“I’ll start by saying that Australian identity is not American, we are different we are a bit of a ‘blank canvas’ so to speak. We do not have, with the exception of indigenous music, the established traditions of other parts of the world. This can be seen as a disadvantage but we do have the freedom to pick and choose what we want.”

Andy…

“Keeping it fresh, keeping the passion alive, is best viewed as the waxing and waning of the moon. Consistently strong performances are a challenge, subject to any number of variable conditions: illness, fatigue and misadventure on the highways.”

René Huard:

Gently Used (Brand New Blues & Roots)…

“The impact of blues and jazz on racial and sociocultural implications to me, by simple observation, traditionally comes from people of color. Throughout history we have many people with different shades of skin coming out with the blues, like myself.”

Mysti Mayhem:

Global Hippie from the…

“What I miss about that music from the past—and even more so today, in the age of AI where more and more music is created by robots—is, first and foremost, the human element. It was music made by real people. That implies a dynamic quality and a vitality that a robot simply cannot achieve. The mood during a recording session, imperceptible little errors: all of that gives it life.”…

“Klezmer and Chassidic music, much like the blues, often possess a bittersweet quality. Even the most joyous melodies can carry an undercurrent of sadness, longing, or pain. Without getting too technical, many klezmer melodies draw on scales that feature a flatted fifth, echoing the “blue note” so characteristic of the blues. This note can be bent, stretched, and inflected, lending the music an expressive…

“We need blues music! We need county music! We need Jazz music! We need Soul music! We can communicate through the above… It’s a sense of the inner being excited of something beyond what we can explain.”

Mark Feltham: Harmonica Gentleman

Mark Feltham is an English professional musician, best known for…

“Therefore, I believe the true appeal of the blues lies in its freedom, its spontaneity, and its inventiveness. It blends the spontaneous expression of African culture with European musical structure. Think about it: if you go to a gospel church service, everyone stands up and yells "Amen!" whereas in a traditional European Christian service, people tend to sit on their hands and remain passive.”…

“Probably that my musical identity is much broader than I once thought it was. When you’re younger, there’s often enormous pressure to define yourself. Are you a blues artist? A folk artist? A singer-songwriter? Americana? Acoustic? Electric? The industry likes boxes because boxes are useful for selling things. I’ve gradually become much less interested in the box.”…

“If you are playing from your heart and speaking the truth about your life and experiences, you will connect with listeners.”

Donna Herula: Cold Feet, …Hot Blues!

Hailed for her “superlative guitar prowess” (Living Blues Magazine), Donna Herula is an…

“The blues is deeply personal and family-oriented for me. I’ve been around this music for probably 90% of my life simply because my grandmother was so heavily involved in it. Naturally, I am biased toward it, but I also truly understand it. To me, the blues represents life.”

Brian Needham: Theresa's…