Don't judge a book by it's cover. If I showed you a picture of 25 year old Liverpudlian (and Geffen recording artist) Delta Maid and told you she was a Blues artist, I doubt you'd believe me. Well, think again. This young talent from the UK can sing the blues for days, and man does she do it well. A self taught guitarist, Delta became strongly influenced by American roots album from a young age. Album track, "The Changes Made," (Download it free HERE) sounds very much like Jewel. Like Jewel, Delta has a sweet, smooth singing voice, especially when she effortlessly goes into her upper register. Absolutely stunning. Listen to "The Changes Made" below:
Delta Maid - The Changes Made by Delta Maid
Delta's forthcoming album will see a variety of Southern influences from the likes of Patsy Cline, Bessie Smith, Dolly Parton and other American greats, all of whom have a spot in Delta's record collection. What I find so intriguing about international artists who take on distinctly American genres is where they draw their inspiration from. Seeing that Delta's never been to the Deep South, how does she take this music and make it meaningful to her? This speaks wonders about the universal language that is music. Delta finds parallels between her life in Liverpool and life the deep South, where her genre of music originated. Delta explains:
"There’s something really honest about it. It’'s not convoluted in any way. I feel that’s what Liverpool'’s got in common with delta blues, because there’s a lot of honesty there - we tend to wear our hearts on our sleeves. A lot of the language, believe it or not, is quite similar."UK fans can pick up Delta's debut EP, Broken Branches (download HERE), which was released this summer. Her debut album, Outside Looking In, is due to be released on March 14th, preceded by lead single "Of My Own" on March 7th. The single, described as a "country fried hip shaker" is only a taste of what we can expect to find on her debut album. Expect a variety of a tempos and styles from sultry, laidback swing to tender acoustic ballads. Kudos to Delta Maid for shedding a spotlight on a genre of music, relatively unknown in the UK. Now, let's hope she comes over across the pond and dazzles American audiences with her talents as well.
Check out some live footage of Delta Maid performing at the Shazam Session (HERE) and at the Mahogany Blog Session (HERE) and check out a lovely video introduction below.
Check out Delta Maid on the web: