Blues Deluxe - Eilidh Mckellar with Joe Bonamassa and Bernie Marsden

In the UK where the reverence for American blues artists runs deep and has brought forth legendary guitar heroes Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton, the endless grey skies of Edinburgh, Scotland are most definitely not immune to this musical iconography. Eilidh McKellar, a 19-year-old Scottish born singer and guitarist offers an interesting blend of indie rock, blues, and pop music with a nod towards the New World. Not only can Eilidh play with heartfelt emotion on the guitar, her voice comes from deep in the Mississippi River delta- where alligators lie in wait and Southern Comfort allays the sins of the soul. Eilidh started playing the guitar when she was 9 years old. With no other musicians in the family everything Eilidh has achieved has been the result of her own hard work and endearing devotion to her local guitar shop. In time she became a much beloved local fixture there testing out every available guitar on its walls. Meanwhile at home Eilidh listened to her dad’s Rolling Stones albums fostering an early love of the blues. “I loved the sound of those records, very raw and loose as if everyone was comfortable in their skin- I was feeling that.” Her interest in the blues expanded when she watched a television documentary and it led Eilidh to discover artists such as Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. Guitar lessons, both electric and classical, continued through her high school years. Together with Eilidh’s experience as part of the Edinburgh School Rock Ensemble for 5 years, allowed her to develop her guitar abilities and overall musicianship. In 2011 Eilidh began uploading performance videos to YouTube, initially to raise her profile and to help with music college applications, which landed her at the Leeds College of Music. The video response was very positive and Eilidh has now clocked up a nearly one million views overall. She also began performing on the local Edinburgh blues scene. This provided Eilidh with opportunities to jam with established musicians such as Oli Brown and James Burton. The highlight of her nascent career was performing at the Hammersmith Apollo with legendary blues/rock guitarist, Joe Bonamassa. Joe had seen Eilidh on YouTube and asked her to join him on stage-- a huge honor and she delivered great solos much to his and the audiences delight. Eilidh’s YouTube videos then caught the attention of American manager and producer, Guy Eckstine, who immediately offered his services for creative direction and career guidance. “As soon as I got wind of her and watched her videos, I reached out through social media. I asked Eilidh if she could sing- and she really “hadn’t bothered to try.” Two weeks later she sent me vocal demos which blew my mind.” Incorporating her various influences into a contemporary recording will be an interesting adjustment. “I’ve got many influences and voices inside of me that need to get out there into the world- I love indie rock, jazz, blues, and pop music too- I can’t wait to make this all come to fruition this year.” If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!