By Monk

We all have to remember our roots, and as music lovers we have to remember that the roots of the modern rock ‘n’ roll, in all its myriad forms, from punk through to deathcore, lies in the blues of deep south of the USofA, which is something of which this Harlem aficionado is deeply aware, as evinced on this reworking of one of the long-lost classics of the genre:

Popping into ÜRHQ for a glass of the finest sippin’ whiskey, Hicks told me a bit about his trip #FurtherOnUpTheRoad:

It’s great to be alive in a time period where I can reach back to the past, but also be inspired by the now and the future.

I feel like I’m in Memphis when I hear the Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland version – it just had a really nice mid-tempo feel, like I’m driving in the car. Kirk [Yano – producer]and I didn’t want to take the song away from its roots, but it just sounds like we’re bringing it up to date. It sounds more like New York City than a studio down South. It’s more polished. But it gets right to the point with the guitar and vocals. It wastes no time getting you into that.  

  • Hicks’ new album, ‘How Did I Ever Get So Blue?’ will be released via Artone/Provogue on 23 January.