Interview: Colin James Multi Award-Winning Blues and Rock Guitarist, Singer

By Martine Ehrenclou

Canadian blues and rock guitarist, singer, songwriter Colin James began his career touring with Stevie Ray Vaughan in a permanent opening spot. Since then, James has released 20 studio albums and won 7 Juno Awards (Canada’s Grammy), 27 Maple Blues Awards and earned multi-platinum record sales. Colin was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2014. A superb guitarist, he is considered a musician’s musician.

James’ 1988 self-titled debut was the fastest selling album in Canadian history. It won him his first Juno Award and an opening spot on tour with Keith Richards. It wasn’t until his critically acclaimed album Blue Highways (2016) that Colin James found himself topping the blues chart.

Colin James’ new release, Open Road is a slight departure from his last few albums and blends Americana, Blues and Roots music. Released November 5^th on Stony Plain Records, the album was recorded during the pandemic. Open Road is a set of original tunes written by James and long-time collaborators Colin Linden, Craig Northey and Tom Wilson and includes reinterpretations of songs by Bob Dylan, Albert King, Tony Joe White and Otis Rush. Also included on the record are Steve Marriner on harmonica, Jesse O’Brien on piano, saxophonists Jerry Cook and Steve Hilliam. Open Road is the third in a trilogy of records, a natural follow up to his 2018 Juno Award-winning Miles To Go.

In addition to his solo career, Colin James has worked with some of the world’s most revered artists including Bonnie Raitt, Albert Collins, Pops Staples, Robert Cray, Albert King, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz, ZZ Top, Mavis Staples, Luther Allison, Carlos Santana and many more.

Martine Ehrenclou: Congratulations on your new album, Open Road. It’s a great mix of rocking blues, Americana, and roots covers and originals. How did you go about choosing the covers for the album?

Colin James: Out of the two Dylan tracks, “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry“ was a song I have liked and played over the years, but “Down On The Bottom” was brought to me by my co-producer Dave Meszaros. It was a song included on the New Basement Tapes sessions, where various artists re-imagined and wrote music for Dylan’s unfinished works. As far as the Albert King song is concerned, any time is a good time for Albert King school. The man always confounds and astounds me. Still trying to get even close!

Martine: Open Road has a little more rock and Americana. How did you decide to go in that direction?

Colin: Although I really enjoyed my last couple of records which were primarily blues covers, interspersed with a couple of like-minded originals, on this record I wanted to show a little more growth with the kind of songs and play with different moods a bit more. Just a wider breadth.

Martine: “As The Crow Flies” is a great opening cover by Tony Joe White. How did reimagining that song connect to the pandemic for you?

Colin: A lot of people can certainly relate to trying to get home during this pandemic. We (our band) ran like bats out of hell back to Canada from Oakland for fear they wouldn’t let us over the border. My good friend Colin Linden suggested this song for me when we were talking a while back so we gave it a go on the second bed track sessions here at Hipposonic studios in Vancouver.

Martine: You wrote and recorded Open Road during the pandemic. What was that like for you? How did the process go?

Colin: We did three separate bed sessions over quite a few months. Some songs were scrapped and the strong survived! It was super challenging this time for all kinds of reasons. I actually had to engineer a lot more than usual being that Dave was in London, England and we had to use all the bells and whistles of technology to share left and right mixes. He could take over the mouse on my computer and engineer that way but hardware still has to be plugged in and mic’d etc.

Martine: With Open Road your goal was to lift people’s spirits and move toward hope during the pandemic. Did writing and recording the album do that for you as well?

Colin: This is the longest I have ever taken between records and with all the weird feeling in the air it was a strange time. Creativity is of course always there but there was no escaping the news and the worry and the groundlessness we all felt. I looked at some older songs that I had never cut because my usual collaborative way of working and writing with people was totally disrupted. I can’t wait to get working on the next record where that’s not there.

Martine: You wrote your originals on the album with Colin Linden, and others. Describe your long time collaborative songwriting process with Linden.

Colin: I have a few people that I always work with when it comes to writing songs. Me and Colin Linden have known each other since we were kids of 13 and 16 respectively and Tom Wilson (who plays in a band with Colin L.) and I have written over 30 songs over the last 30 years. Craig Northey and I have written a lot of songs as well and he helped me out on the song  “Open Road” on this record as well as played guitar on “Down On The Bottom.” When you know that you work well with certain people then go with that.

Martine: “Can’t See What You’re Doing To Me” (Albert King) is a killer cover. You have hints of Albert in your guitar riffs in the song. Was Albert King an influence on your guitar playing?

Colin: I played a show opening for him when I was maybe 20. There is a picture of me looking star struck at him where I am wearing the ugliest shirt ever. Damn 80’s! Why that shirt …why? I love Albert King and I am eternally confounded by his ability to repeat similar licks and play them all backwards, forwards and in the middle and still make it sound fresh and fantastic!

Martine: You toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan. In what ways did SRV influence you? Why did you choose to cover his song “Change It” on the album?

Colin: We became fast friends years ago by equal amounts of luck and chance and I was amazed by his deep love and knowledge of the genre and his ability to improvise and play something different every time and still never play licks for licks sake. There was always an emotional connection to everything he played no matter how complex. I used to wait for him to play “Change It” and always thought that song had a hit quality to it that also transcended the 12 bar blues.

Martine: “There’s A Fire” is one of your originals on the album. Tell me about that song.

Colin: I wrote the title and basic idea after the death and murder of George Floyd and the subsequent fall out and tension that followed. I hope the world can change its perspective and take responsibility for a lot of outdated thinking.

Martine:  Tell me about your guitars. Do you have a #1?

Colin: Can I have a couple or 4? Lately, I love my white custom shop Strat with the matching head stock that I have had for around 10 years now. My Gibson 335 is a serious peach with such versatility and my Goldtop with p-90’s kills me. LOVE that guitar.

Martine: For Open Road you used your own band for the recording, including Steve Marriner on harp. Will you be touring with the same band for your US tour starting in March of 2022 with Buddy Guy?

Colin: Yes, my longtime drummer Geoff Hicks has played on all the last 3 records and Steve Marriner is playing bass and harmonica with me going forward. We have a new member of the band from Austin, Texas named Anders Drerup playing guitar with me live lately and I’m loving what he is bringing to the mix. He is a superb harmonizer and a very versatile player with a real ear for dynamics.

Martine: Tell me about that tour with Buddy Guy and on your own in the U.S. What do you have planned?

Colin: We’ve recently been working with Ron Kaplan who is an agent that I have wanted for most of my career. Now the stars have aligned and our goal is to get down to the US more often and get in front of some new people. We are doing a couple of our own shows, and with these 15 shows with Buddy Guy, I sincerely hope that it’s a start of a kind of new beginning for me. At the age of 57 after raising two kids who are now in their 20’s, and keeping the records coming, I feel ready to tackle this and get out there.

My Canadian fans have kept my career going all these years and I love them for that, but everyone needs the challenge of reinvention and change.

Martine: Open Road is the third in a trilogy. What’s next for you?

Colin: I wish I knew! I am so excited to get back at it and create what’s next. Every life is an Open Road! Lol!

For more information on Colin James see his website here. 

Listen to “As The Crow Flies”