nowadays. I think my songwriting process has stayed very much the same over the years. Ideas usually come to me when I’m not actively trying to write a new song. I’ll use voice memos on my phone to record ideas in the moment so I don’t forget them. It can take time for me to develop my ideas and have them come to fruition. For example, one of the songs on my latest album was written 12 years ago. But another one was finished two weeks before we went into the studio, so it varies. I have never owned a home studio and that’s something I would like to explore in future.

“Music has given me the opportunity to travel the world and perform. If I hadn’t been a musician, I would have stayed in my home town in Australia for most of my life. I wouldn’t have seen all the amazing sights, and wouldn’t have spent time with a variety of interesting people that I never would have had the chance to meet. I’ve been lucky enough to have been exposed to many different cultures and I’m grateful for the way new perspectives have allowed me to grow in self-awareness.” (Anni Piper / Photo by Sveinn Kjartansson)

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your career so far?

I remember hearing ‘Whole Lotta Love’ by Led Zeppelin – the opening track of the ‘Led Zeppelin II’ album -when I was 12 years old. My older brother brought it home and put it on the stereo and my mind was blown. That was probably the moment that started me on the track to becoming a musician. I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever heard. Also hearing ‘Born in Chicago’ by Paul Buterfield Blues Band when I was 14 was another big moment in my musical history and that was the point when I decided I really wanted to explore the blues. But rock music has always had a huge influence on me too, and it definitely comes out in my songwriting. In the past I would have said winning an Australian Blues Music Award was my biggest career highlight, but that was surpassed last year when I got to record my new album and sing a duet with my son. Flynn Piper sings ‘Angel from Montgomery’ with me, and it’s the only cover song on the new album ‘Men are like Potato Chips’. I have photos of him at 5 years old in the recording studio during the sessions for one of my earlier releases. He’s now 23, and he lives in Australia while I am based in the USA. We don’t see each other as often as we would like to, so it was a very special moment for both of us to finally perform together.

Spring '26 Tour. What keeps a musician passionate over the years on stage? You’ve worked in many different settings, from clubs and bars to open air festivals and theatres. How do you navigate between these different worlds?

It’s like a compulsion really, there is something so incredible about connecting with an audience on that level. When you enter the flow state, everything else just falls away, it’s like an out of body experience. It’s addictive and I haven’t been able to stop chasing it. Different venues require matching my energy on stage to the vibe from the people who are there listening. More intimate venues are different, I might tell more of the stories behind the songs. Whereas at a festival I will try to work with a bigger stage, move around more, and pull the energy and connection from my band.

“My sound is best described as blues rock. I love the structure that comes with a traditional 12 bar blues, however, I also enjoy having some freedom with my songwriting and being able to step outside that format.” (Anni Piper / Photo by Sveinn Kjartansson)

How do you prepare for your recordings and performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

I work out seven days a week when I’m at home and also when I’m on the road. Bass guitar is a heavy instrument and wearing it for hours during a performance can start to put a strain on the shoulders. I struggle with anxiety in general, but particularly around live performances. I feel like mentally I’m at my worst on days when I’m performing. I’m the bandleader, and my name is on the marquis, so the buck stops here and if anything goes wrong I’m ultimately responsible. It can be incredibly stressful, even just making sure everyone gets to the show on time is difficult because I often don’t have any control over that. I have been doing hot yoga for 15 years and have found that extremely helpful. The relaxation techniques help me to focus, and the breathing from yoga also helps my lung capacity for singing.

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

I think one thing I have learned from music is that playing original blues music isn’t going to pay the bills. This is the first time I have recorded an album in six years and to be completely honest maybe 20% of that was not feeling ready but 80% was because I didn’t have the finances to make that happen. Studio time, hiring musicians, and radio promotion are all big expenses. While you make some of that money back eventually, it’s really a big gamble on whether your music is going to be successful or not, and whether that investment is going to pay off. I had a particularly hard tour a few years back where I drove 3000 miles across the USA alone with a car full of music equipment. I had no budget for hotel rooms so I slept in my car and showered at the gym every morning, and picked up my band at the airport after a week of driving. We still had to sleep on friends’ couches during the tour. It was exhausting and I knew I wouldn’t be capable of doing this forever – so I decided to go back to school. I am now working as a nurse full-time and doing music part-time. I don’t regret my decision at all because I am making great money and I enjoy nursing as a career even more than I thought I would. I work in a behavioral health facility so my patients are experiencing either mental health issues or substance detox when they come into my care. Having nursing as a career has allowed me to become financially independent for the first time in many years. So while it’s a lot to take on, I feel that it was the right decision. My colleagues often tell me I am like Hannah Montana, that I can be anonymous at work and be a rock star by night. I like the way they describe it!

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation? (Anni Piper / Photo by Sveinn Kjartansson)

Blues is timeless. It’s about universal themes that we can all relate to, young or old. I have been more focused on social media for promoting my music and have been successful with that. I never had many followers on my Instagram account but one of my recent reels from the recording studio has had almost 1 million views. I think another way I have tried to modernize and reach another generation is by using curse words on my latest album ‘Men are like Potato Chips’. I had always been very against this as a songwriter. However, I have found some things about my current home town of Portland OR to be very frustrating. There are too many musicians for too few gigs, and there is a cutthroat attitude around the ‘old guard’ in the community that can lead to exclusion. For example, I have seen situations when someone who has been hosting a jam session retires, the venue doesn’t choose a new host. The old host of the jam session bequeathes the privilege of the jam session to a new host and it’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. It’s like a feudal system, and I feel like I have been expected to bow down and pay my respects to musicians who are arrogant without merit.