Bman: It's a real privilege to have the chance to talk with you. So you're on your way up to Eugene Oregon for the Far West Alliance Conference. Have you played that gig before?
Joe: This is our first visit to Far West, but it won't be our last. We had a wonderful time. Attended a lot of workshops on topics like BMI and ASCAP, where to find gigs, and what promoters of venues are looking for. Then we had the opportunity to perform for the folks in this business that do concerts, festivals and book various venues. The best part though was meeting and getting to hear a lot of great musicians.
Bman: I hear a lot of Hound Dog Taylor and Earl Hooker in your style. Who were your early influences?
Joe: You have a good ear because when I was a teenager I saw Earl Hooker play in my home-town of Waterloo, IA. Waterloo was his home at the time. In the 1970's I was in a band called Mother Blues that warmed up Hound Dog Taylor and his band. Both Earl and Hound Dog had an incredible influence on my playing. I like Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Robert Johnson, but who don't.
Bman: I'm a big fan of both. Earl Hooker was over the top and Hound Dog was just a great spontaneous player! Your tunes are really wild but have the heart of the delta in them. How do you make that up in Iowa?
Joe: We travel all over the country and have the opportunity to hear and see a lot of good music. We seek out the blues and that is basically all we really listen to.
Bman: How do you get that "signature" sound. I see that you play a resonator a bit but also what looks like an old Airline. Are there any components in particular that you feel contribute significantly to your overall sound?
Joe: The Airlines are reproductions of the old models built by The Eastwood Company in Canada. We play through a new Victoria tube amp. We both play with heavy strings and we play finger-style with finger picks. All of this gives us an old sound. Vicki leans more towards a cleaner acoustic sound, I'm looking for the tone of the early 50's tube amps.
Bman: Well, you certainly get it. I love that sound. So is one of you the song writer and one of you the lyricist or how does the collaboration work?
Joe: We both write our own music and our own lyrics. Occasionally we offer each other advice, but this is usually just small corrections on lyric. We each have our own music room and we can hear the other play, but we don't usually get together on a song until right before we are going to take it out to perform.
Bman: I first heard you on the Rain or Shine release. That cd is killer. Are you working on a follow-up?Joe: Yes, we were in the studio in Nashville, "Wow and Flutter" in April and are going back in November to work on our next release. Hopefully it will be out next spring/summer.
Bman: You can bet there are a lot of people looking for that!
I was looking at your tour schedule and if I can figure out how I'll post it with this interview, but are you planning to venture out any further.... like Arizona?
Joe: We tour out west every June and July and will definitely be back to Arizona and New Mexico.
Bman: Thank you both for your time. Have a safe trip!
Joe and Vicki released five CD’s on Iowa’s Trailer Records. Joe’s 25 Below in 1996, Request in 1999 and Designated Drive in 2000; Vicki’s Mississippi Summer in 1998 and Looking for Love in 2005. Sadly, in 2007 Trailer Records shut its’ doors. Taking the initiative the couple released two CD’s on their label Blues Acres Productions; in October of 2008 A Brand New Place which features 10 new tunes penned by Vicki and in March of 2009 Joe’s collection of original songs Rain or Shine. Both releases made the top 100 CD’s of 2009 in Real Blues Magazine. A Brand New Place was nominated for Best independent release at the International Blues Challenge in 2008, Rain or Shine was nominated for 2009. Rain or Shine won an Independent Music Award for best Blues CD 2010 and the IMA Vox Pop People’s Choice Award for blues CD 2010.
Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click Here
