Though Owen Campbell was born a few continents shy of the Mississippi Delta, the Canberra, Australia native has known he was meant to be a musician since his dad gave him his first guitar at the age of nine. When he was still a young man, he took up the call of the travelling bluesman, taking his skills on the slide guitar from Papua New Guinea to Kathmandu, Nepal, and pursuing his passion even when it was rough, and he found himself busking for spare change. Soon, things started to fall into place. A successful stint on Australia’s Got Talent gained him national recognition, and recently, a famous fan came out of the woodwork to shepherd Campbell in his international career. Devon Allman brought the blues-rocker to High Low Studios in Memphis, acting as producer on Breathing Bullets, Campbell’s latest album that drops today, August 19th, on ROC Records via MGM Distribution World Wide. Allman, who says that the Aussie’s “grit and passion are sublime, and his unique storytelling is a true gift,” also invited Campbell on tour, and the guys hit the West Coast this month.
Today, Elmore is premiering “On Your Knees” a track from Campbell’s just dropped record. Straight out of the gate, Campbell proves that he knows what the blues are all about– “I been crawling, crawling like a dog, down on my knees just to please you,” he desperately intones in the simple intro, his natural gravel perfectly carrying his lyrics of frustration and lust. The track picks up steam with the steady thud of drums and whirl of organ as he invokes the hoodoo man. Female vocals whoop and holler above the guitar to add a feverish energy to the track as it continues to build, letting loose into completely unbridled blues-rock breakdown.
Listen to “On Your Knees” below, buy a copy of Breathing Bullets via Campbell’s website and catch him on tour with Andy McKee through the rest of August.
Owen Campbell Tour Dates:
21st Cedar Cultural Centre, Minneapolis MI **
23rd High Noon Saloon, Madison MI **
24th Acorn Theatre, Three Oaks MI **
25th The Ark, Ann Arbor MI **
26th The Warehouse, Carmel IN **
27th Taft Theatre, Cincinnati OH **
28th Cosmic Charlies, Lexington KY **
( ** With Andy McKee)
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