In August 2017 I dropped into the recording studio of Rohan Healy and his brother Al Quiff for an interview for Dublin City FM, after a great chat they told me there was an artist whose new EP they were working on that they felt I might like. Afterwards I'd hoped this intuition on their behalf stemmed from my musical bedrock of the blues, specifically blues-rock, my favourite of all genres. A segment of one of the songs blew me away, I think it was a Saturday morning so I was probably a little tired and emotional, which is a good place to be when it comes to listening to music I find. The track would feature on London / Donegal artist Leila Jane's Decision Maker EP which was released later that year, and made the No. 2 spot in my Top 20 Irish EP's for 2017.
The winner of the 2015 Imelda May Scholarship for song-writing saw her take up a place at BIMM. Steeped in classical blues, and citing listening to Robert Johnson for the first time as a seminal moment on this voyage, I first saw a brief set last year at The Grand Social as part of the Five Lamps Arts Festival, and more recently at The Sound House in Dublin in support of Jane Willow's EP launch, the latter of which left a lasting impression on me. When you hear the songs you know and love replicated almost identically in a live setting, but with heightened energy, it's hard to avoid those spinal chills.
The Sound House, Dublin - 22nd November 2018. Photo: Remy
'Little Lady Blues' is the debut single release from Leila Jane, and its roots grow a few layers down into the blues-rock timeline. The 1970's saw a big revival in artists adapting and re-interpreting the blues of Son House, Howlin' Wolf, Slim Harpo et al, too many to mention, and re-imagining them in electric blues. There was John Mayall, Clapton, Robin Trower, Johnny Winter, Peter Green, and of course Rory Gallagher. One thing all of these artists had was a deep respect for the origins of the music plainly incorporated into their sound.
Leila Jane continues this tradition, influenced by early blues, but also nodding strongly to the 1970's revival, with the intro to 'Little Lady Blues' bringing to mind Gallagher's 'Laundromat' as well as Mayall's 1969 live album The Turning Point. A heart-felt tremelo vocal lays out its acknowledgement in emotive terms, again thematically dealing with the human malaise of the individual, the blues after all, are about struggle and trying to find a way out. A rumbling percussion and rhythm section channel the sense of urgency and conundrum faced by the song's protagonist. The most rewarding aspects of her single however reside in it's raw power and the unfiltered self-awareness of the song-writing. It provides much relief for me that this musical tradition which I love so much is in such capable hands.
Leila Jane will be officially launching her debut single 'Little Lady Blues' in The Vintage Room at The Workman's Club on the 29th of March.
