Elles Bailey has spent a decade percolating her sultry mix of blues, roots, rock and Americana. We talk to the multi-award-winning Bristol-born singer as she prepares to take her new album Beneath The Neon Glow on the road, undertaking her biggest headline tour to date.
According to cliché, an artist must be old or have had a crap existence – sometimes both – to gain a legitimate understanding of the blues. Presumably, you disagree.
There’s no denying the deep roots of blues music, but for me the blues is about life – embracing the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s about celebrating the highs as well as exploring its hardships. As long as you are authentic and true to yourself as an artist, I believe you can gain an understanding of the blues regardless of background and age.
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You’ve accrued many honours. But after triumphs in the UK Blues Awards in 2020, ’21 and ’23 they excluded you from further wins. How did that feel?
I’m so privileged to have won that award three times, qualifying me for the UK Blues Hall Of Fame, which has opened doors for me all over the world. The three-times limit is a good thing. It was among my greatest honours to hand this year’s award to Alice Armstrong, an amazing artist with so much to say.
Did becoming a mother for the first time have an effect on your newly released fourth album, Beneath The Neon Glow?
Despite the fact that there’s not a song on this record that is specific to being a parent, it most certainly impacted upon my songwriting. I did a lot of journeying into who I am and started to understand that we are not ever just one thing. We constantly change, learn and grow. Those changes, like becoming a parent, are threaded into this album.
You’re a confessional artist who values their privacy, which seems an odd combination.
I know, I’m an oxymoron! Actually, though, the title of this album is inspired by the things we try to hide from the audience, and sometimes from ourselves – the secrets and chaos. What simmers “beneath the neon glow” is what we attempt to hide from the world, although in my case it escapes into my song lyrics!
How did you bag your own blues show on Planet Rock Radio?
That gig came totally out of the blue. After I did a My Planet Rocks interview for Planet Rock that I guess they liked, I was asked to sit in for [presenter] Bernard [Doherty] and curate an International Women’s Day Blues Special. Two weeks later I was asked to join the team.
Appearing at this summer’s Glastonbury must have been a career highlight.
The tent at the Avalon Stage was full and that was among the loudest crowds I’ve ever played for. It was a bucket-list moment at a bucket-list festival, and I loved every second of it!
Yours is an impressive success story. Care to share some tips?
Hard work, thick skin, get to know and understand the industry. Find your people and your scene, as they will be the ones to champion you from the off. Hustle, write, be authentic, collaborate. Oh, and hard work – did I mention that?
Elles Bailey's UK tour kicks off in Lincoln on September 25. For dates and ticket details, visit Elles Bailey's website.
