Any opportunity to play...
Muirsical Conversation with Joanne Shaw Taylor
Muirsical Conversation with Joanne Shaw Taylor
Since kicking off an acclaimed four studio (and one live) album and counting career with the excellent White Sugar in 2009, Joanne Shaw Taylor has become not just one of the UK’s most noteworthy blues rockers but one of the flourishing genres busiest.
The number of tour dates, special guest support slots and festival appearances performed would lead you to believe that the British Blues Award winning singer-songwriter-guitarist is always on a stage somewhere or heading to one on the tour bus – but then we are talking about a musician that just loves to play.
Joanne Shaw Taylor took time out from that busy schedule to chat with FabricationsHQ about her career thus far, the love of both performance and high energy audiences and why going back to Tennessee and renowned producer Jim Gaines to record The Dirty Truth was just the musical tonic she needed.
But the conversation started with a summary of what has been a busy twelve months or so for one of the bonniest blues rockers in the business…
Ross Muir: It’s been quite the time for you since last autumn and the release of The Dirty Truth.
There was the Special Guest slot on Robin Trower’s UK tour in April, you recently released the single Wicked Soul and you will be touring across the UK again in September and October.
You then finish the year off with a return to the Planet Rockstock Festival at Trecco Bay in December.
You have to be a happy blues gal the way things are going for you right now…
Joanne Shaw Taylor: Actually now that you’ve said it like that it sounds like I’m more tired than happy [laughs] but yes, it’s been really busy ever since the album came out late last year.
But it’s all been fantastic – it’s good to be busy!
RM: The Robin Trower UK tour was a great set of dates for you and at The Arches in Glasgow you had an enthusiastic and greatly appreciative crowd. Sadly it’s not uncommon for the majority of an audience to only gather or arrive in time for the main act but you had pretty much a full hall from the off…
JST: We did, yes! I remember that gig very well, actually. We played The Arches twice – I was very sad to hear that it recently closed – and I don’t know if it was that particular venue or just you guys up in Glasgow but every time we go up there we have a fantastic reception; you guys are just so up for it.
Glasgow is somewhere the boys and I always look forward to playing because we know we’re going to get a good crowd.
RM: Glasgow audiences have had that reputation, historically, for decades.
"Weegie" crowds are incredibly appreciative of any act or artist that comes up here, rolls up the shirt sleeves and delivers. That’s true of any musical genre but it’s particularly noticeable at blues and blues rock shows.
JST: I definitely think so and you’re spot on about everything you said about Glaswegian crowds and Scottish crowds in general. What we do, in blues and blues rock genres, is very much a live thing; that’s when you really see and hear it come in to its own. So if you have a really appreciative crowd, and that’s from the second you walk on stage, where everybody is already going nuts [laughter] it really does help.
You always want to get up there on stage and give your best but when you’re greeted with that kind of reception from the get-go you really do try and pull some stuff out.
So that’s good for the audience – well, hopefully they’re enjoying what we’re doing [laughs] – but it’s also great for us to have that energy to feed off.
RM: Yes, it’s a give and receive energy and it is very prevalent in blues and blues rock – Allan Nimmo of King King, young Ben Poole and all the other guys will tell you the same thing.
People think that’s something that’s just said, or imagined, but it’s clearly evident; it’s a tangible energy.
JST: Absolutely. The thing about this genre – and mentioning King King and Ben Poole are great examples – is it’s very guitar based, particularly live where some of that playing is improvised.
Although if you’re sitting there – my pet peeve is sit-down audiences; how can you sit there doing what we do? [laughs] – sometimes it can be hard to get that energy when you’ve forced people to be seated for a show. Obviously you just get out there and do it anyway, but when you can get that kind of energy off a crowd, when you are improvising, it can be used by an artist to see just where you can go.
Sometimes you get those magical nights where all the pieces fit and all those boxes are ticked and you can pull some really good stuff out of the hat; but it doesn’t happen very often.
RM: Riding a wave of energy and ticking all those boxes certainly describes your extended live rendition of Watch ‘em Burn from the White Sugar album. It’s a song that sits relatively early in your set but at The Arches it metaphorically brought the roof down – actually, it damn near did it literally.
JST: [laughs] Thank you very much. Someone asked me just the other day why we put that song so early in the set and I said "Do you work out at all? Because it’s kind of like our warm up!"
That’s kind of my stretching routine; we get that one in and then we’re warmed up for the rest of the show...
The number of tour dates, special guest support slots and festival appearances performed would lead you to believe that the British Blues Award winning singer-songwriter-guitarist is always on a stage somewhere or heading to one on the tour bus – but then we are talking about a musician that just loves to play.
Joanne Shaw Taylor took time out from that busy schedule to chat with FabricationsHQ about her career thus far, the love of both performance and high energy audiences and why going back to Tennessee and renowned producer Jim Gaines to record The Dirty Truth was just the musical tonic she needed.
But the conversation started with a summary of what has been a busy twelve months or so for one of the bonniest blues rockers in the business…
Ross Muir: It’s been quite the time for you since last autumn and the release of The Dirty Truth.
There was the Special Guest slot on Robin Trower’s UK tour in April, you recently released the single Wicked Soul and you will be touring across the UK again in September and October.
You then finish the year off with a return to the Planet Rockstock Festival at Trecco Bay in December.
You have to be a happy blues gal the way things are going for you right now…
Joanne Shaw Taylor: Actually now that you’ve said it like that it sounds like I’m more tired than happy [laughs] but yes, it’s been really busy ever since the album came out late last year.
But it’s all been fantastic – it’s good to be busy!
RM: The Robin Trower UK tour was a great set of dates for you and at The Arches in Glasgow you had an enthusiastic and greatly appreciative crowd. Sadly it’s not uncommon for the majority of an audience to only gather or arrive in time for the main act but you had pretty much a full hall from the off…
JST: We did, yes! I remember that gig very well, actually. We played The Arches twice – I was very sad to hear that it recently closed – and I don’t know if it was that particular venue or just you guys up in Glasgow but every time we go up there we have a fantastic reception; you guys are just so up for it.
Glasgow is somewhere the boys and I always look forward to playing because we know we’re going to get a good crowd.
RM: Glasgow audiences have had that reputation, historically, for decades.
"Weegie" crowds are incredibly appreciative of any act or artist that comes up here, rolls up the shirt sleeves and delivers. That’s true of any musical genre but it’s particularly noticeable at blues and blues rock shows.
JST: I definitely think so and you’re spot on about everything you said about Glaswegian crowds and Scottish crowds in general. What we do, in blues and blues rock genres, is very much a live thing; that’s when you really see and hear it come in to its own. So if you have a really appreciative crowd, and that’s from the second you walk on stage, where everybody is already going nuts [laughter] it really does help.
You always want to get up there on stage and give your best but when you’re greeted with that kind of reception from the get-go you really do try and pull some stuff out.
So that’s good for the audience – well, hopefully they’re enjoying what we’re doing [laughs] – but it’s also great for us to have that energy to feed off.
RM: Yes, it’s a give and receive energy and it is very prevalent in blues and blues rock – Allan Nimmo of King King, young Ben Poole and all the other guys will tell you the same thing.
People think that’s something that’s just said, or imagined, but it’s clearly evident; it’s a tangible energy.
JST: Absolutely. The thing about this genre – and mentioning King King and Ben Poole are great examples – is it’s very guitar based, particularly live where some of that playing is improvised.
Although if you’re sitting there – my pet peeve is sit-down audiences; how can you sit there doing what we do? [laughs] – sometimes it can be hard to get that energy when you’ve forced people to be seated for a show. Obviously you just get out there and do it anyway, but when you can get that kind of energy off a crowd, when you are improvising, it can be used by an artist to see just where you can go.
Sometimes you get those magical nights where all the pieces fit and all those boxes are ticked and you can pull some really good stuff out of the hat; but it doesn’t happen very often.
RM: Riding a wave of energy and ticking all those boxes certainly describes your extended live rendition of Watch ‘em Burn from the White Sugar album. It’s a song that sits relatively early in your set but at The Arches it metaphorically brought the roof down – actually, it damn near did it literally.
JST: [laughs] Thank you very much. Someone asked me just the other day why we put that song so early in the set and I said "Do you work out at all? Because it’s kind of like our warm up!"
That’s kind of my stretching routine; we get that one in and then we’re warmed up for the rest of the show...
RM: The live version of Watch ‘em Burn is full-blooded and full-on but your sets are not without light and shade; I’m thinking of songs such as Tried Tested and True and your cover of Frankie Miller’s Jealousy.
Your vocal on Jealousy and the female perspective brought to the song’s lyrics – in a style I would describe as a vocally controlled Janis Joplin – is a true highlight.
JST: Thank you so much. The lyrics are the reason I love that song. I don’t do many covers, that’s only the second one we’ve recorded, but that’s basically because I’m usually very bad at picking them! [laughs]
It’s really hard to make something your own, I find, when someone else has written it – that takes a certain talent in itself which I don’t think I have. But with Jealousy, as soon as I heard it I loved the lyrics and I didn’t think I could write a slow blues song of that style with lyrics that strong.
RM: It’s a great version, as is King King's cover of the song.
Up here Frankie is still rightfully regarded as a living legend so a great cover of any Frankie Miller song is going to earn both respect and applause...
JST: Yeah, I did hear that would be the case in Scotland, you would get a big cheer for performing a Frankie Miller song – but it really is a fun song to sing and I’m glad it seems to be going over so well.
RM: Hopefully we’ll get to hear it again when you are back up here in September as part of a pretty extensive twenty-two date trek across the UK. Looking forward to the tour?
JST: I really am. It’s always fun playing the UK and it’s the market I’ve invested in the most.
I’ve been playing the UK for about ten years now so I’m definitely looking forward to it and we’re hitting some really great places. We’re back up in Glasgow as you said and we’ll be playing York, we have gigs across the Midlands, we’ll be down in London… so yeah, it is quite an extensive tour and I think it’s going to be really good fun!
RM: On the Robin Trower tour you were performing as a power trio with bassist Tom Godlington and drummer Oliver Perry – can we expect that again or are you looking to revert back to a four piece with keyboards?
JST: I was toying with going back to the four-piece but we’re going to keep it as the power trio.
I’m really enjoying that format at the moment; it’s working pretty well for us and the band is getting really tight – we’ve been performing together for about a year now so it’s really good fun getting out on the road as a power trio.
RM: I think that’s a wise move. You have such a great groove going with this band right now – and if it ain’t broke…
JST: Exactly – don’t fix it. That’s my mantra! [laughs]
RM: And at the end of the year it’s back to Planet Rockstock…
JST: Yes! That’s our final show of year – we really had a blast there last year and Planet Rock has been hugely supportive of me, which I’m very thankful for. So the band and the team are really looking forward to ending our year there again. It seems like a million miles away right now but it will be here before we know it!
RM: Well before we wish our year away [laughs] let’s stick to the present and the current single, complete with lyric video, Wicked Soul.
That’s a cracking little groove-driven song – but it also sounds like it has a story attached to it…
JST: Well first of all thank you and yes, some of the songs on The Dirty Truth are written from personal experience – although not the title track; that’s fictional and I’ve never shot anyone! [laughs]
But Wicked Soul is one of the honest songs – I ended quite a serious relationship around the time we did the album and lyrically I express that on Wicked Soul and Tried, Tested and True.
They were songs I needed to write and Wicked Soul is a song that’s close to my heart – but it was also one of the hardest songs to write. It was the first riff I came up with but the last lyric I wrote; I think it turned out pretty well though…
Your vocal on Jealousy and the female perspective brought to the song’s lyrics – in a style I would describe as a vocally controlled Janis Joplin – is a true highlight.
JST: Thank you so much. The lyrics are the reason I love that song. I don’t do many covers, that’s only the second one we’ve recorded, but that’s basically because I’m usually very bad at picking them! [laughs]
It’s really hard to make something your own, I find, when someone else has written it – that takes a certain talent in itself which I don’t think I have. But with Jealousy, as soon as I heard it I loved the lyrics and I didn’t think I could write a slow blues song of that style with lyrics that strong.
RM: It’s a great version, as is King King's cover of the song.
Up here Frankie is still rightfully regarded as a living legend so a great cover of any Frankie Miller song is going to earn both respect and applause...
JST: Yeah, I did hear that would be the case in Scotland, you would get a big cheer for performing a Frankie Miller song – but it really is a fun song to sing and I’m glad it seems to be going over so well.
RM: Hopefully we’ll get to hear it again when you are back up here in September as part of a pretty extensive twenty-two date trek across the UK. Looking forward to the tour?
JST: I really am. It’s always fun playing the UK and it’s the market I’ve invested in the most.
I’ve been playing the UK for about ten years now so I’m definitely looking forward to it and we’re hitting some really great places. We’re back up in Glasgow as you said and we’ll be playing York, we have gigs across the Midlands, we’ll be down in London… so yeah, it is quite an extensive tour and I think it’s going to be really good fun!
RM: On the Robin Trower tour you were performing as a power trio with bassist Tom Godlington and drummer Oliver Perry – can we expect that again or are you looking to revert back to a four piece with keyboards?
JST: I was toying with going back to the four-piece but we’re going to keep it as the power trio.
I’m really enjoying that format at the moment; it’s working pretty well for us and the band is getting really tight – we’ve been performing together for about a year now so it’s really good fun getting out on the road as a power trio.
RM: I think that’s a wise move. You have such a great groove going with this band right now – and if it ain’t broke…
JST: Exactly – don’t fix it. That’s my mantra! [laughs]
RM: And at the end of the year it’s back to Planet Rockstock…
JST: Yes! That’s our final show of year – we really had a blast there last year and Planet Rock has been hugely supportive of me, which I’m very thankful for. So the band and the team are really looking forward to ending our year there again. It seems like a million miles away right now but it will be here before we know it!
RM: Well before we wish our year away [laughs] let’s stick to the present and the current single, complete with lyric video, Wicked Soul.
That’s a cracking little groove-driven song – but it also sounds like it has a story attached to it…
JST: Well first of all thank you and yes, some of the songs on The Dirty Truth are written from personal experience – although not the title track; that’s fictional and I’ve never shot anyone! [laughs]
But Wicked Soul is one of the honest songs – I ended quite a serious relationship around the time we did the album and lyrically I express that on Wicked Soul and Tried, Tested and True.
They were songs I needed to write and Wicked Soul is a song that’s close to my heart – but it was also one of the hardest songs to write. It was the first riff I came up with but the last lyric I wrote; I think it turned out pretty well though…
RM: You mentioned earlier that blues and blues rock really lives live, but you have the best of both worlds – great studio material under your belt and what seems to be a true enjoyment of performance…
JST: I really do enjoy performing, yes! I enjoy recording and being in the studio too but the stage is what it’s really about for me – I think most people working in this genre would agree with that.
Creating those songs is great but performing them and seeing the fans really dig what you’re doing?
That’s the real reward.
RM: And there’s such vibrancy in the British blues rock scene right now; there’s a solid core of talent out there producing the goods – your good self, we mentioned King King and Ben Poole earlier, Chantel McGregor and Laurence Jones, to name but five. Laurence plays like a veteran but looks about fourteen…
JST: I think you just added on about three years there; I think he’s about eleven? [laughs]
RM: Well whatever age he is [laughs] he’s one of a number of great blues rock artists with what is not just predominately their own material, but great material.
It has to be gratifying that, in your own case, albums such as The Dirty Truth are getting such positive recognition…
JST: Yeah it is and I think it goes back to what you just said – there is a lot of good talent coming through the blues rock scene at the moment, like Laurence. I’ve known Laurence since he was about five – which was just a few years ago [laughter] – but there really is a lot of good stuff coming through.
So it’s nice to be part of that scene, especially when it’s with, as you also said, artists writing their own material. It’s great to see people responding to that and appreciating it.
RM: From the burgeoning blues rock scene to your own musical beginnings – how did a West Midlands and Birmingham based girl get in to the blues in the first place?
JST: My dad was a big blues fan and played guitar; my brother played guitar as well and I would play the guitar around the house.
But for me it was really discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan; he was the classic gateway artist to the blues for my generation. I’d heard Charlie Patton and Big Bill Broonzy but it was kind of hard for a thirteen year old girl to get in to that kind of stuff and the older recordings; they could be hard to listen to.
So Stevie became the gateway artist for me; hearing him got me in to the blues.
RM: There are some fantastic, dirty great Texas Blues and SRV styled shuffles on your albums…
JST: And that was always the thing for me; I just loved that Texas Blues.
I’m obviously heavily influenced by the blues but I don’t think you can describe any of my albums as "blues" blues albums. There are those big nods to Texas Blues in there for a start.
RM: And you also have little bits of Memphis Blues as well as an almost funkified, soul-blues feel to some of your playing.
In fact the current crop of British blues rock artists have great diversification – Ben Poole’s soul-pop stylings for example – it makes the scene all the more vibrant and not just the 12 bar blues we’ve all heard before…
JST: I think what the trick is on the scene at the moment is that we have some great guitar players out there who also have great versatility, like Ben. I know Ben’s a big Richie Kotzen fan and he’s such a versatile guitar player. So for me, with that mix of influences, it’s like having a breath of fresh air blowing through the scene.
RM: From influences to introductions… as carried in your bio and has been referenced many times, your break came when Dave Stewart discovered you when you were 16 and invited you to be part of his band that toured Europe in 2002. How did that chain of events all come about?
JST: We had been doing a charity show in Solihull, the town where I grew up. We had been asked by one of the wives of a member of UB40; she had breast cancer and she knew my mum had been going through it. One of Dave’s friends happened to be there and he got hold of a demo CD off my dad.
Basically, he passed the CD on to Dave, who then phoned the next day and shortly after that we were driving down to London to meet him! It was just one of those freak things, really.
RM: And that started you on the road, certainly as regards the musical apprenticeship of honing your skills and larger audience performances…
JST: Yes and I don’t think I’d be the artist I am now without Dave; he was very encouraging of my guitar playing but he was also the first person that sat me down and talked through how important it is that you learn to write songs. You can play the best guitar solo in the world, but if it’s not in a good song no-one’s going to hear it or listen to it.
Dave was very instrumental in encouraging me to write and sing and become more of an artist than just a guitar player. I have a lot to thank him for.
RM: And that apprenticeship, that encouragement, led a few years later to the accomplished debut album. White Sugar is a great husky voiced mix of Memphis Blues, shuffles and funkified soul blues…
JST: Thank you very much. It’s funny but when you mention that album it seems like a million years ago now [laughs). But then it's already seven years since we recorded it!
RM: And so much has happened for you since White Sugar. I mentioned the mix of styles on that album – was that intentional, to get a wide range of blues-tinged textures down early?
JST: At the time, to be honest, my only concern was to get a good debut album done!
I was already very nervous about the fact that it was a debut album and had put off making one for a few years because I didn’t want to make one that was just good guitar playing; I wanted the songs to be there too.
But it was a kind of happy accident, a lot of White Sugar. I didn’t have a lot of material going in so there was a lot of panic writing going on [laughs] as well as pulling out things from live sets I hadn’t played in seven years like Time Has Come and Blackest Day. But it all seemed to come together and just kind of work!
I don’t think with any of the albums I’ve ever sat down and said "that has to be this type of blues song and this has to be that sort of song…" you just get a hold of the best songs you have at the time and try and get the best performances you can.
RM: Well however you constructed it White Sugar became a solid foundation to build from and within a year you won Best Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards, did the same again the next year and picked up a Songwriters Award for Same as it Never Was from the Diamonds in the Dirt album.
Clearly the singing and the songwriting is as important to you as the guitar playing.
JST: I think songwriting is the most important to be honest.
Again, it’s all right to be able to play the guitar but if the song’s aren’t there? How many people want to hear a great guitar solo in a bad song? Not many I would imagine!
Songwriting is also the biggest challenge for me because sometimes I find it quite difficult; therefore when you do get it together or you’ve written a good song that’s very rewarding because it’s taken the most amount of work.
RM: Is the other part of that songwriting challenge the push to make the next album the best album?
JST: I hope so but, unfortunately, that’s the creative side of things – I don’t think I have too much control over how creative I am [laughs] but, yeah, I do hope it’s onwards and upwards.
I actually love every album I’ve done – because it’s kind of like picking you’re favourite kid! – but hopefully when we get to the next album it will be a good experience and people will like it.
RM: On the basis of the first four studio albums Joanne I doubt that will be an issue.
But of course it’s not just album highlights – I’m thinking specifically of 2012 where you’re the guitarist in Annie Lennox’s band at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert and soloing in front of Buckingham Palace…
JST: And that was a gig I never thought I would get! [laughs] but it was a fantastic experience.
I was obviously so thankful that Annie asked me to be part of it. Quite incredible, really.
RM: Now, is it true that as you’re cranking up for your solo at that performance your fuzz pedal or pedal board failed and that’s why you played a cleaner solo?
JST: Yes, that is true! I’m not quite sure what happened because it was all over in what seemed to be only seconds of an already nerve-wracking gig [laughs]; but something did go wrong.
I was choreographed to walk towards Annie for the solo but I was already half-way to her when I realised something was wrong and the pedal hadn’t kicked in; I could hardly turn my back on Annie and walk back [laughs] so I played the solo without the effect.
And then Stevie Wonder sent his drum tech over to find me at the end of the evening to tell me Stevie loved my "clean, bluesy sound" – so it all worked out for the best!
RM: Brilliant [laughs]. The obvious follow-on question is did that whole episode – and end result – make you rethink how much pedal effect to use or how much pedal you need in a solo?
JST: You know what, at the time I did go down to a stripped down board but I don’t use too much anyway.
I use delay and a boost and a tube screamer but, yeah, it did kind of bring back those days where I didn’t mess about and went straight into the amp.
So I did strip it back; sometimes you realise you don’t need all of those pedals that have just become crutches [laughs].
RM: I’m a firm believer in less is more. I’m not a guitarist but as someone with the utmost respect for those that can truly play the instrument, I do look at some guitarist’s pedal boards and effects arrays and when I see a set-up that’s bigger than the drum riser I think "that cannot be necessary."
JST: You should talk to Dave Stewart! [laughs]. When I was on tour with Dave it was like looking at the plan of the organ in St Paul’s Cathedral, such was the size of his pedal board [laughter] – but, yes, you don’t always need something ten times the size of the keyboard. Well, unless you’re The Edge [laughs].
RM: And if only he had only stayed at his keyboard sized pedal board instead of going walk-a-bout he wouldn’t have fallen off the bloody stage…
JST: Exactly [laughs]. That’s my problem actually – I’m not much of a multi-tasker; I’ve got enough things to worry about when I’m up there on stage let alone which pedal is meant to be kicked on.
That’s why I keep the set-up simple! [laughs]
JST: I really do enjoy performing, yes! I enjoy recording and being in the studio too but the stage is what it’s really about for me – I think most people working in this genre would agree with that.
Creating those songs is great but performing them and seeing the fans really dig what you’re doing?
That’s the real reward.
RM: And there’s such vibrancy in the British blues rock scene right now; there’s a solid core of talent out there producing the goods – your good self, we mentioned King King and Ben Poole earlier, Chantel McGregor and Laurence Jones, to name but five. Laurence plays like a veteran but looks about fourteen…
JST: I think you just added on about three years there; I think he’s about eleven? [laughs]
RM: Well whatever age he is [laughs] he’s one of a number of great blues rock artists with what is not just predominately their own material, but great material.
It has to be gratifying that, in your own case, albums such as The Dirty Truth are getting such positive recognition…
JST: Yeah it is and I think it goes back to what you just said – there is a lot of good talent coming through the blues rock scene at the moment, like Laurence. I’ve known Laurence since he was about five – which was just a few years ago [laughter] – but there really is a lot of good stuff coming through.
So it’s nice to be part of that scene, especially when it’s with, as you also said, artists writing their own material. It’s great to see people responding to that and appreciating it.
RM: From the burgeoning blues rock scene to your own musical beginnings – how did a West Midlands and Birmingham based girl get in to the blues in the first place?
JST: My dad was a big blues fan and played guitar; my brother played guitar as well and I would play the guitar around the house.
But for me it was really discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan; he was the classic gateway artist to the blues for my generation. I’d heard Charlie Patton and Big Bill Broonzy but it was kind of hard for a thirteen year old girl to get in to that kind of stuff and the older recordings; they could be hard to listen to.
So Stevie became the gateway artist for me; hearing him got me in to the blues.
RM: There are some fantastic, dirty great Texas Blues and SRV styled shuffles on your albums…
JST: And that was always the thing for me; I just loved that Texas Blues.
I’m obviously heavily influenced by the blues but I don’t think you can describe any of my albums as "blues" blues albums. There are those big nods to Texas Blues in there for a start.
RM: And you also have little bits of Memphis Blues as well as an almost funkified, soul-blues feel to some of your playing.
In fact the current crop of British blues rock artists have great diversification – Ben Poole’s soul-pop stylings for example – it makes the scene all the more vibrant and not just the 12 bar blues we’ve all heard before…
JST: I think what the trick is on the scene at the moment is that we have some great guitar players out there who also have great versatility, like Ben. I know Ben’s a big Richie Kotzen fan and he’s such a versatile guitar player. So for me, with that mix of influences, it’s like having a breath of fresh air blowing through the scene.
RM: From influences to introductions… as carried in your bio and has been referenced many times, your break came when Dave Stewart discovered you when you were 16 and invited you to be part of his band that toured Europe in 2002. How did that chain of events all come about?
JST: We had been doing a charity show in Solihull, the town where I grew up. We had been asked by one of the wives of a member of UB40; she had breast cancer and she knew my mum had been going through it. One of Dave’s friends happened to be there and he got hold of a demo CD off my dad.
Basically, he passed the CD on to Dave, who then phoned the next day and shortly after that we were driving down to London to meet him! It was just one of those freak things, really.
RM: And that started you on the road, certainly as regards the musical apprenticeship of honing your skills and larger audience performances…
JST: Yes and I don’t think I’d be the artist I am now without Dave; he was very encouraging of my guitar playing but he was also the first person that sat me down and talked through how important it is that you learn to write songs. You can play the best guitar solo in the world, but if it’s not in a good song no-one’s going to hear it or listen to it.
Dave was very instrumental in encouraging me to write and sing and become more of an artist than just a guitar player. I have a lot to thank him for.
RM: And that apprenticeship, that encouragement, led a few years later to the accomplished debut album. White Sugar is a great husky voiced mix of Memphis Blues, shuffles and funkified soul blues…
JST: Thank you very much. It’s funny but when you mention that album it seems like a million years ago now [laughs). But then it's already seven years since we recorded it!
RM: And so much has happened for you since White Sugar. I mentioned the mix of styles on that album – was that intentional, to get a wide range of blues-tinged textures down early?
JST: At the time, to be honest, my only concern was to get a good debut album done!
I was already very nervous about the fact that it was a debut album and had put off making one for a few years because I didn’t want to make one that was just good guitar playing; I wanted the songs to be there too.
But it was a kind of happy accident, a lot of White Sugar. I didn’t have a lot of material going in so there was a lot of panic writing going on [laughs] as well as pulling out things from live sets I hadn’t played in seven years like Time Has Come and Blackest Day. But it all seemed to come together and just kind of work!
I don’t think with any of the albums I’ve ever sat down and said "that has to be this type of blues song and this has to be that sort of song…" you just get a hold of the best songs you have at the time and try and get the best performances you can.
RM: Well however you constructed it White Sugar became a solid foundation to build from and within a year you won Best Female Vocalist at the British Blues Awards, did the same again the next year and picked up a Songwriters Award for Same as it Never Was from the Diamonds in the Dirt album.
Clearly the singing and the songwriting is as important to you as the guitar playing.
JST: I think songwriting is the most important to be honest.
Again, it’s all right to be able to play the guitar but if the song’s aren’t there? How many people want to hear a great guitar solo in a bad song? Not many I would imagine!
Songwriting is also the biggest challenge for me because sometimes I find it quite difficult; therefore when you do get it together or you’ve written a good song that’s very rewarding because it’s taken the most amount of work.
RM: Is the other part of that songwriting challenge the push to make the next album the best album?
JST: I hope so but, unfortunately, that’s the creative side of things – I don’t think I have too much control over how creative I am [laughs] but, yeah, I do hope it’s onwards and upwards.
I actually love every album I’ve done – because it’s kind of like picking you’re favourite kid! – but hopefully when we get to the next album it will be a good experience and people will like it.
RM: On the basis of the first four studio albums Joanne I doubt that will be an issue.
But of course it’s not just album highlights – I’m thinking specifically of 2012 where you’re the guitarist in Annie Lennox’s band at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert and soloing in front of Buckingham Palace…
JST: And that was a gig I never thought I would get! [laughs] but it was a fantastic experience.
I was obviously so thankful that Annie asked me to be part of it. Quite incredible, really.
RM: Now, is it true that as you’re cranking up for your solo at that performance your fuzz pedal or pedal board failed and that’s why you played a cleaner solo?
JST: Yes, that is true! I’m not quite sure what happened because it was all over in what seemed to be only seconds of an already nerve-wracking gig [laughs]; but something did go wrong.
I was choreographed to walk towards Annie for the solo but I was already half-way to her when I realised something was wrong and the pedal hadn’t kicked in; I could hardly turn my back on Annie and walk back [laughs] so I played the solo without the effect.
And then Stevie Wonder sent his drum tech over to find me at the end of the evening to tell me Stevie loved my "clean, bluesy sound" – so it all worked out for the best!
RM: Brilliant [laughs]. The obvious follow-on question is did that whole episode – and end result – make you rethink how much pedal effect to use or how much pedal you need in a solo?
JST: You know what, at the time I did go down to a stripped down board but I don’t use too much anyway.
I use delay and a boost and a tube screamer but, yeah, it did kind of bring back those days where I didn’t mess about and went straight into the amp.
So I did strip it back; sometimes you realise you don’t need all of those pedals that have just become crutches [laughs].
RM: I’m a firm believer in less is more. I’m not a guitarist but as someone with the utmost respect for those that can truly play the instrument, I do look at some guitarist’s pedal boards and effects arrays and when I see a set-up that’s bigger than the drum riser I think "that cannot be necessary."
JST: You should talk to Dave Stewart! [laughs]. When I was on tour with Dave it was like looking at the plan of the organ in St Paul’s Cathedral, such was the size of his pedal board [laughter] – but, yes, you don’t always need something ten times the size of the keyboard. Well, unless you’re The Edge [laughs].
RM: And if only he had only stayed at his keyboard sized pedal board instead of going walk-a-bout he wouldn’t have fallen off the bloody stage…
JST: Exactly [laughs]. That’s my problem actually – I’m not much of a multi-tasker; I’ve got enough things to worry about when I’m up there on stage let alone which pedal is meant to be kicked on.
That’s why I keep the set-up simple! [laughs]
Joanne Shaw Taylor has the best of both musical worlds – four great studio albums under her blues rock
belt and a love of performance that puts a smile on her face: "I can't believe I get to do this for a living!"
RM: We’ve mentioned The Dirty Truth a couple of times; while there is musical merit in all of your albums I believe The Dirty Truth to be your best album to date.
Recorded in Memphis with producer Jim Gaines, that’s just a fantastic collection of songs with wonderful blues light and shade…
JST: As I said earlier I do love all my albums – I’m fond of all of them for different reasons – but The Dirty Truth was very particular because I’d come off a bit of a tough year in 2013.
We were doing the Songs From the Road live album, my mum had just passed away and we just seemed to be touring non-stop.
So I made the decision one night, while we were touring in Switzerland, that the next time I recorded an album I was going to go back to Jim Gaines because Jim has become one of my best friends, he’s a lovely man and it’s always a great experience working with him – I was thinking "well, if I’ve got to work in a studio I want it to be a nice experience and a bit of a holiday from the road." And it was exactly that.
It was an easy album to make. I wrote the whole thing in a few days, writing as we were going, and I chilled out at Jim’s house – you’re sitting on the porch down south, having a beer, after you’re done for the evening… it was just such a fun album to make and hopefully that’s reflected on the finished product.
It was a joy to make and I think hanging out with Jim really paid off.
RM: It absolutely did and it’s interesting that even although you were coming off a difficult time and there are difficult, emotional expressions on that album there is a clear positivity – and a positive groove – underlying that album. That has to be because of the comfortable recording process…
JST: I think so. When you’re relaxed it is a lot easier; it’s almost like when you are improvising a guitar solo.
If you try to force it you’re probably going to end up playing the licks that are your go-to licks, whereas when you’re relaxed and really enjoying it you come up with the opportunity of pulling something new out the bag, or something better.
RM: So a great fourth album to add to the previous three noteworthy studio albums, a live release, acclaimed guest spots, various Blues Awards, your own tours… that’s not a bad little career thus far…
JST: No, it’s not – it’s been a pretty busy decade!
RM: And all helps confirm what we mentioned earlier about British blues rock being in very safe hands with the current incumbents and the new blood coming through…
JST: The more you travel through Europe and across parts of the States the more you realise we are so lucky to have such a great talent pool from such a small country – from bands like King King to artists like Ian Siegal, who is one of the finest performers we’ve produced. It really is a great time to be part of that scene.
RM: Final thoughts and the future for Joanne Shaw Taylor?
JST: At the end of the day I love what I do and I just love to play – I only hope that the hands and voice continue to hold up so I can keep doing it!
I can’t believe I get to do this for a living – there are worse jobs in the world than this so any opportunity to play is a good day!
RM: Like it. "Any opportunity to play is a good day" should be a Joanne Shaw Taylor tour T-shirt [laughter].
Joanne, thanks for chatting to FabricationsHQ and for what it’s worth I don’t doubt you will be doing this for a long time to come – and that’s the Dirty Truth of the matter.
JST: I hope so and thank you, mate!
belt and a love of performance that puts a smile on her face: "I can't believe I get to do this for a living!"
RM: We’ve mentioned The Dirty Truth a couple of times; while there is musical merit in all of your albums I believe The Dirty Truth to be your best album to date.
Recorded in Memphis with producer Jim Gaines, that’s just a fantastic collection of songs with wonderful blues light and shade…
JST: As I said earlier I do love all my albums – I’m fond of all of them for different reasons – but The Dirty Truth was very particular because I’d come off a bit of a tough year in 2013.
We were doing the Songs From the Road live album, my mum had just passed away and we just seemed to be touring non-stop.
So I made the decision one night, while we were touring in Switzerland, that the next time I recorded an album I was going to go back to Jim Gaines because Jim has become one of my best friends, he’s a lovely man and it’s always a great experience working with him – I was thinking "well, if I’ve got to work in a studio I want it to be a nice experience and a bit of a holiday from the road." And it was exactly that.
It was an easy album to make. I wrote the whole thing in a few days, writing as we were going, and I chilled out at Jim’s house – you’re sitting on the porch down south, having a beer, after you’re done for the evening… it was just such a fun album to make and hopefully that’s reflected on the finished product.
It was a joy to make and I think hanging out with Jim really paid off.
RM: It absolutely did and it’s interesting that even although you were coming off a difficult time and there are difficult, emotional expressions on that album there is a clear positivity – and a positive groove – underlying that album. That has to be because of the comfortable recording process…
JST: I think so. When you’re relaxed it is a lot easier; it’s almost like when you are improvising a guitar solo.
If you try to force it you’re probably going to end up playing the licks that are your go-to licks, whereas when you’re relaxed and really enjoying it you come up with the opportunity of pulling something new out the bag, or something better.
RM: So a great fourth album to add to the previous three noteworthy studio albums, a live release, acclaimed guest spots, various Blues Awards, your own tours… that’s not a bad little career thus far…
JST: No, it’s not – it’s been a pretty busy decade!
RM: And all helps confirm what we mentioned earlier about British blues rock being in very safe hands with the current incumbents and the new blood coming through…
JST: The more you travel through Europe and across parts of the States the more you realise we are so lucky to have such a great talent pool from such a small country – from bands like King King to artists like Ian Siegal, who is one of the finest performers we’ve produced. It really is a great time to be part of that scene.
RM: Final thoughts and the future for Joanne Shaw Taylor?
JST: At the end of the day I love what I do and I just love to play – I only hope that the hands and voice continue to hold up so I can keep doing it!
I can’t believe I get to do this for a living – there are worse jobs in the world than this so any opportunity to play is a good day!
RM: Like it. "Any opportunity to play is a good day" should be a Joanne Shaw Taylor tour T-shirt [laughter].
Joanne, thanks for chatting to FabricationsHQ and for what it’s worth I don’t doubt you will be doing this for a long time to come – and that’s the Dirty Truth of the matter.
JST: I hope so and thank you, mate!
Ross Muir
Muirsical Conversation with Joanne Shaw Taylor
August 2015
Joanne Shaw Taylor official website: http://www.joanneshawtaylor.com/
Audio tracks presented to accompany the above article and to promote the work of the artist.
No infringement of copyright is intended.
Photo credits: Stephen Brinkman (portrait image); Adam Kennedy (landscape image)
Muirsical Conversation with Joanne Shaw Taylor
August 2015
Joanne Shaw Taylor official website: http://www.joanneshawtaylor.com/
Audio tracks presented to accompany the above article and to promote the work of the artist.
No infringement of copyright is intended.
Photo credits: Stephen Brinkman (portrait image); Adam Kennedy (landscape image)