An antidote to the weariness of blues lovers everywhere, a new collective project comes out June 17 in the form of the Strongman Blues Remedy, Volume 1 on Stony Plain Records.

Conceived by producer, songwriter and artist Steve Strongman, the collective features Dawn Tyler Watson, Crystal Shawanda, Steve Marriner, Jesse O’Brien, Alec Fraser, and Harrison Kennedy — who can be heard on the album’s newly released single, “I Like To Ride.”

With seven albums as a solo artist — plus a Juno Award, the Mel Brown Blues Award, International Blues Challenge’s Best Guitarist award, four Maple Blues Awards, and more — Steve is an acclaimed bluesman known for liberally applying swampy swagger and sweetness to shuffles, blues ballads, and four-on-the-floor chuggers alike. The Strongman Blues Remedy, Volume 1 is the Hamilton-based musician’s first time producing, a process he calls “a huge learning curve, but incredibly rewarding.”

By doing songwriting sessions with a stellar cast of multi-award-winning Canadian blues artists, he developed an album that touches on a wide cross-section of experiences and viewpoints. The result is an expansive 10-track album with one overarching message within: the best remedy for the world we’re living in right now is to fill it with music that celebrates life and focuses on the joys of being on the other side.

If you are enjoying this content, please take a second to support Roots Music Canada on Patreon!