Best of British: 15 UK Blues Artists to Check Out Today

By Ellie Rogers

While the cities and shires of the British Isles might not hold quite the same mythological status as iconic blues breeding grounds like Mississippi, Chicago or Memphis, there’s no denying that there’s a lot of talent in the UK right now.

From seasoned veterans to young breakthrough artists who’ve used social media to put themselves in front of an audience of millions, to those doing it the old fashioned way in pubs and clubs up and down the country, here’s (in no particular order) our list of 15 Great British blues artists to check out right now.

For your listening convenience, we’ve also compiled a playlist with every song mentioned in this article, which you can listen to HERE

Jack Broadbent
Lincolnshire’s Jack Broadbent honed his craft by playing at open mic nights and busking on city streets. With his long hair, beard and straight from the heart playing style, Broadbent is – sonically and visually –  a little rugged around the edges. And that’s very much a good thing.

An antidote to the overly-polished, overly-produced blues pop that sometimes drifts into the charts but never sticks around for too long, Broadbent’s vocals are full of natural, gritty charm. Having taken cues from the likes of John Lee Hooker and Little Feat’s Lowell George, his guitar playing also resonates with an untamed intensity.

Broadbent’s party trick is playing slide with a beat up hip flask, and it doesn’t take too much imagination to figure out which creative stimulant likely played a big part in perfecting that skill.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Ride’ from Ride, ‘Far Off Galaxy’ from Along The Trail Of Tears, ‘Moonshine Blue’ from Moonshine Blue

Will Johns
Will Johns is one of those artists that can take all the known elements of blues and rock, understand them, respect them, and then apply his own creativity to uplift them.

His song writing goes far beyond tried and tested tropes, his licks balance classic vibes with contemporary flair, and his main guitar of choice – an Ernie Ball Music Man Eddie Van Halen signature – isn’t exactly the conventional bluesman’s go to. Put simply, Johns has bags of personality, and that’s a weighty currency.

Did we forget to mention that he’s Eric Clapton’s nephew? Yes, Uncle Eric encouraged the young Johns to pick up a guitar and taught him his very first riff, which was ‘Crossroads’, of course.

After this auspicious start, Johns’ formidable chops as a guitarist, singer and songwriter were cultivated the hard way: in the trenches of bands, breakups and tours up and down the UK and far beyond. The result is a kind of authenticity that smacks of hard graft and a lifelong love affair with the music. Pair this with his undeniable on-stage charisma and it’s a winning combination.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Bluesdaddy’ from Bluesdaddy, ‘Never Rains’ from Hooks & Lines, ‘Last Page’ from Something Old, Something New

Troy Redfern
Over the last few years, Troy Redfern’s name – and his reputation – has been preceded by the title, ‘Britain’s King of Slide Guitar.’ It’s a little unclear as to who originally bestowed him with this prefix, but it’s safe to say it wouldn’t have stuck if he didn’t know how to navigate his way around a resonator with a bottleneck quite as well as he does.

His performances are passionate and intense, and while his style certainly references its delta blues roots, his delivery pulls it into the 21st century through a swamp of distortion and contemporary rock n’ roll aesthetics.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Ghosts’ from The Fire Cosmic, ‘Waiting for Your Love’ from The Fire Cosmic, ‘John the Revelator’ from Island

Joanne Shaw Taylor
Although Joanne Shaw Taylor has upped sticks and taken up residence in the US, she’s an artist that the Brits are very proud to call their own. We might be preaching to the converted here, but she’s one hell of a blues rock powerhouse.She learned her craft playing at pubs and clubs in the West Midlands before she was even old enough to order a cold pint after her set. She’s gone on to release eight acclaimed studio albums since then – the latest of which was produced by blues heavyweight Joe Bonamassa and released on his KTBA (‘Keeping The Blues Alive’) record label.

Until rudely interrupted by the global pandemic, Shaw Taylor’s touring schedule was one of the most tireless in the business, and her gutsy guitar playing and husky vocals are best appreciated live on stage.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Can’t You See What You’re Doing To Me (Live) ft. Kenny Wayne Shepherd’ from Blues From The Heart Live, ‘Stop Messin’ Round’ from The Blues Album, ‘The Best Thing’ from Reckless Heart

King Size Slim
King Size Slim, AKA Toby Barelli, delivers raw, heartfelt, acoustic roots boogie. Whether he’s playing solo with nothing but his lungs and a road worn Resophonic guitar for amplification or backed by the slightly unusual arrangement of a double bassist and a duo of percussionists, the King Size Slim sound is all about rhythm and groove.

His idiosyncratic guitar playing often echoes the hypnotism of Mississippi Hill Country Blues, while his vocals are projected forth with all the volume and cadence of a wild street poet. Put it this way, it’s not easy to listen to King Size Slim without breaking into an unconscious head bob or foot tap at the very least. More likely, you’ll be walking down the street, headphones in, and only become alerted to the fact your gait’s developed an unusual slink because people have started staring at you.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Milk Drunk’ from Milk Drunk, ‘Love Divine’ from Chukka Chukka, ‘This Sweet Life’ from Chukka Chukka

Martin Harley
One of the very finest slide guitar players the UK has to offer, Martin Harley has been releasing music for 20 years and is a virtuoso in both laid back acoustic Weissenborn and fiery electric styles.

Taking influence from British folk, Americana and various flavours of world music as well as the blues, Harley’s sound is something of a slow-cooked sonic one pot stew. And a damn tasty one at that. His lyrical themes are invariably down to earth, while his guitar playing is absolutely otherworldly. A master of making his instrument whisper and wail, Harley is virtually unmatched in the category of ‘vocal’ guitar playing.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Roll With the Punches’ from Roll With the Punches, ‘Mojo Fix’ from Mojo Fix, ‘Blues At My Window’ from Money Don’t Matter

Toby Lee
At just 17 years old, Toby Lee has already packed tonnes into his musical career. As a young kid, he starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s West End production of School of Rock, and went viral after bringing the house down at BB King’s Beale Street Blues club aged just 10.

Since then, his YouTube channel has amassed millions of views, he’s shared The Royal Albert Hall’s stage with Joe Bonamassa and been invited to join the Gibson Alliance – a select group of musicians chosen to help shape the future of Gibson Guitars.

We could go on, but you get the picture: the guy is scarily good. And we’ve deliberately chosen not to suffix that with “for his age”.

His guitar playing is both tasteful and energetic and he possesses a particularly wild vibrato, no doubt modelled on that of his hero, BB King. 2021 saw Lee release his first full-length album and his vocal capabilities, although perhaps not as developed as his playing, stand him in good stead for a long career ahead as a killer frontman.

Song Starter Kit: ‘The Search for Happiness’ from Aquarius, ‘Take The Wheel’ from Aquarius’ EP, ‘Lie To Me’ from Lie To Me (Single)

Robin Trower
From the youngest member of the list onto, shall we say, the most experienced. We don’t expect you’ll need a full-blown introduction to the guitarist and songwriter who gifted the world Bridge of Sighs over 40 years ago, but you might not be quite as familiar with his more recent material.

A member of the same post-war generation that spawned the likes of Clapton, Beck and Page, Trower’s ability to dream-up and release new material has never really waned over the years, and – if anything – it’s accelerated in recent times.

The sound of hot valves and Strat single coils that characterised his sound early on is still very much his calling card, and it’s a reminder to all those starting out on the well-trodden path that cultivating your sound is far more valuable in the long run than reproducing the tones and licks of those who have come before – no matter how accurately you might be able to do so.

Song Starter Kit: ‘The Razor’s Edge’ from No More Worlds to Conquer, ‘United State of Mind’ from United State of Mind, ‘Tide Of Confusion’ from Coming Closer To The Day

Elles Bailey
‘British Americana’ might sound like a bit of a contradiction in terms, but it’s not a bad way to sum up the sound of Bristol’s Elles Bailey. With three albums under her belt already, there’s no doubt that Bailey’s a gifted songwriter and band leader, but what really sets her apart from the pack is her smoky, soul-infused vocal delivery.

Far from being ‘put on’ or a stylised affectation, her husky tones can be attributed –  in part, at least – to when she contracted a serious bout of pneumonia in her childhood, resulting in her having to breathe through a tube for 17 days. When life gives you lemons, as they say…

Song Starter Kit: ‘Cheats and Liars’ from Shining in the Half Light, ‘Medicine Man – Acoustic’ from Medicine Man – Acoustic, ‘What’s the Matter With You’ from Road I Call Home

Dom Martin
Fresh from scooping the awards for Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year and Blues Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2022 UKBlues awards, Northern Ireland’s Dom Martin is very much a musician breaking into his stride.

While comparisons to Ireland’s wild man of the blues, Rory Gallagher, are somewhat inevitable, Martin’s sound is far from derivative. Adept at acoustic and electric styles, he imparts a natural, unlaboured charm to his guitar playing, and he’s been blessed with an innate gift for storytelling that allows him to side-step lyrical cliches at every turn.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding Dom Martin right now, and while pundits are not to be confused with soothsayers, it only takes listening to a track or two to understand why so many are predicting a bright future for the Belfast born blues man.

Song Starter Kit: ‘12 Gauge’ from A Savage Life, ‘Blues On The Bay’ from A Savage Life, ‘Hell For You’ from Spain to Italy,

Son of Dave
Here we have a slight interloper in the ranks. Son of Dave, or Benjamin Darvill as his mother named him, in fact hails from Winnipeg, Canada. But he took up residence in London over 20 years ago and has since become far more than an honorary member of the British scene – having played everything from the most iconic clubs, to muddiest festival fields, and even hosted his Soho Radio show. Give him 20 more years and he might pick up the accent, too.

Armed with a loop station, a briefcase full of harps and a bag of slightly homemade looking percussion instruments, Son of Dave is a one-man blues explosion. Anything but traditional, he layers beatbox grooves with infectious vocal hooks and rowdy harmonica playing – all wrapped up in a slightly maniacal (in a good way) on-stage persona.

Epitomising the spirit of DIY, Darvill’s music has found its way into the eardrums of millions without the backing of a big label, and his tunes have appeared on hit shows like Breaking Bad, Preacher, and Bloodline.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Bringing It Home’ from Bringing It Home (single), ‘Shake a Bone’ from Shake a Bone, ‘Devil Take My Soul’ from O2,

The Kris Barras Band
If you like to wash your rock n’ roll down with just a swig of blues, then you’re probably going to dig these guys.

There’s attitude by the fistful in everything the band has released to date, which is perhaps unsurprising when you consider that the heavily tattooed, Telecaster-wielding Barras is an ex-MMA cage fighter. Big riffs and anthemic choruses are very much the order of the day here.

Testament to his heavy hitting blues rock prowess, Barras has also toured Europe alongside Billy Gibbons as the frontman in Supersonic Blues Machine, and the band has opened for the likes of Black Stone Cherry, Beth Hart and Joanne Shaw Taylor.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Dead Horses’ from Death Valley Paradise, ‘Hail Mary’ from The Divine and The Dirty, ‘Ignite (Light It Up)’ from Light it Up

Kyla Brox
An emerging talent on the UK circuit, Kyla Brox’s blues is tinged with jazz, soul, funk and pop elements.

Daughter of cult Mancunian blues figure, Victor Brox, her musical career began when she was a teenager performing in his band. Although she’s since gone on to craft a style very much of her own, the lasting effect of this early exposure to the scene can be felt in charmingly autobiographical tracks like ‘Bluesman’s Child’.

Brox possesses and commands a vast vocal range and is also a highly accomplished flautist –  which works surprisingly well in a bluesy context.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Bluesman’s Child’ from Pain & Glory, ‘If You See Him’ from Throw Away Your Blues, ‘Beautiful Day’ from Throw Away Your Blues’

Wille and The Bandits
Wille and The Bandits are UK festival favourites whose brand of uplifting, rootsy blues rock has been working fields full of music lovers into jubilant frenzies for over a decade.

Comparable to the bouncy energy of the John Butler Trio or Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals, Wille and the Bandits draw upon a whole world of influences. Thanks to frontman Wille Edward’s sterling electrified Weissenborn playing and gritty vocals, however, the overall sound always returns to feel good blues rock.

The four-piece have managed to commit their on-stage vibrancy to record with great success, and whether you’re hearing them through headphones or a cranked festival soundsystem, Wille and The Bandits make for fun listening every time.

Song Starter Kit: ‘Good Stuff’ from When the World Stood Still, ‘One Way’ from Paths, ‘Keep Your Head Up’ from New Breed

When Rivers Meet
 British husband and wife duo When Rivers Meet have been riding high since they cleaned up at the 2021 UKBlues Awards, taking home four trophies in one night. This year, they performed a similar feat, claiming three more awards, including Blues Album of the Year for 2021’s Saving Grace.

Guitarist Aaron Bond brings the riffs – usually opting for either Gibson Les Paul or a cigar box guitar for slide – while Grace takes care of more of the melodic duties on lead vocals, violin and mandolin. It’s refreshing to see these instruments sprung from the confines of folk music and given some rock n’ roll treatment.

Having gained a sturdy online following during lockdown, the dedication of When Rivers Meet’s fans has recently been proven in the real world as they’ve played a string of jam-packed venues on their first ever UK headline tour.

Song Starter Kit: ‘He’ll Drive You Crazy’ from Saving Grace, ‘Did I Break The Law’ from We Fly Free, ‘Free Man’ from The Uprising EP