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The Future of Blues Rock – 10 Acts To Watch Under 30

While blues rock music is not a mainstream genre it is slowly making its way back to the masses through a youth movement. More and more young artists are popping up to help spread the art form in a time where radio play for blues rock artists is extremely limited. Here are ten acts under the age of 30 that are helping to bring the genre to a new generation of fans.

Greta Van Fleet

There is no blues rock band or rock band for that matter with more momentum than Greta Van Fleet right now. They’re a modern rock band that actually gets played on the radio and they’ve quickly captured the ears of fans longing for good ‘ole fashioned rock and roll. What’s truly incredible is that no member of the band is over the age of 22. The band released From The Fires in 2017 and has new music on the way soon.


Larkin Poe

The sister duo of Rebecca and Megan Lovell are paying tribute to blues heroes of the past while also paving the way for a new generation with original material of their own. Larkin Poe released Peach in 2017, which received rave reviews.


Hannah Wicklund and the Steppin Stones

Hannah Wicklund and the Steppin Stones have certainly emerged as a band to watch with the release of their self-titled album earlier in 2018. Wicklund is barely in her 20s, but is already a seasoned veteran having formed the band when she was just 8 years old.


Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown

Tyler Bryant first made his way onto the radar as the young guitarist featured in the 2009 documentary, Rock Prophecies, where photographer Robert Knight sought out the world’s best guitar player. Since then, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown have been one of the hardest bands in rock and roll touring relentlessly. The group released its self-titled album in 2017.


Laurence Jones

Laurence Jones is one of the UK’s shining stars in blues rock having won several awards while sharing the stage with many of the top acts in the genre. His latest album, The Truth, is perhaps his best yet making the genre accessible to a wider audience.


Samantha Fish

Samantha Fish continues to quickly grow her fan base with constant touring. She released not one, but TWO albums in 2017 with Chills and Fever and Belle of the West. Fish also won Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year at 2018’s Blues Music Awards.


Eric Steckel

Eric Steckel picked up the guitar at a young age and is a monster player, but is also a talented multi-instrumentalist. He’s not shy about pushing the envelope of what blues music is (as he shows on Polyphonic Prayer) and not many artists his age can say they’ve developed a signature sound like Steckel has.


Quinn Sullivan

Quinn Sullivan has been groomed from a young age by Buddy Guy to help carry the mantle for blues rock music. Now 18 years old, Sullivan is really beginning to come into his own growing as a songwriter in addition to his impressive guitar prowess.


Ben Poole

UK blues rocker Ben Poole is known as quite the guitarist, but he’s a strong songwriter, too. Poole hit the number 10 spot on Blues Rock Review’s Top 20 Albums of 2016 and is set to release Anytime You Need Me in September, which is already generating a lot of buzz in the blues rock world.

 

Chase Walker Band

The Chase Walker Band blew its way onto the blues rock scene with the release of Not Quite Legal, which was voted Blues Rock Review’s #2 album of 2016. Even more impressive was the fact that Walker was just 17 years old at the time, certainly a prospect to watch.

Pete Francis

Pete Francis is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Blues Rock Review. Pete founded Blues Rock Review in 2010 because he felt there was a major void in how the blues rock genre was covered. Pete is the host of Blues Rock Weekly and a co-host on the Blues Rock Show.

29 thoughts on “The Future of Blues Rock – 10 Acts To Watch Under 30

  • A few more young ones to watch are Eric Johanson, Mike J. Scott, and Tyler Morris.

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    • A few others, not sure if they are under 30 or not, but some others are Charlie Wheeler Band, Jason Wells and Tyler Jakes. Really good stuff.

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    • Thanks John for the heads up?

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  • You need to look out for LOVEHONEY!!!!!!

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    • BRANDON TAZ NIEDERAUER

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      • Just saw Taz in Davenport, IA. He’s amazing!

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    • Amen. How the hell was Marcus King omitted

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    • I thought the same thing! I do like several of the band’s on here, Larkin Poe and Greta Van Fleet especially, but come on, how is Marcus King not in here!

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    • Sure have!

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  • A young man from the Isle of Man (British Isles) now I believe living in Chicago USA and tours in the states a lot doing very well and a great musician

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  • My apology I somehow omitted the mans name it is DAVY KNOWLES

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  • Check out Arbor Creek!! Awesome band!

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  • Good choices, but Christone Kingfish Ingram should be here too. Or is there a special under 20 category!

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  • Marcus King Band…..cannot believe that he wasn’t the first one mentioned. By far and away the best young blues player to come along for many a year.

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  • Watch The Laura Cox band!

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  • Y’all should check out Hadden Sayers. A great blues rocker and a very unique vocal talent.

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  • All but two on this list are named after the guitar player….what happen to being a band? It’s crazy to me that most blues acts are always named after the guitar player…..some of these egos should try playing on their own and see how far they get…

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  • I would recommend you check out Mitch Laddie from UK and Marquise Knox from St Louis, who is more blues than rock. If you could stretch the age group to Under 35 then Jarekus Singleton from Mississippi.

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  • I agree with the others that mentioned it……How the hell was Marcus King Band left out ? Should have been the no brainer # 1 pick !
    If Marcus was a baseball player ” they” would already say he was Hall of Fame bound. This guy will be a legend.

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  • How is Marcus King not listed here ? Well ,at least you have Larkin Poe listed.

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  • Listen to Mattew Curry. Great licks, great voice! Been around for a long time, like many of your choices. I heard him first when he was 14 and he blew me away.

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  • Davy Knowles, The Brew, Mitch Laddie, Albany Down, Captain Ivory, Jocelyn & Chris Arndt, The Warrior Kings.

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  • I am wondering what others perceive of Samantha face with regard to being a Blues artist. I think she’s a very talented young lady started off very bluesy with some exceptional Blues covers. It seems to me as time progresses, however, that she has left blues, at least the way I perceive a blues, entirely. It seems to me that every song, anymore, ends up with a ripping guitar crescendo to the extent that they become scarcely distinguishable from one another. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard her do anything in what I consider to be the blues genre or anything contemplatively or quiet as far as that goes. just my thoughts. I think she’s talented a great young lady and I wish her great success I just have trouble listening anymore. My apologies for any typos. I’m doing this on my cell phone. These tiny windows are impossible to review.

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    • Should read Samantha FISH

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    • Blues ROCK.

      Blues on its’ own is great, but add that good old Taddy Porter groove or Kenny Wayne Shepherd lick and you have Blues Rock!

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    • I agree on Samantha. A definite talent but more rock than Blues. Vanessa Collier was not mentioned. May be the best pure musician of the group. Tremendous live act.

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  • Noah Wotherspoon could lead this list! Check out his 2019 release, “Mobile Juke House Theater” for a great listening experience!

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