Ottawa born, Austin, Texas based blues musician Sue Foley is stoked to be opening for Cheap Trick and ZZ Top for a few of their Albertan dates including Lethbridge, Wednesday, April 27.
She is already in Canada for a few days to play some solo shows including two shows at Arts Commons in Calgary, Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23 though the Saturday show is sold out.
She is promoting her latest CD “ Pinky’s Blues,” which she recorded during the pandemic and which has been nominated for a Juno, several Maple Blues awards and several other awards.
It will also be a give her a chance to talk about her new book about women in music, which she has been working on for several years.
“I’m in Ottawa for a few days saying hi to my family. I had a few days off,” Foley noted. She has been playing the blues for a living for many years, but has never had the opportunity to open for Cheap Trick and ZZ Top, though she has played a lot with with Billy F Gibbons.
“ I have not had that opportunity before. I’m super stoked about it and the band is really excited. We’re touring this new album ‘Pinky’s Blues’ and it‘s been doing real well. So it’s just really a big honour to open for these legends for sure,” she said.
She has a band with Billy Gibbons and Jimmie Vaughan that happens around Christmas time in Austin.
“I’ve known Billy for a bit. He was on my last album (The Ice Queen) as a special guest and we’ve done separate shows together. So we’re pretty familiar with each other. He’s fantastic. Huge fan,” she said.
She will be touring with a power trio with Foley on guitar on vocals, bassist Jon Penner and Cory Taylor on drums from Austin.
“We’re basically a power trio, blues band, blues guitar rock trio,” she said.
Pinky’s Blues was recorded live off the floor in Austin because Foley wanted to capture the energy of their live show.
“The response is overwhelming. We’re up for a Juno and three blues music awards and I think four Maple Blues awards, all within the next month. So that’s pretty exciting,” she said.
“The album is doing really well,” she continued.
“It’s a good barroom rhythm and blues guitar driven album based around a lot of Texas blues music. It was recorded it in Austin. It was recorded it live off the floor. It’s really quite spontaneous and live and and energetic. We had Chris Layton on drums, that’s the original drummer from Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and Jon Penner on bass.
“ So it’s pretty stripped down. It’s pretty much what we do live right now. If people like the album I would say they’ll like the live show because it’s pretty much the same,” she said, adding there are a lot of different songwriters on the album including blues legends and a couple of her own songs.
“We picked the songs just because we’re picking stuff we really liked and that we thought would lend themselves to being recorded live that way. A lot Texas blues and Texas legends who we grew up emulating and learned from, ” she continued.
“Then I wrote a few like ‘Hurricane Girl,” which is getting a lot of airplay. It’s just good roadhouse style, straight up blues guitar
style ,” she said.
Her set will be about 25 minutes long. She doubts Billy Gibbons will be joining them for her set.
“It won’t be up for my set.You don’t usually get the headline on the openers set, but you know maybe there be some jamming afterwards. I don’t know. I’m hoping. I’m a huge fan of both those bands,” she enthused, promising an energetic opening set.
“We’re going to play high energy stuff and kick them in the teeth and it’s going to be stuff from the new album,” she said.
In between albums and tours, Foley has been researching and writing a book about female guitarists.
“I’m been chipping away at this for a long time. It’s book on women guitar players, not just blues players, but every genre. It’s pretty vast. And it’s been a huge project. I’m hoping to get it done it by the end of the year,” she said, adding a portion of Calgary show will be dedicated to it.
“I have no idea. I’ve never done a book before I know the process can be slow. I don’t have a publisher now. I’m just going to get it done,’ she continued, adding she’s focusing on touring right now.
“That’s about it. That’s a lot. I mean I’m always writing songs for the next album and we’re touring. Basically We’re really working on the road right now. That’s taking up all most of my time and energy,” she said adding after this Canadian tour, she will be returning to Europe to tour for a few month and the coming back to play awards shows and bigger North American festivals including the Maple Blues and Juno Awards.
She is honoured to be nominated for awards for the album.
“It means a lot. I always feel like they’re rewarding the album sort of but I really feel like an album is a group project. I feel like we made a great a great album and feel really honoured that people like it,” she said, adding it is all about the fans.
“I especially like the awards shows that are based around voter and fan votership . So it is really nice when fans are really happy with what you’ve done and want to support it,” she said.
She comes from a musical family, full of guitarists, so it was only natural she would end up paying guitar for a living.
“I just always knew I’d be a guitar player. I’m from a guitar playing family. My dad played and my three older brothers played. We just had a lot of guitars around the house and heard a lot of guitar music growing up. And it just seemed really natural that’ I’d play too . I’m the youngest of five kids. I always knew and I always loved the instrument, part of the reason why I wanted to do the book is the female impression on the guitar is unique. I think it’s important to me to have role models that are not only me, but women. I just love the instrument. There’s a lot of potential. It’s just a great thing to do,” she said.
She can’t pinpoint a single guitar influence, but noted she draws a lot of Texas blues musicians and female trailblazers like Memphis Minnie.
“That’s really hard to stay. There’s so many people. Traditional blues is what I do and Texas blues is really what I do. So Jimmie Vaughn, Billy Gibbons, Lightning Hopkins, T Bone Walker. As Far as women go, Memphis Minnie. I could be naming names all day and never get through them.
She noted there are a lot more women playing blues music.
“You know, it’s a tough question. I think the scene is really vibrant now. There’s a lot of great artists out now who are doing well. There’s just a lot. I’ve been listening to a lot of older stuff, because probably because primarily more traditional is what I do,” she said, adding ddinf she is excited to play some shows with ZZ Top and Cheap Trick.
“I’m stoked to come out there.I hope people come out to see ZZ. I can”t wait. this is a really exciting time ,” she said.
Sue Foley, Cheap Trick and ZZ Top play the Enmax Centre, Wednesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $86-$106.
— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
