Vincent Druda received the Quebec Lys Blues award for New Artist of The Year when he was only 19 years of age. Now, at 20, he’s looking to take the next step. His first album “Blues With Attitude” was launched at the end of 2005 and is getting very favourable reviews. His guitar playing is flashy, technical and exciting – combining many different styles that he studied throughout his teen years… however, it ultimately remains blues. Let’s find out more about Vincent Druda – one of Quebec’s young guns…

 

 

CB: Hi Vincent. Thanks for chatting with us. You’ve been playing guitar for some time now. What led you to pursue the blues genre at such a young age?

VD:  At the age of eight, my father had me listen to different blues legends such as Robert Johnson,

Elmore James, Johnny Winter, Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters and many other greats. One day, he told me to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan and when I heard “Rude Mood” it started it all...

 

CB: Who were your main influences when you were getting started?

VD: Besides Stevie I really liked Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani. Not all blues but I like to check other great guitarists.

 

CB: Who do you listen to the most now?

VD: Nickelback, Charon and Thornley, They are all rock bands and give me a lot of new ideas for my new wave blues.

 

CB: You won a Quebec Lys Blues award for Best New Artist in 2004. How has that impacted on your career?

VD: Although the award was for Best New Artist 2004 as you know it is always a group effort. It helped me get interviews, some popularity and actually encouraged me to record my first CD. It's always nice for visibility. I was very happy. This would not have been possible without Réjean Nadon of Le Net Blues who decided to hold a gala to recognise Quebec blues musicians.

 

CB: Do you currently work with a booking agent/manager?

VD: No, I don't have a booking agent but my dad manages my career under “Productions Voodoo Blues”. He helps me a lot and I am very proud to have him around.

 

CB: This is a big year for you at the Quebec Lys Blues Awards with nominations in three categories; Revelation of The Year, Author/Composer of The Year and Album of The Year.  Which of these categories is the most important to you? Why?

VD: They are all very important to me, but “Album of the year” would confirm all the energy and hard work that was put into it. I am very happy to be nominated in each of these categories they are all good for my career.

CB: You’ve played many different stages in your career so far… do you have any favourites?

VD: I really appreciated the Cafe Campus - nice stage, well situated and the fans are great. Also, I enjoyed Club Soda and the Lion D'Or.

 

CB: Your band currently consists of a “Power Trio” format with yourself on guitar/vocals and long-time rhythm section Dany Mathieu on drums and Rick Vanelli on bass. Tell us more about these musicians.

VD: Dany has been with me since the beginning. He is a 25-year veteran of the blues scene and my right-hand man. He's played with Bluesiana Trio, Voodoo and many other successful bands. He started playing drums very young and is continuously learning new beats and styles. He is a hard-hitting drummer which is the style that I like. Rick Vanelli joined the band 2 years ago and has been on the music scene for over 35 years. He’s toured with Gino Vanelli, Patrick Normand and Claude Dubois. A very technical bassman that brought years of expertise to the band.

CB: Let’s talk about your new CD “Blues With Attitude”. What was your approach regarding song selection?

VD: A lot of people do the classics like SRV, B.B. King, Colin James and Muddy Waters - which are all great… but I decided to do a tribute to Paul Butterfield, Robert Johnson and John Mayall. On my album, I do Robert Johnson's “Me And The Devil“ with a seven string guitar that gives it a very different approach. Robert must be turning in his grave every time I play it. Dany, Rick and I decided on the songs.

 

CB: The album also features a few special guests – notably Claude Hallé on harmonica (who also co-wrote Blues Du 30 Sous). How did that musical relationship come about?

VD: I met him at the 2003 Valleyfield blues festival. He was one of the organizers. We started chatting and discovered we had a lot in common musically. Claude has a lot of musical knowledge and passed along a few “tricks of the trade”. One night while we were playing at Willy's Pub, he asked me if he could sit in with the band. I was surprised how passionate he was on the harmonica and we had a great time.  We clicked right off the bat. Every time he gets on stage with the band we really have fun together. Claude knows all my moves on stage and likes to improvise to give me a good challenge. Every time we go to Valleyfield, Claude is there to jam with us.

 

CB: Another guest is your sister, Tina Dee on backing vocals. Do you both help each other with your musical projects?

VD: Yes we do. Tina formed a band last January and I became her guitarist. When I need back vocals, she's there. I have no choice, she's my sister (laughs). She is very talented and will have a great career.  We also exchange ideas on different songs and encourage each other.