Hard Blue
Centennial, Colorado, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2018 | AFTRA
Music
Press
Publication: Fireworks Magazine (Rock Metal), Issue #87, Summer 2019
A trio hailing from Denver, Colorado, Hard Blue are the latest group to throw their name into the hat of the highly populated Blues Rock scene. Consisting of vocalist and guitarist Shawn Skillin, bassist Jim Hayek and drummer Craig DeWolf, they set their stall out early with ‘Little Soup, No Fish’ which is a solid example of Blues Rock that would fit comfortably next to the likes of Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joe Bonamassa, et al.
Skillin has a good voice and he’s clearly a talented lead player, but what I really enjoyed – apart from the obvious and typical blues influences – was the fact that the band also manage to weave in nods to other areas; for example: ‘Crazy World’ wouldn’t have been out of place as an album track on a seventies Deep Purple Record. Alternatively, check out their cover of the Soul Classic ‘In the Midnight Hour’ where the group takes a reputable composition and mix it with the blues to create a fresh, hard and heavy rendition that delivers surprisingly effective results.
Elsewhere, it’s formulaic but decent fare such as the Gary Moore-like ‘Crying Guitar Blues’ and the amusingly titled ‘I Dron’t Dink’ which takes on the genre of Barroom Blues literally. There isn’t anything particularly revolutionary about Hard Blue’s music, but frankly not that many people who are into the blues want anything drastically different – they just want good, solid, well played material and Hard Blue can certainly offer that.
At forty minutes long, this is a solid debut effort that never outstays its welcome
--James Gaden - Melodic Rock
Discography
Self-titled debut album: Hard Blue -- released in the Spring of 2019. Buy it from our site, iTunes, or Amazon stream on those sites as well as Spotify
Photos
Bio
Memorable grooves, killer guitar, engaging vocals, and a solid rhythm section. This is the spirit that ignites Hard Blue. Not a cover band, not a tribute band, but an original band that delivers a contemporary approach to the music you fell in love with. The energy you remember. A sound you’ll never forget.
As the name implies, Hard Blue is a melding of two timeless musical genres: Blues and Rock. As a result, the music of Hard Blue relatable to a broad range of ages and audiences—familiar, yet definitely original. The catalog is upbeat and designed to get the audience moving. Hard Blue is the perfect band for promoters looking new acts at festivals, or club owners looking to support headline artists. The self-titled album was released in 2019.
Hard
Blue began in the mind of Shaun Skillin—guitarist and lead vocalist with
a tremendous musical catalog developed over decades of performance in
southern California and Denver.
Shaun Skillin picked up his first guitar at age 10.
Shortly after, he wrote his first song -
a blues-based rock number - and has been writing in this genre, among
others, ever since. Shaun brings his Bluesy, Rock style lead guitar and
vocals to Hard Blue with live and recording
experience going back to his teen years in the late 70’s.
However, bringing the music to life required a solid rhythm section to provide the right drive. That drive is provided by Craig DeWolf (drums and percussion) and Jim Hayek (bass/vocals/songwriter)-each bringing talents from their own vast musical experiences from coast to coast. Together they perform the music to a level that exceeds what is expected from a trio.
Band Members
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