Backstage at a festival like Bluesfest is another world. Away from the crowds, the noise and the dust where the throng gathers to get a glimpse of their musical heroes is a large tent that houses the dressing rooms for the artists. It’s furnished with palm trees, funky chairs, massage tables and softly lit lounge spaces where the stars can hang out and kick back.
It’s also the area where on site interviews are conducted. Often you’re only granted a small amount of time to interview an artist and if there’s a high demand for that particular artist the time can be reduced significantly. The up side is that the ambience lends itself to an easy conversation, but with limited time you have to try and instantly build a rapport with the artist before you’re asked to finish up.
At Bluesfest this year I had the opportunity to speak to Corinne Bailey Rae and Nikki Hill and while neither interview was long enough to run as a single podcast, as a double bill they make an interesting contrast as two emerging talents from either side of the Atlantic. Corinne is a soft and smooth neo soul stylist who writes beautiful melodies over lush arrangements, while Nikki is an old school southern soul shouter who serves up a gritty and muscular brand of R & B.
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is the more established of the two ladies having been named by music critics in 2006 as the number one act predicted act to breakthrough in a BBC poll. And that she did with her self-titled debut going straight to the top of the charts, but after that explosive breakthrough her husband died after an accidental drug and alcohol overdose and her follow up The Sea wasn’t released until four years later.
Corinne’s third album The Heart Speaks In Whispers was released last year. Corinne Bailey Rae has been nominated for numerous Grammys, Brit Awards and the Mercury Prize. In 2012 she bagged a Grammy for best R & B Performance. Her 2017 Bluesfest appearance is her first time in Australia.
Nikki Hill
Nikki Hill is absolute dynamite on stage. She first played Bluesfest in 2015. That year I saw her show three times because I just couldn’t get enough. The North Carolina native rips into her performance with a ferocity of old school rhythm and blues belted out through a muscular set of pipes. Think Little Richard meets southern soul and you’re getting a good idea of what Nikki Hill is about.
Her husband Matt Hill is a guitarist who can shred with the best of them but just when you think you’ve got them pegged they’ll blow you away with an AC/DC cover. Nikki’s take on Whole Lotta Rosie at Bluesfest in 2015 was brilliant – she absolutely nailed the vocal and Matt just tore up his guitar. This time at Bluesfest Nikki closed her show by ripping into If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) so naturally I had to ask about her and Matt’s love of AC/DC. She sat down with me over a cup of red wine… I just wished she’d brought the whole bottle!
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