Fiona Boyes

Fiona Boyes plays deep Blues, influenced by a myriad of traditional regional styles. She has carved an international reputation as a blues guitarist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter. International reviewers reviewers have described her as a musical anomaly and Bonnie Raitts evil twin!

A distinctive finger-picking and slide guitarist, Fionas soulful, authoritative style has earned her unprecedented recognition overseas as an Australian artist. Winner of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, she has toured widely, performing at acoustic, guitar, jazz, and blues festivals, clubs and cultural centers in more than 20 countries.

Fionas recent studio release Voodoo in the Shadows follows two previous award-winning albums, Box and Dice and Professin the Blues which, between them garnered 2015 & 2017 The Age Music Victoria Awards for Best Blues Album, the 2017 USA Blues Blast Award for Best Acoustic Album, and final four nominations in the USA Blues Music Awards for Best Album, Best Female Artist, Best Acoustic Artist, and the Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Female Artist). Fiona is the only Australian ever to be nominated for these awards, which are considered to be the Grammies of the Blues.

Fiona was nominated for the Koko Taylor Award (Best Traditional Female Artist) at the 2019 USA Blues Music Awards in Memphis. She also garnered 4 nominations for the 2019 Australian Blues Music Awards for Blues Album of the Year (Voodoo in the Shadows), Artist of the Year, Band of the Year, and Song of the Year (Call Their Name).

Equally at home on acoustic or electric guitars, her mostly original repertoire is like a Blues travelogue. Listen to her play and youll hear Delta slide guitar, single chord Mississippi Hills grooves, intricate country blues finger picking, along with material drawn from the classic blues sounds of New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. Voodoo in the Shadows extends her exploration of the musical stylings of Mississippi and Louisiana, featuring swampy electric guitar along with a collection of unique cigar box guitars and a rare National ResoLectric Baritone. As her friend and mentor, the late, great Hubert Sumlin (Howlin Wolfs guitarist) said. 'She's got it! I've played with all of them - and she's got it!'