Dragon Interview: The Guitarist Who Brings a ‘Darker, Modern Twist’ To The Blues

Published on: 20 Sep, 2024
Updated on: 20 Sep, 2024

Ross Harding

Ross Harding is a blues rock musician from South Africa, now living in Guildford, who has begun to realise his long-standing dream to be part of the UK music scene.

Having played at venues in Newcastle, Glasgow and Kingston, Ross and his band will now be playing at one of Guildford’s top music venues, the Holroyd, on Thursday, October 10.

Dragon reporter David Reading asked Ross about his music and how he came to be in the UK.

When did you come to this country and what brought you here?

I’ve been in the UK since March. I’ve always wanted to be a part of the UK music industry but it was really challenging, being based in South Africa. My wife received a job offer (she’s in a very specialised industry) and that set everything in motion.

How would you describe the music you play?

I like to think I give the blues a new kind of darker, modern twist. My music swerves through atmospheric, emotive acoustics to high-energy electric rock. I believe the music has depth and a kind of emotive spirit to it. My tastes are quite wide so it’s a bit eclectic too. I have three performance styles – essentially as a solo acoustic artist, with an ‘unplugged’ band, and with a full electric band.

Can you recall the first moment you felt inspired to pick up a guitar? What was the song, or songs, that did it for you?

I was always interested in music and rock music really gripped me from a young age. Bands and artists like Eric Clapton through to Metallica influenced me very early on. I thought I might just be a singer initially. It’s difficult to pin an exact moment when the guitar became a reality, but my first guitar was actually given to me by my father’s girlfriend when I was 11. I was obsessed from there on.

What other musicians have been major influences?

My tastes and influences range from old blues artists like Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and Son House, to Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I also love 90’s rock and grunge – especially Soundgarden and Alice In Chains. My more modern inspirations have been Joe Bonamassa and Gary Clark Jr and there are the not-so-obvious influences. I’m a huge fan of Beethoven’s piano works, particularly the “Moonlight Sonata”, which to me is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

Ross Harding

Since the early sixties, blues in various forms has always had a following here in the UK. Why do you think it retains its popularity?

Blues is a style of music that can be internalised and personalised. Its very roots are that – music for the people, or “folk” music. In that way it seems to be passed down generationally, and the next generation of blues cats becomes responsible for pushing it forward again. I see myself in that role now. Someone who can take this massive history and just share it in a new way.

What do you seek to express in the songs you write?

There’s lots of catharsis in my music. That can lead to many topics. But mostly, it’s about art, and the feeling I get from what I’m playing. If something moves me musically, lyrically, artistically, then I feel like I’m on the right track in that creative process.

What sounds and styles of music are popular in South Africa?

It’s a very diverse place so there’s a bit of everything. The biggest forms of music are probably Amapiano and Kwaito, which are forms of house music. From the rock & roll / alternative side, there are artists representing everything from death metal to blues, but of course the industry is really small, so it’s more niche in those genres.

Leaving everything behind in South Africa must have been tough. Was it worth it?

It was tough, but my family and I knew that we wanted to expand our horizons. So far the UK has been really good to us, so we’re rolling with the punches, as they say. In a way, I have already reached a dream, which was to be able to perform my music in the UK. I’m very grateful to be doing that right now.

Tell us about the show at the Holroyd on October 10.

The show is particularly important to me because it’s my local and it would be good to build a strong musical community here in Guildford. My UK band is made up of brilliant musicians. It’s an electric blues rock/hard rock show, where we’ll be performing original songs with one or two renditions of cover songs that have been greatly influential in the creation of my music. It’s a proper rock & roll experience for audiences who love high energy yet soulful music, with interludes of slow blues packed with emotive motifs.

Who else is in the band?

Currently I am working with a few musicians to take the roles of bass guitar and drums. Really good musicians always have a number of things on the go, so I’m lucky to have a few of them working with me to take on these performances. On the drums is the talented Greg Coles (who I played in a band with back in SA about eight years ago) and a young man from Guildford called Reef Anslow. A fantastic young drummer. Our current bassist is a UK industry veteran from the Leeds area, Andrew Hollos, who is a superb musician and top bloke!

What other venues have you played at since arriving in the UK?

I have played at The Cluny in Newcastle and Oran Mor in Glasgow while supporting my fellow South African blues man Dan Patlansky. I’ve played Ram Jam Records in Kingston and various pubs and smaller venues around Surrey.

I’ve booked a ton of shows for 2024 and 2025 all over the UK so stay tuned for those dates.