“Music today gives people a place to connect, escape, and heal. Blues is the root of it all — rock, soul, even hip-hop grew out of it. Preserving and spreading the blues matters ’cause it’s our history, our truth, and it still speaks to what folks are going through now.”

Jay Hooks: Tequila, Bullets & Texas Blues

Texas blues-rock firebrand Jay Hooks will release “Tequila & Bullets” (September 2025) his first studio album in years, produced by Matthew R. Johnson and released on Joplin Street Music. Hooks says the album was driven by a simple goal: to capture the energy of his early 2000s European tours. From start to finish, Tequila & Bullets brims with the grit of Gulf Coast roadhouses, the burn of late-night whiskey, and the defiant spirit that has defined Hooks’ career. It’s the sound of a musician who’s walked away, lived life, and returned sharper, louder and more in command than ever. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Hooks cut his teeth on Gulf Coast blues, mixing Texas grit with rock-and-roll swagger. Hooks toured extensively with Antone’s recording artist Lavelle White, earning his stripes night after night. By the late ‘90s, he was fronting his own band, recording the 1998 Sunburst album Hooked Up with producer Dan Workman. In 1999, Hooks signed with Provogue Records, releasing Jay Hooks (2000) and Red Line (2002). His fiery performances brought him to international stages, including a standout appearance on Germany’s legendary Rockpalast in 2003, solidifying his reputation as one of Texas’ most electrifying exports.

(Texas blues-rock guitarist and singer Jay Hooks / Photo by Cathy Wotipka)

After stepping away from the music industry to focus on family and business, Hooks returned to the road in 2018 at the call of Gulf Coast Records artist Mark May. The spark was reignited instantly. That spark fuels every note he plays today. With his unmistakable tone, unrelenting energy, and a catalog that bridges Texas tradition and global appeal, Jay Hooks is once again ready to show the world that real-deal blues rock isn’t just alive - it’s loaded, cocked and ready to fire.

Interview by Michael Limnios                                Special Thanks: Doug Deutsch

How has the Blues and Rock influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

Blues and Rock shaped how I see the world by teaching me that every struggle and every joy has a place in the music. The Blues gave me honesty, and Rock gave me the emotion to push it out. The moment that changed everything was the first time I felt the crowd respond to my guitar — that’s when I knew this wasn’t just playing, it was who I am.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I’d say my sound is Texas blues with an outlaw edge — raw, loud, but still rooted in the soul of the blues. My philosophy is simple: keep it real. If it don’t come from the heart, folks can feel it. My songbook’s full of stories about life, love, and the trouble in between. The drive? That comes from living it. Every hard time, every good time, and every mile on the road. That’s the fuel — I just turn it into music.

Why do you think that the Texas Blues Rock scene continues to generate such a devoted following?

Texas Blues Rock keeps folks coming back ’cause it’s real — it’s got soul, and a whole lotta truth. Down here we play it  raw, and from the heart, and people feel that. It’s more than music, it’s a way of life — that’s why the following never fades.

“What I miss most is the raw honesty — back then it was less about polish and more about feel. My hope is the blues keeps living through new players who respect the roots. My fear is it gets watered down and folks forget where it came from.” (Jay Hooks / Photo by Cathy Wotipka)

What´s been the highlights in your career? Are there any memories from gigs and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Some of the big highlights for me have been sharing the stage with legends and watching folks light up when the band locks in. Playing spots like the Continental Club always stand out — that room got soul. Studio-wise, cutting Tequila & Bullets with Matt Johnson and Brian Baker was a turning point. Long hours, some laughs, some struggles, but hearing those songs come alive made it all worth it.

Every gig and session tells a piece of my story — from the little bars where three people are listening to the nights when the crowd’s shoulder to shoulder. That mix keeps me hungry.

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

What I miss most is the raw honesty — back then it was less about polish and more about feel. My hope is the blues keeps living through new players who respect the roots. My fear is it gets watered down and folks forget where it came from.

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

Biggest lessons? Stay true to yourself, treat people right, and keep grinding no matter what. Music’ll break your heart and lift you up in the same night, but if you love it, you keep playing.

How can a band/musician truly turn the blues/rock into a commercial and popular genre of music for the today's audience?

To make blues and rock connect today, you gotta keep the heart of it but dress it in a way folks now can feel. Don’t chase trends — just bring the truth with energy, grit, and stories people relate to. If it’s real, it’ll always find an audience.

“I’d say my sound is Texas blues with an outlaw edge — raw, loud, but still rooted in the soul of the blues. My philosophy is simple: keep it real. If it don’t come from the heart, folks can feel it. My songbook’s full of stories about life, love, and the trouble in between. The drive? That comes from living it. Every hard time, every good time, and every mile on the road. That’s the fuel — I just turn it into music.”

(Texas blues-rock guitarist and singer Jay Hooks / Photo by Cathy Wotipka)

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

Music today gives people a place to connect, escape, and heal. Blues is the root of it all — rock, soul, even hip-hop grew out of it. Preserving and spreading the blues matters ’cause it’s our history, our truth, and it still speaks to what folks are going through now.

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