Tim Hughes talks to Irish blueswoman Grainne Duffy – who combines the passion of Etta James and BB King with the huskiness of Bonnie Raitt

Grainne Duffy eyes up a shiny new guitar and smiles.

“I’m like a kid in a sweet shop,” she laughs, while lusting over equipment at a music shop.

“This is what most women are like going clothes shopping,” she says in a velvety Irish accent. ”But for me it’s all about guitars and amps.”

The singer-songwriter from little Castleblayney in County Monaghan, is filling in time before playing a gig on a tour which takes her the length of the country, and, on Monday, sees her return to Oxford for a show at The Bullingdon.

“I’m here with the boys!” she says, gesturing to her bandmates. “So we’re playing around experimenting with pedals and amps.”

Slim, athletic and possessed of a luscious mane of long russet hair, Grainne (the name is pronounced something like Gron-yer) is an unlikely, but entirely welcome presence on the blues scene – a world regrettably still dominated by men. Yet her husky voice, passion and thrilling guitar work make her one of the most exciting singer-songwriters on the scene.

While a towering presence live, she is modest, self-effacing and softly-spoken off stage. “My music is a mix of blues, soul and rock – with a bit of Irish country in there as well,” she says.

“It’s a modern blues style, like Alabama Shakes or Black Keys. There are still guitar solos but it’s got more energy.”

She says she is looking forward to returning to Oxford, having been a frequent visitor to the city’s Monday Blues nights hosted by the late Philip Guy Davis. “Ah Silver Phil!” she sighs. “It’s very sad he’s gone. He was a great ambassador for the blues. Everyone knew him and loved him. And he had so much love for the music. This sounds like a similar sort of gig, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Listening to this imposing blues-guitarist, it seems strange to imagine she actually started out singing with her sisters, Jacinta and Joanne. Inspired by her father’s collection of rock and American country LPs, she found herself drawn to the blues.

“Unlike many families in Ireland, I don’t have a huge trad background,” she confesses. “I was happier listening to Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, BB King and Fleetwood Mac, or country artists like Linda Ronstadt.”

Other influences include Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy and Bonnie Raitt, to whom she is frequently compared.

“When I first heard Peter Green’s Need Your Love So Bad, I fell in love and saw the light – and there was no going back. Then hearing people like Etta James and Aretha Franklin turned on a switch. After that, I knew the music I resonated most with.”

Etta James’s classic I’d Rather Go Blind remains a staple on her overwhelmingly self-penned set list, as are songs by Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones (Wild Horses is a favourite).

“I played on the local club scene in Monaghan and knew then I liked the life,” she says.

A love of Carol King’s Tapestries spurred her on to write her own material. Driven by a passion for performing, she studied music at Ireland’s Maynooth University and worked as a jobbing session artist around Europe, also touring with the Irish band Shanco.

“I started writing my own songs at college,” she goes on. “I recorded three of my own and it went from there.”

She released her debut album Out of the Dark, in 2007, with the help of a wishlist of musicians including Sharon Shannon collaborator Ronnie O’Flynn and Van Morrison’s pedal steel player Richard Nelson. Another long term member of her band is rhythm guitarist – and husband – Paul Sherry.

Her second album, Test of Time followed in 2012. It was a critical smash.

Oxford Mail:

  • Husky: Grainne Duffy began performing as a child at home in County Monaghan

“I tend to write the lyrics first then set music around it,” she says of the writing process. “And it’s always very personal.

“Sometimes it’s about Paul, things that have happened to us or just observations in general.”

So how does she find life as one of a handful of blues frontwomen? “I meet more and more women playing the blues, singing, playing drums and keyboards, and they all say they have been welcomed with open arms,” she says. “If anything, people support you more as a woman. It’s a positive experience.

“I could do with another female with me on the road, though, as it can be hard. There’s no one to tell you your skirt isn’t sitting properly at the back or your make up isn’t right! The band are gentlemen though; everyone respects each other. And when it comes to partying, I do keep up with them.

“We are always on a high, though, and want to make the most of meeting new people and being in new places. It’s an exciting life. Every day I am doing what I want: singing and playing.”

And what’s it like touring with one’s spouse? “In some ways it makes things easier even though we are with each other 24/7,” she laughs. “You need a good working, as well as personal, relationship.”

And while it is Grainne’s name on the bill, she insists she does listen to the boys. “I do let them express their opinions,” she laughs again. “And we all love giving a good lively show – which is what we’ll be doing in Oxford. We’ll be giving people a night of blues-rock-soul which comes from the heart.”

And if you meet her at the show, try to get the name right. “Some people call me ‘Granny’ – but I’m not one yet!” she chuckles. “It’s obviously an unusual name, so I don’t take it as an insult when people get it wrong. But I am endeavouring to make it a well-known name!”

Where and when
Grainne Duffy plays the Haven Club at the Bullingdon on Monday.
Tickets £10 in advance or £12 on the door.
wegottickets.com