Backbone Blues Band

Backbone Blues Band’s story began around a dozen years ago in a field. Two bandmates having a beer and talking music at the Blues on the Farm festival. ‘My sister’s been going to the King Biscuit Festival for years’ says one. ‘We should go!’

Later that year the fledgling band made its first trip to the Mississippi Delta, cementing a love for the music and firing a desire to make Backbone a band that plays the blues in its own style - faithful to the genre but distinctive and entertaining in its delivery. More than ten years on, and with as many trips to the Biscuit in that time, the band has earned friends and plaudits both sides of the Atlantic.

Their fourth album ‘old new borrowed blues’ (see review) enjoyed extensive radio coverage on blues shows and was extremely well received. Something of a watershed recording, it represents an homage to much missed lead singer Duncan Highet, whose passing left the band mourning the loss of a great friend. It also signposted the band’s way forward, with guitarist Tony Seaman stepping in to the lead vocal role, and new members Luke (Duncan’s son) on bass, and guitarist Martin Spellman bringing their own talents to the Backbone sound. Steve Pearce on keys and Martin Jezzard on drums complete the band personnel.

This year’s trip to the Delta will see the band making their second main stage appearance at the Biscuit - we believe the only non-US band to have played the festival more than once - and includes a return to Morgan Freeman’s iconic Ground Zero blues club in Clarksdale, where the band’s performances have enjoyed an enthusiastic following.

In the U.K. the band have built a reputation for delivering their blues in an entertaining and engaging style, with performances at a number of festivals and blues clubs, including the award-winning Tuesday Blues at the 100 Club. They’re already booked for the Looe festival on their return from the States, and for Blackpool’s inaugural blues festival in early ‘24. Catch them if you can, live or on record - you’ll like what you hear!