Interview with Black Joe Lewis
The bluesman will perform at Slowdown on Tuesday
Black Joe Lewis is coming up on twenty years in the music industry, at least with his recorded output. In that time, he has performed on David Letterman, Jools Holland, Craig Ferguson, and more. He toured with Dave Matthews and has performed at all of the major festivals. His 2017 album Backlash was a top seller on the Billboard Blues Album Chart.
Black Joe Lewis was put into the soul revival category as that was a big movement around the time his debut album with The Honeybears came out in 2009. In our discussion, he told me that he was always a blues man and is playing a lot more straight blues these days. We also talked about The Zoo Bar, his songwriting process, and the possibility of new music soon. Black Joe Lewis performs at Slowdown this Tuesday with Shane Guerrette. Tickets are available here.
MarQ Manner- I was reading stories about what musicians were doing during the pandemic, and I read that you were doing construction. Are you still doing that?
Black Joe Lewis-No, not at the moment; I am back on the road, but you never know, I could be right back at it.
MarQ-I saw that you played The Zoo Bar in Lincoln last year. Which is kind of a classic hole in the wall bar with a lot of history, and you play in more modern venues. Do you have a preference? Or different vibes for different places?
Black Joe Lewis-For me, it is which crowd is into it. I do like the Zoo Bar; it is one of my favorite spots to play in the country because it does have that old school vibe. For me, it is if the crowd is jumping, but if it is a slow night, then it becomes a little more like a job.
MarQ-When your album Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is came out in 2009, I felt like that was a prime time for the soul and blues revival. You had Alabama Shakes, the Black Keys, Sharon Jones, and yourself. What do you feel the state of soul and blues music is today?
Black Joe Lewis-You know you still have The Black Pumas doing their thing; there is that dude, Durand Jones, who is pumping. I miss Sharon and The Dap Kings, no one do it like them. You get on the road, you go to some unique places, and you hear some acts you never heard before, so it’s out there. Hopefully, there is going to be a blues revival too.
MarQ-Do you find yourself playing more blues music these days than the big soul sound?
Black Joe Lewis-Yeah, for sure. We do more of a country blues thing, city blues, or whatever they call it. My band is a three piece now, been a three piece the last couple years. So we are doing more straight blues, but I have always considered us a blues band. We just had horns in it, so, it automatically takes it into the soul if it has horns in it. Yeah, I have always considered myself a bluesman.
MarQ-With you doing the trio, and touring around with that, are you finding a new audience, or are you finding it is still your fans coming out to see you?
Black Joe Lewis-It’s hard to say. At first, we were getting a lot of flak for not having the horns; people missed the horns. Then once we played, people forgot about it, and they were like, ‘Man, that was the best show I have seen y’all play’. I haven’t put anything out in like six years, so it’s like the fact that people are still coming out to see what we have going on says something about word-of-mouth traveling about the live show.
MarQ-That was my next question. Is there any new music in the works that we can talk about?
Black Joe Lewis-I have been working on an album for awhile, I have a couple singles I am talks with now to make a plan. They probably won’t be out before I make it up there, but we have been playing them in the set. If you have seen us live, you have probably heard some of them. I am hoping to get something out here this year.
MarQ-What are some of the things currently inspiring you to write songs?
Black Joe Lewis-I have been trying to get back on my feet, and a Iot of inspiration from life. A lot of these songs, it is going to be a heartbreak album.
MarQ-What is your process for writing a song?
Black Joe Lewis-I just plug in the acoustic and get my notepad. I sit there and I jam, and if I get a little riff together, I try to put some words on it. I let the dudes do their thing on it or whatever. Sometimes I will make up what I want on there all the way. Pretty much just an acoustic guitar, a notepad…and a joint.
MarQ-Your introduction to Omaha fans would have been opening up for Dave Matthews Band here. What was it like to play on such big stages early in your career?
Black Joe Lewis-It was awesome. I remember pulling up in our van, and there would be like ten eighteen-wheelers, and our van would be super small. That was fun; Dave Matthews was really cool to us.
MarQ-In talking with bands, it seems like things are harder on the road. Do you feel that, and if so, what keeps bringing you to the stage every night?
Black Joe Lewis-Yeah, things just cost more in general, and it is hard to make more money after COVID. You just have to go out more and find a band with a bunch of dudes that don’t have kids, because it is more of a grind. Now you really have to get out there and grind it out. It’s still making a living.
MarQ-What can people expect from your show currently? What are people going to see on stage?
Black Joe Lewis-A good show. I don’t know how else to put it. You will not be disappointed.