Joanne Shaw Taylor Discusses New Album, Upcoming Tour, Balance and Creativity

Blues legend Joanne Shaw Taylor sat down for an interview recently with 315 Music as she prepares for her new tour with a beautiful brand new album, with a stop at Center for The Arts of Homer. Tickets are available now and you can pre-order the new record “Heavy Soul.”

315 Music: After such a storied career with multiple albums and tours under your belt, what drives you to continue to create records and tour

Joanne Shaw Taylor: The creative element is the reason any musician does this. At least that’s true for me. It’s a lovely way to be able to express yourself. We all go through the motions of life, whether that’s heartbreak or grief or happiness, and to be able to sit down in the morning and hopefully by the afternoon you’ve got a song that helps you get through something that didn’t exist before and you can share it with other people. It’s a lovely way of expressing yourself and processing life’s experiences. In terms of the touring, it’s amazing to go out and sing songs that I’ve written about my life and share with people that I don’t know, but we connect through the music…it’s just a great way to live life. Using this connection and creativity is what still drives me.

315 MUSIC: Speaking of connection, now that we are through the “COVID times,” how do you feel that affected you and your take on music?

JST: I hate to say this, but COVID did me the world of good. I hope this answer is taken with a pinch of salt, I’m very aware of how it was such a terrible time for so many and millions lost their lives. If I could go back in time and change it from happening, I would. For me, it kind of stopped me and forced me to stay home, which I was burnt out. To be honest, after touring for 13 years straight, during which my mom had passed away and after only three days I was back on the road without getting to truly grieve and process that. I was depressed and having anxiety and I was starting to not enjoy what I was doing because it was just that with the constant touring, I had no time to rest.

During the lockdown, I had time to get my mental health in order and then still remember how lucky I am to get to play music as a job. It was a scary time. We didn’t know if there would even be music venues. Would I have a career? Would fans want to come out? We were all so isolated. Again, with a pinch of salt, it did me a lot of good, and I am a lot healthier within myself and am thriving from this, as opposed to how I was feeling just before COVID.

315MUSIC: Many of the musicians I’ve spoken with had similar thoughts about needing this reset, and I am sorry for your loss.

JST: Thank you, love. I think it was a big reset for everyone. We all had to figure out what was actually important to us. The mental health aspect of finding balance. I do love touring, but never getting to be able to see friends, and family, or be home for weddings, and get-togethers….this has all encouraged me to find more balance with my life and music.

315MUSIC: What is your creative process for songwriting? I’ve listened to the new record and it’s beautiful.

JST: Thank you! It’s kind of a mixture really. Sometimes I’ll jot down a particular line or have a melody in my head, but I will say 90% of the time I have a formula. I write all the music, pick a song title, and then kind of write to that song title, which is an old habit as that is how I taught myself how to write songs, which for any young artist trying to get into the craft, the problem is that when trying to write songs, the verse was one thing, the bridge something else, then by the time I got to the chorus I had totally lost control of what I was trying to say. So it really helps me to pick the title and the melody which gives you the amount of syllables to work with…then I’d write the chorus first as that is the conclusion of the story. Once I have that, I can be more disciplined in what I am trying to say in the verses leading up to that. so this method has really stuck with me and definitely kept me on track in the early days of my career.

315 MUSIC: What is the best advice you have had, that you would pass on to another younger artist?

JST: Well, there are two that really stick with me, one Dave Stewart told me; he asked what everyone’s favorite guitar solo or the most popular one and he said it’s “Hotel California.” Dave said, “It’s a great solo and it’s in a great song, and if you play the greatest guitar solo of all time and it’s not in a great song, nobody is going to hear it.” It’s a great example and the average music appreciator might say the same or even some amazing Allman Brothers song. I mean there is Eric Johnson, who plays an incredible guitar piece, but no offense, most people wouldn’t know it because I think it’s the total song and the lyrics that really connect with people.

The other advice I was told is a gig is never as bad as you think it is, but it’s also never as good as you think it is. I think that younger artists particularly can get in their head about how they performed during a show. But what you have to remember is, you can play the greatest gig you think you have ever played and there will still be someone in the audience who goes “Meh, didn’t do it for me.” Likewise, you can play a gig that you didn’t think was your best night and somebody goes home thinking it was the best show of all time. It’s quite subjective, so just try not to get in your own head about that.

315 MUSIC: To be able to let go and move forward.

JST: To be in the moment and let it be what it will be.

315 MUSIC: I like to think paradise is who you are with and not where. With that in mind, what is paradise for you when you are on tour?

JST: I love all my gigs, you know. the ones that you sometimes remember the most are the ones where there were problems, and the sound was off or something. To be honest though, the best gigs for me are the ones where I get to see friends and family. It’s not a particular venue, but if we are in Detroit, where I lived for years, or London and I get to see my friends and family, that is what is special to me.

315 MUSIC: On the road, what is your favorite comfort food?

JST: In America it’s ramen. Something about a warm broth. That’s my key comfort food. If I am in the UK I love getting the crew together on a Sunday for a traditional Sunday roast. You go to your local pub, have a Guinness, sit around the fireplace. Traditionally you pick your meat: beef, pork, or lamb, with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and if you do it right, there is lots and lots of gravy. It’s kind of like a Thanksgiving kind of meal and it’s so important to share it with friends and family. I really love that. Usually, too, there is a pub dog that hangs out and a sign saying please stop feeding the dog. I love that typical British routine.

315 MUSIC: If you could travel or teleport back in time, what music moment in the history of humanity would you choose to witness or be a part of?

JST: Can I give more than one answer?

315 MUSIC: Of course! As many as you like!

JST: Woodstock, definitely. I would have loved to have felt the real vibe of seeing Jimi and Janis. Also Prince, oh, I would have loved to have seen Prince. Stevie Ray Vaughan in the early days, because he is the guy that got me into this journey. Maybe even Mozart in Austria…like was he really that brilliant? Oh, yes he was! Plus the silly outfits I could put on.

315 MUSIC: Thank you so much for your time. Enjoy your rest before the big tour and congratulations on the incredible new album!

JST: See you in New York! Thank you.

JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – US TOUR DATES
March 29 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Sandler Center
March 30 – Greenville, SC – Peace Center
April 1 – Franklin, TN – The Franklin Theatre
April 4 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Centre
April 5 – Macon, GA – Capitol Theatre
April 6 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Springing The Blues Music Festival
April 9 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Parker
April 11 – Cornelius, NC – Cain Center for the Arts
April 12 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head On Stage
April 13 – Riverhead, NY – The Suffolk
April 15 – Homer, NY – Center for the Arts of Homer
April 16 – Old Saybrook, CT – The Kate
April 18 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club
April 19 – Great Barrington, MA – Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center
April 20 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
April 23 – Red Bank, NJ – The Vogel
April 25 – State College, PA – The State Theatre
April 26 – Hagerstown, MD – The Maryland Theatre
April 28 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
April 29 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage

May 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theater
May 2 – Frankfort, KY – The Grand Theatre
May 3 – Skokie, IL – North Shore Center in Skokie

ABOUT JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR
Joanne Shaw Taylor, discovered at 16 by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, quickly ascended as one of the world’s leading rock guitarists. Championed by legends like Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, and Joe Bonamassa, her powerful songwriting and distinct vocals first captivated audiences with her 2009 debut, White Sugar. Over the years, Joanne has released numerous acclaimed albums, including the UK Top 20 hit Reckless Heart and the Billboard Blues Chart toppers The Blues Album and Blues From The Heart Live. Her most recent studio album, Nobody’s Fool, launched under Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records in 2022, showcases collaborations with industry icons and highlights her continually evolving artistry.