A Sweeter Peach There Never Was

Interview with American blues singer and guitarist Peach Reasoner of PEACH AND THE ALMOST BLUES BAND

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Joseph Timmons in Artist / Musician, Concerts, EXCLUSIVE, Exclusive Interview, Videos // 0 Comments

IndiePulse Exclusive

By Joseph Timmons: IndiePulse Music Magazine

During February of 2016 American blues singer and guitarist Peach Reasoner returned to Copenhagen to play with her band at her favorite club, the cozy Café Bartof. Club owners Joacim “Jokke” Friss Holm and Charlotte Bertelsen had graciously agreed that recording equipment could be brought for a live recording session.

Peach and The Almost Blues Band invited keyboard player and composer Ken Stange (Joe Cocker, Roger Miller, Jose Feliciano) to come over for the recording. Ken Stange had played with PEACH for many years in her Los Angeles band. Ken plays piano, organ and harp. The result of the live recording is called “A Night in Copenhagen”. During that time of year, Denmark is cold and dark… but the love in that room was the reason for the journey.

Their latest release “A Night In Copenhagen” has been a big success and is making its way in the music world to the delight of any who listen. IndiePulse Music Magazine had an opportunity to get some Q&A time with Peach Reasoner and got the what, where, when and why, please join us for some good info and fun.

How did you get your start in music?

I started singing in a choir at the age of six, and my mother played boogie woogie on a piano that was out in the garage. As time went by, she wanted me to play piano, but I always wanted to play electric guitar. So at the age of 11, I somehow talked my parents into buying me a Fender Jazzmaster, a white one (how I wish I had it now). I played that guitar for many years.

What was your very first performance, was it everything you believed it would be?

Some of my first performances were at things like girls’ fashion shows in my hometown of Anderson, Indiana. Other non-earth-shattering performances occurred at the hometown theater, pronounced thee-eighter. That was the first “big stage,” super fun. I think I was 16.

Looking back at what you’ve done through the years, what would you say was the driving force behind your music?

I think the driving force is self-expression and trying to connect through my music to people. Right now I seem to have connected now with people in Europe. But, someone once said, “You can’t be a hero in your own backyard,” a quote worthy of contemplation for those out there starting their careers.

Who were some of your inspirations?

Singers, songwriters, guitarists, and just role models in general. I love BB King, Freddie King, Cornell Dupree, Aretha Franklin, Carol King, Joni Mitchell, Laura Nyro, Bob Dylan (for his song writing, not his singing). So many great influences! Philosophically, I admire women like Maya Angelou.

Who have you shared the stage with in your career?

I’m happy to say I’ve played a great deal with guitarist Joey Delgado, and recorded with Taj Mahal. I was lucky to co-write with Keb’ Mo’. I got to open on a lot of stages for Bobby Blue Bland, James Cotton. I toured as an opening act with Little Milton. I’ve been happy to play with the great drummer James Gadson, and guitarists Ben Mauro, Josh Sklair, Jamie James, and many others.

Tell us about your bandmates, and would you say you had a natural chemistry when working together?

I currently run two bands, one in Denmark and one in Los Angeles. The joke with the band in Denmark is that it should be called “Peach and the Four Husbands” because I have a unique relationship with each of my bandmates. I generally like the people I play with or they don’t last long. I’ve worked with my Los Angeles band for almost twenty years, and we’re like family.

Tell us about your recent release and your tour / performances.

A few years ago I met Helge Solberg, the bass player in the Almost Blues Band in Denmark (www.almostbluesband.dk). Helge liked some videos that I had on the internet and told the rest of his band. It wasn’t long before I was on a mini tour with them. We’ve been expanding our tours and recently made this recording.

What would you say was your best and favorite performance?

I think my favorite all time performance was two years ago with my Los Angeles band. It was the Untapped Blues Festival in Kennewick, Washington. And for some reason, I just had a really great guitar day. And I was able to finally “shred,” and I don’t know what got into me, but it was super fun. I was soaring on my guitar. Now I chase that performance.

What would you say was your strangest performance?

Probably the strangest performance I’ve ever had was my full band opening at a festival for Little Milton, at the Boundary Waters Blues Festival in Ely, Minnesota. The Minnesota part is relevant because it was so far north, that in the middle of our set, the sky had bright green and purple streaks and colors all over. For a minute I thought, did someone slip me some LSD? I had never seen the aurora borealis before. No one had mentioned that this might happen. It was so beautiful, yet kind of hard to concentrate.

Looking at your long road here, to where we are, what would you like your fans to know, how would you like to be remembered?

I would like the audience to know I thank them for allowing me to be an artist, and I’d like to be remembered as a woman who played and sang her heart out….. and played well into her seventies and eighties. I wish to serve as an inspiration to young women who sometimes think it’s all over at twenty-three. For me, it was not all over at twenty-three, nor at forty-six, nor at sixty-five. Playing is my passion and I plan to continue until the lights go out.

What’s next for you as far as possible albums or special news you would like to share.

I’m working on a couple of rockin’ bluesy Christmas songs to record soon. I’m also planning to video several new songs in early 2017 at my house in Venice, California. Then in the late spring 2017, I go back to Scandinavia to tour with the Almost Blues Band.

Peach Reasoner, as sweet and wonderful as the sweet fruit itself has quite a history, and we have listed many links below, we don’t normally have this many web resources listed, but I really feel to get the full grasp of how good this music is, you really should give an ear to it all.

Website: http://www.peachmusic.com/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEACH

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