Browsing Tag

blues

Aaron Pollock – Call the Coroner Blues: A Sanctuary of Soul-Soaked Sublimity

Posted on 14 December 2025

There are 11 albums and a myriad of prestigious accolades behind Aaron Pollock, with him more than primed to become the blues guitar virtuoso of his generation. His recent seminal single, Call the Coroner Blues, asks you to forget tired expectations of blues and step onto his metaphorical front porch for a moment. The guitar mastery is only a fraction of the alchemy; his seraphically warm sense of soul draws you into a front porch-esque vignette that shrugs off the usual restraint of the genre, turning into an easy-listening earworm that invites you into the reverie of escapism.

The lyrics flirt with the quasi-macabre while refusing to chill the bones; instead, Pollock sings as though he is reaching into the sanctuary of sublimity, refracting that bliss into a piece that keeps the blues scales subtle, a nuanced nod to his talents that never need to overreach to make you recognise his intuitive relationship with his fretboard and his way of making each note the conduit of his soul.

Based in Australia, Pollock cut his teeth as a street performer before fast-tracking to international stages; by 22, he was already a finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and now, at 28, he has 11 self-produced albums under his belt and a reputation for packing out rooms across the States.

Across releases that move from psychedelic soundscapes to raw country blues and tender acoustic ballads, his entrancing fingerpicking turns one guitar into a conversation of many voices while his dynamic vocal delivery keeps conviction and control at the forefront. Call the Coroner Blues distils that evolution into one of his most transportive releases to date, proof that his catalogue and hunger for connection have pushed him to the brink of the wider recognition his music quietly demands.

Call the Coroner Blues is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Darren Watson became a conduit of John Hiatt’s home-rooted frustration in his cover of ‘Damn This Town’

Posted on 2 December 2025
Darren Watson sings John Hiatt by Darren Watson

Darren Watson sings Damn This Town as though John Hiatt’s pain has taken up residence in his ribcage, stirring itself awake each time he opens his throat. The single becomes one of the most affecting moments on his cover LP, which pulls you straight into a world shaped by sparse instrumentation that paints shadows across the skyline of the single.

It feels less like a studio production and more like a temporal gateway into the home roots of misery, the kind that settles in the marrow. His vocals remind us what it means to howl the blues with no restraint, as though the only way to soothe the sting is to let it bleed out in song. Every twang of the string, every steady echo of percussion, becomes another intravenous shot of barbed emotion into the soul, deepening the ache as the track folds into a pensive heaviness that never tips into theatrics. Alongside the clear reverence Watson carries for the blues, the cover amplifies the emotional weight of the original by quietly affirming that people have been disillusioned by the local expanse of reality for generations, leaving their angst stamped into the dirt.

That depth is unsurprising from a New Zealand musician whose career began in the mid-1980s, fronting Smoke Shop while filling bars and opening for icons such as Koko Taylor and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. His early years led to nominations at the New Zealand Music Awards before he shifted into a solo path, releasing albums that explored roots, satire, and acoustic introspection.

His later work, from Too Many Millionaires to Getting Sober for the End of the World, cemented his reputation for truth-telling across social and political lines. His newest release, Darren Watson Sings John Hiatt, follows that same stripped-back ethos, capturing each song live to tape and placing emotional honesty at the forefront.

Damn This Town is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Bandcamp. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘Better Days’ by Iyla Elise mapped out a bluesy backroad to redemptive clarity

Posted on 31 October 2025

Iyla Elise delivered the gospel of blues with her latest single, Better Days, a soul sermon that cuts to the quick of existing in a world so removed from what once felt familiar. Her take on modern disillusionment isn’t an empty promise that the sun will rise shinier tomorrow, but an intimate exploration of moving forward when forward is no longer linear. As Elise traces the backroads through melancholic introspection, she illustrates how it’s possible to let your soul steer you somewhere softer, somewhere more yours, while the rest are swept away by whatever current has them.

Better Days becomes a mirror to the soul, where the distortion of modernity doesn’t swallow you whole but instead reflects the grace needed to keep walking. Elise’s vocals pierce through the earthy amalgam of blues and Americana like a thread of light through fog. As the guitar scales roll in, sometimes swelling with amplified redemption, sometimes dancing through intricacies, there’s a sense of solace woven into the composition.

Originally from a small town on the east coast of Virginia, Elise draws on a wide pool of influences, from John Denver to Norah Jones, but in Better Days, the sound is unmistakably her own. Her 2023 release Outlier already cemented her lyrical reach, and Better Days proves she’s still tapping deeper into her well of truth, resilience, and hard-won clarity.

Better Days is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘Silly Me’ let Iyla Elise bare her Americana blues-soaked soul with aching honesty

Posted on 28 September 2025

Iyla Elise was humbler in the title of her latest single, Silly Me, than some singer-songwriters are in their entire discography. The cinematically sepia-tinged Americana pop hit proves there are few things as human as self-effacing scorn, allowing the single to carry the same raw ache as internally reflected frustration.

We’ve been following Iyla Elise’s career for a while now, and it’s fervently clear that Elise is one of the rare singer-songwriters who only spills lyrical ink when she needs to purge pain from the depths of her soul, or conversely, find beauty where few others do.

In this 70s-tinged, piano-accompanied, emotion-driven confession, you’re made witness to how indignity suffered at the hands of others leaves you berating your nature as much as theirs. With heart-in-throat momentum building in the choruses and quintessential blues guitars bleeding even more emotion into the vignette, it’s impossible to come away without feeling its bittersweet weight.

Hailing from a small town on the east coast of Virginia, Elise channels her country, blues, and Americana influences with her uniquely soulful tone and storytelling. With her debut EP Outlier already earning recognition from the 25th Great American Song Contest, and recent singles like “Already Miss You” and “Worse or Better” adding to her growing repertoire, Silly Me reaffirms Elise’s place as a songwriter who turns her lived experiences into emotionally resonant moments worth holding on to.

Silly Me is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cali Soul Singer Mark Alan Wilson Helped His Fans ‘Cut Loose’ With His Latest Release

Posted on 29 March 2025

Mark Alan Wilson is the kind of modern artist who makes you suspect he struck a deal with the devil, transforming his own soul into the purest conduit for RnB. His latest single, ‘Cut Loose’, lands effortlessly as a feel-good track fuelled with authentic substance and style.

Wilson is a rare musician who never needs to break convention to sign, seal, and deliver a sound that naturally stands apart. Distinction resonates powerfully through the rapture of his honeyed-smoke harmonies, drifting timelessly into that sanctuary only the sound of soul can provide. The track offers a gentle but necessary reminder that, although patience is essential for life’s bigger pleasures, small delights are scattered everywhere. It grants the listener full permission to cast aside life’s darker moments and simply cut loose, if only for one night.

The swanky jazz-infused interludes and blues guitar riffs sweep away the heaviness from any weary mind, allowing Wilson to effortlessly mainline serotonin into your day. Wilson’s commitment to authentic soul music is evident, resonating as he continues to build momentum through live performances, setting the stage for an array of promising releases throughout 2025.

‘Cut Loose’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower on Pain, Performance and Purpose

Posted on 22 March 2025
Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

Between smoky stage setups and stripped-bare blues ballads, JohnnyTheWidower is steering independent music into a space where authenticity is the standard. In this interview, he opens up about the heartbreak-fuelled pulse of Broken Piano, the intimate electricity of his live shows, and the broader mission powering FLOWCEx Music. There’s no PR gloss or industry fluff here—just an artist building a legacy out of grief, grit, and grassroots growth. From the Kickstarter campaign that’s setting the stage for a wider movement to the way each show becomes a live-wire retelling of personal rebirth, Johnny offers a candid and compelling glimpse into what it really means to be a modern DIY artist with a message. Whether you’re new to his music or already part of the VIBE sessions, this is one read that’s worth sticking with to the final note.

Welcome to A&R Factory, JohnnyTheWidower! Your passion for raw, authentic music shines through in everything you do, from your weekly VIBE sessions to the Kickstarter campaign for Broken Piano. Let’s dig into your upcoming tour, the live experience, and what fans can expect. Broken Piano is shaping up to be a major milestone for you. With your upcoming shows, how are you bringing the album to life on stage?  

The album comes to life as a story—a journey through loss, loneliness, and heartbreak, but also resilience and rebirth. Broken Piano is deeply emotional, but it also lays the foundation for my next album, JTW Come Alive, which represents that turning point—stepping out of the darkness and into light.

On stage, I want the audience to feel that transformation. The scene opens dark and intimate—a dimly lit bluesy setting with an upright piano, upright bass, drums, and guitar quartet. There’s a bottle of whiskey on the piano, shot glasses on the table, cigars in the air. That’s where I introduce “My Lady Is Gone”, the song that truly defines JohnnyTheWidower.

From there, the emotion deepens with “I Never Let Go”, the second single from Broken Piano, followed by “Be My Friend”, a song from my COVID Universe album that shifts the mood toward connection and hope.

This set isn’t just about performing songs—it’s about immersing the audience in my world, taking them through the pain, but also showing them the strength to move forward.

VIBE has been a big part of how you connect with listeners. Do you see your live performances expanding on that, or will they bring something completely different to the table?

Expansion, without a doubt. If you check out my YouTube channel, you’ll see that I’ve already started building something bigger—I’ve done two episodes of JohnnyTheWidower: The Reality Series, I host open mic events, and heck, I even do Shakespeare!

VIBE has been about connecting with listeners in an authentic way, and my live performances will only elevate that experience. The energy, the storytelling, the raw emotion—it’s all about bringing people into my world in real time.

Moving forward, I’m evolving VIBE with new segments to deepen that connection:

Musicians Speak – A platform where studio musicians and struggling band members can share their journeys, talk about their grind, and promote their work.

The Healing Power of Music – A holistic segment where we’ll meditate and explore how music can heal, uplift, and transform lives.

At the core of everything I do, whether it’s VIBE or my live performances, the goal remains the same: to create an experience that resonates, inspires, and connects people through music.

You’ve taken a hands-on approach with mixing My Lady Is Gone but are pushing for professional mastering for the album. How does performing these tracks live help you refine their final sound?

It’s all part of the creative process. Mixing My Lady Is Gone myself was an important step, but when it comes to mastering the full album, I need fresh ears on it. It’s like being a doctor—you don’t want to be the one diagnosing and treating your own condition. I’ve been hands-on with my music for years, but this time, I want outside expertise to make sure Broken Piano reaches its full potential.

For a long time, my music was stagnant, and I know that’s due to one of two things:
1️-Lack of marketing and promotion (which I strongly believe is the issue)
2️-Mixing & mastering quality (which could play a role, but I won’t know until I remove that variable)

That’s why I’m making the investment in professional mixing and mastering—to eliminate doubt and give these songs the best chance to shine.

And hey, if you know anyone who’ll do it on spec—send them my way!

Is there a particular song from Broken Piano that you think will take on a life of its own in a live setting?

Absolutely—“Somebody’s Gonna Win, Somebody’s Gonna Lose” is built for the live stage.

It’s a blues jam session at its core—loose, raw, and unpredictable. This is one of those songs that can go on and onbecause every time I perform it, it takes on a new energy. I swear, I’ve never played it the same way twice—which my guitarist loves because he gets to rock out, but my drummer and bassist? Not so much.

But that’s the beauty of it. In a live setting, this song breathes—it becomes its own thing. And the audience feels that freedom, that spontaneity, that real musicianship happening in the moment.

When Broken Piano hits the stage, this track is gonna be a show-stopper.

 With FLOWCEx Music in motion, do you see your upcoming gigs as a platform for showcasing other artists under your wing, or will the focus be on cementing your own presence first?

I’m only as good as my roster—my team. My project is out front right now because it was the most cost-effective wayto set the stage for FLOWCEx Music.

Since September 2024, I’ve produced:

 Two full albums (8 tracks each) on myself

 A 10-track compilation featuring 8 different artists

If I had tried to launch with another artist first, I’d still be working on one album—and I would have spent twice as much already.

This was strategic—I needed to establish the standard, create the blueprint, and launch a promotional campaign that will eventually filter other artists through the pipeline.

So when I perform, if my artists are available, they’re on that stage with me. Every time. Because FLOWCEx Music is bigger than just me—it’s a movement.

You’ve got the Kickstarter running alongside the tour. How much has the crowdfunding experience shaped your approach to engaging with fans?

Right now, my touring is local out of practicality—we’re a startup label, so I’m not booked on a national tour… yet. But that doesn’t mean I’m not making strategic moves to expand my presence.

I perform regularly at Kingston Public House, a whiskey bar in Brooklyn, and this spring/summer, I’ll be hitting Prospect Park at the BandShell.

Beyond that, as the creator of Performing Artists in Real Estate—a group of artists who also sell real estate—I’ll be performing at our monthly mixers, tapping into a network that blends business, art, and entertainment.

And I’m always on the hunt for bigger stages. I plan to throw my name in the hat for opening slots at major venues like The Barclays Center, Billie Holiday Theatre, Madison Square Garden, and Brooklyn Academy of Music.

That’s where the Kickstarter and marketing push come in. This campaign—and interviews like this—aren’t just about funding. They’re about building visibility and momentum. The more people engage with my movement, the more leverage I have to secure bigger opportunities and bring FLOWCEx Music to a wider audience.

What’s the one thing you want people walking away from your shows feeling—whether they’re hearing you live for the first time or they’ve been following you since day one?

Music is meant to make you feel good—but nowadays, a lot of it vibrates at an aggressive frequency. When you come to my show or listen to my music, I don’t want you to feel aggressive—I want you to feel happy, warm, loved, inspired, amused, and thoroughly entertained.

I want to make you smile and cry at the same time. I want to tell a story that keeps you riveted, one that stays with you long after the last note fades.

Most importantly, I want my audience to feel loved. When I cook for people, I do it with love—choosing the best ingredients for the most flavorful outcome. I approach music the same way. Every lyric, every melody, every performance—it’s all crafted to nourish the soul.

That’s what I want people walking away with—an experience they’ll never forget.

Beyond the gigs lined up now, what’s the bigger vision for your career? 

My bigger vision is to run FLOWCEx Music as a full-fledged independent label. Right now, I’m out front, performing and pushing the movement, but ultimately, I want to fall back from constant gigging and shift my focus to mentorship, artist development, and strategic growth for the label.

The young, hungry artists on my roster? I want them gigging non-stop. That’s what they want, and that’s what I want for them. My job is to make sure they have the right opportunities, the right support, and the right platform to shine.

At my core, I’m a builder and a guide. I’ve walked this path, I know the struggles, and I want to pave the way for the next generation. FLOWCEx Music isn’t just about me—it’s about creating a legacy of independent artists thriving on their own terms.

Stream JohnnyTheWidower’s latest single on Bandcamp now.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

JohnnyTheWidower’s ‘My Lady is Gone’ Rains Soul into the Blues

Posted on 8 March 2025
Broken Piano by Johnny The Widower aka The Solar Guy

JohnnyTheWidower, AKA The Solar Guy, doesn’t just touch on loss in My Lady is Gone—he lets it simmer, steeping every note in raw feeling without letting the weight drag the groove down. The Brooklyn-based songwriter, producer, and engineer channels blues, R&B, and afrobeat into a smoky, jazz-kissed atmosphere that feels less like a structured composition and more like a session that caught fire in real time.

With a cohesiveness that gives the impression of a seasoned band rather than a solo project, the track makes space for fluidity without sacrificing precision. The instrumentation carries the kind of ease that can only come from instinct, stripping back the years to a time when music was created for catharsis, not marketability. It’s indulgent without excess, hitting that rare sweet spot where musicianship and emotion are balanced without tipping too far in either direction.

For those tired of surface-level soundscapes, JohnnyTheWidower delivers oceanic depths, leading listeners further out before hitting them with a visceral crescendo in the outro. It’s impossible to walk away unaffected.

 My Lady is Gone is available to stream on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ged Wilson Spins Everyman Blues into Gold with Regular Man

Posted on 1 March 2025

Like a TARDIS hurling you back to a time when jazz blues grooves knew how to scintillate the soul, Ged Wilson’s latest single, Regular Man, isn’t just another exercise in virtuosity—it’s the sound of an artist who has lived every note. The track carries all the gravitas of a blues lifer, but it is Wilson’s effortless ability to channel boy-next-door charisma through velvety vocal lines that allows him to scribe gold with his sonic signature.

Cheltenham-based but proudly carrying his Mancunian roots, Wilson has spent years pushing the boundaries of the British blues scene, fusing the grit of Lightnin’ Hopkins with the poetic dexterity of Gil Scott-Heron and the warmth of Santana. Regular Man, lifted from his upcoming album of the same name, distils those influences into a track that makes even monotony feel rich with possibility. Swanky in tone and seraphic in execution, it’s a vignette of life’s quieter moments, spun with a nostalgia-laced charm that makes it all too easy to follow Wilson wherever he goes next.

With his feet firmly planted in tradition but his gaze set forward, Wilson isn’t just another bluesman—he’s a “bluesifier,” as adept at breathing contemporary life into the genre as he is at honouring its past. Signed to Bad Monkey Records and supported by Help Musicians, he’s bringing his innovative style to an ever-widening audience.

Regular Man is available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Saint Senara are harbingers of chaos in their Southern Gothic Blues Folk vignette,  There’s a Storm Coming

Posted on 23 November 2024

Saint Senara invoked a tempest in their latest single, ‘There’s a Storm Coming’. Following a hauntingly hymnal opening, this slice of American Gothic Folk Blues allows a surge of melody to break through the sonic overcast.

Imagine a soundtrack to a gritty southern drama, where each note and lyric wrestles rhythmically with the heavy, discordance-spilling guitars that pour over bluesy percussion, and you’ll get an idea of what Saint Senara delivered here as a departure from their celebrated debut and the well-received ‘Under My Skin EP’,

Teaming up with the innovative producer Lex Raymond at White Noise Studios in Weston-super-Mare, the band ventured into darker, moodier territories with There’s a Storm Coming, which repurposes whips and chains as percussion and projects spectral vocal lines which oscillate through the mix, underpinned by Andrew Bate’s Gretschy guitar alchemy.

This neo-noir blues release is a declaration of the band’s readiness to take on higher echelons of the music industry. Be a part of their ascent by immersing yourself in the panorama of tempestuous yet melodious chaos.

There’s a Storm Coming was officially released on November 15; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Henry Bitzer’s ‘25th Hour’ Radiates Rapturous Soul and Swagger

Posted on 30 September 2024

Henry Bitzer’s standout single, 25th Hour, from his debut LP Skydive, delivers some of the swankiest sounds of 2024. The track is a testament to the solo artist’s knack for nostalgically leaning songwriting chops, which remain sharp even when held up against his musical heroes.

Any attempt to resist the euphoric energy of 25th Hour is futile; the rapturous euphony he coaxes from the keys showcases his comfort and charisma in crafting soulful soundscapes that simultaneously nod to the past and stride confidently into the future.

Blending blues, 70s pop rock, and a smattering of jazz, Bitzer conjures a unique sonic synthesis that defies easy categorisation. The seamless fusion of styles creates a distinctive sound that harks back to the golden era of rock without feeling stuck in the past. His ability to weave eclectic influences into a seamless tour de rapturous force ensures that his legacy is already carving itself a place in the annals of contemporary alternative music. It’s only a matter of time before major labels are vying for his signature.

At just 19, the Minnesota native has been compared to the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel for his magnetic stage presence and infectious melodies. Now a second-year student at Belmont University in Nashville, Bitzer has spent the last four years performing live across the U.S., honing his craft and building a loyal following.

Stream Henry Bitzer’s debut LP, Skydive, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast