Hailed as “The new master of the slide guitar”, Jack Broadbent has spent the the past few years captivating audiences all around the world with his unique blend of acoustic and slide guitar, and poignant folk and blues inspired vocals. Born June 15th, 1988 in rural Lincolnshire, England, Jack grew up listening to artists like Radiohead, Robert Johnson, Joni Mitchell and Davey Graham. These legends influenced Jack’s distinctive song writing, singing , production and performance style, giving his music a depth and heart that defies strict musical genre. Following a string of successful shows opening for legendary artists, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Peter Frampton, Johnny Hallyday, Tony Joe White, Jack has headlined a series of international tours, playing sold out shows in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the US and Canada.
With four full length albums under his belt, and a new album has finally arisen entitled “Moonshine Blue”. The album features the hit singles “Wishing Well” (streamed well over 85K times) and “Everytime I Drown” (the visual premiered exclusively at American Songwriter), as well as 7 unreleased tracks. I got the chance to speak to Jack about his brand new album “Moonshine Blue”;
Hi Jack and welcome to OLC! So tell me how and when did you discover your passion for music? Who are some of your musical influences?
JB- I grew up in a musical household. My Father is a musician so I’ve been hypnotized from a very young age.Listening to everything from early delta blues to Neil young, lots of Little Feat, Steely Dan and The Rolling Stones.
You have a new album out called Moonshine Blue, how would you describe the record as a whole?
JB – Moonshine Blue was written on the road while touring so there is a real feeling of movement, travel and different experiences for me. I think it comes across in the final record.
What song on the album means most to you and why?
JB – The whole thing means a lot to me as it very much feels like a diary of the time that it was written. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite because I think all the songs support each other.
Who produced and mixed Moonshine Blue and also where were most of the songs written: kitchen table, on the road?
JB – The album was Produced by me and my producer Bruce Cameron in Montreal. I recorded most of the songs first in Nashville and then took them up to Canada to finish them. The songs were written before that while I was touring around the world.
Since you spend so much time on the road, what is your favorite venue to play and why?
JB – I love the big amphitheater’s in the USA, I played the Greek Theatre with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Last night I played the Symphony Hall in Birmingham with Ronnie Wood, that was one of the best sounding rooms I’ve ever played.
Now you’re on the road for a stint with Ron Wood, how did that happen, and what are some of the highlights of the shows so far?
JB- Ronnie invited me onstage to sing the last song with him. That was my highlight so far!
What can fans expect from a Jack Broadbent live show, and will you be performing songs purely just from the album?
JB – You can expect the unexpected! I never play the same set twice. And the interaction with the crowd is always different, depending on the night. I love to make it personal and a good time. I play songs from all my records and of course some of the new ones from Moonshine Blue.
Now that the record is out, what’s next for you in 2020?
JB – I’ll be going back into the studio to record my new album in January. I’m very very excited!
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