If Keith Richards, Joan Jett and Ray Charles could somehow spawn a love child, it'd be Romi Mayes (suitably pronounced RAW-ME). Hailing from Winnipeg, Canada, and renowned as one of the hardest working independent musicians touring the globe today, Mayes has chipped away at the rock and roll stone over the past couple of decades, and now, this Juno nominated, CFMA nominated, four time WCMA award winner, has done it again.
Her latest and fifth full length album, 'Lucky Tonight' stamps one more victory in this bad ass guitar playin lady's discography. Featuring guitar demon Jay Nowicki of the well known rockin blues band 'The Perpetrators', Mayes chose to record a rare electric duo album. Not unique enough for ya? Inspired by what another Winnipeg raised artist, Neil Young, did with his 1973 release 'Time Fades Away', Mayes and Nowicki recorded an album of all unreleased and unrecorded brand new songs live and in one take at a sold out concert in Winnipeg in the middle of winter.
All brand new tunes.
All live.
And in one take.
"Romi and Jay are an absolute force of an electric blues duo. The end result is an album that's carefully balanced between grinding, grooving roadhouse rhythms, heartfelt guitar solos, and Romi's aching, yearning voice and lyrics," says Uptown Magazine's John Kendle.
This kind of risk exemplifies Mayes in all she does and goes in tow with her ballsy, heart on her sleeve and straight shootin attitude. With song titles like "Don't Mess With Me", "Can't Get You Off (My Mind)", and title track "Lucky Tonight" her raw, edgy songs take no prisoners and tell it like it is. Not at all a one speed driver, Romi Mayes can also gear down the big rig and hypnotize you with honest sultry, sweet and sexy tunes that have schooled young men and made grown men cry.
She has shared the stage and toured with greats such as Derek Trucks, Levon Helm, Ricky Skaggs, Guy Clark, Billy Joe Shaver, Jim Cuddy, Tom Russell, Martha Wainwright, Gurf Morlix, Sam Baker, Hayes Carll, Todd Snider, Jimmy LaFave, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Slaid Cleaves, The Flatlanders, Sue Foley, Dale Watson, Fred Eaglesmith, Corb Lund, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings and many more.
Romi Mayes is a force to be reckoned with that will be a household name for years to come. She is only getting better with each album and one thing you can bet on is this hard core prairie gal has no plans to burn out or fade away.