Joe Louis Walker says his next album is likely to have more of a soul vibe than latest release Everybody Wants A Piece.
But he’ll continue to experiment with guitar sounds as he works on his 23rd title.
He described his 2015 album as a push in new directions, although he added: “I’d like to think that when someone puts on one of my records they would know from the first notes, ‘That’s Joe Louis Walker.’”
Walker tells CleveScene: “The next record is moving forward. It’s more of a soul record. But I still have some guitar in there. I think there might be a few guests on it too.”
And he credits producer Paul Nelson – known for his long collaboration with the late Johnny Winter – as a major creative influence.
“The cool thing about working with a producer who’s a guitar player is that you can dick around with guitar sounds,” he says.
“We had a wall of amps. It looked like something out of Spinal Tap. I love to hear people like B.B. King and Albert King. You can recognise their guitar sounds right away.
“It’s like canvas painting – I would hate to paint with the same colour.”
Walker tours the UK next month.
Joe Louis Walker UK tour
Jun 09: London Dingwalls
Jun 10: Worthing Southern Pavilion
Jun 11: Southampton Brook
Jun 12: Cardiff Globe
Jun 13: Stroud Convent