There is a lot that can be said about Buddy Blues and his musical and creative journey in recent years. The young musician hails from Beirut and throughout his life has been exposed to a variety of different musical stylings and eclectic sources of inspiration from around the world. Beginning from the tender age of 4, Buddy Blues developed a keen sense of rhythm and passion for the musical stylings and infinite depths that the Blues can provide.
Since moving to the United States in 2007, he has played with a variety of bands and built his sound into a singular and unique one that culminates with the Buddy Blues Band which has toured around the world and across the country and represents a special part of Buddy’s life and musical education.
He sat down to talk with us about his rising YouTube channel (which has been exploding with popularity in recent months), a little about his inspiration, what it means to be a Blues fan, and his own feelings toward live vs studio playing.
Hey Buddy! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, let’s start with you telling us a bit about yourself and the Buddy Blues Band.
Of course! Thank you for having me. I grew up in Beirut Lebanon and I started playing music at a very young age, 4 or 5 years old, I think. My parents were adamant about getting us a piano and starting us off with lessons. I stuck with it till I was about 14 and really wanted to pick up another instrument. A coincidental and timely encounter with a neighbor at the time, who was loudly playing the Blues on his bass, set me on a different path. I knew I wanted to play the electric guitar. I started taking informal lessons with him and carried on learning on my own and eventually forming a band with my brother in Beirut.
In 2007 I left Lebanon and came to the states where I joined a few bands that weren’t fulfilling or successful until I started my own, the Buddy Blues Band. A few years into putting in the hard work the band ended up getting signed by a record label and with that, we launched Wrong Side Of The Blues our first album. The band has since done numerous tours around the United States and several shows across the world.
The Blues genre is certainly having a resurgence of popularity in recent years, what about the genre that gives you inspiration and passion to create music?
It sure is! I remember a time very recently when people kept saying how the electric guitar is dead and Blues is dead and here, we are still kicking. I think a few key players had a role in bringing back old-school blues and making it “cool again”. Stevie Ray Vaughan in the 80s, John Mayer in the 2000s, Gary Clarke Jr and Markus King these days to name a few.
Blues just felt right to me. I don’t know what it is.
I started out playing Pink Floyd covers as many rebellious teens do. But I connected more with BB King’s music, and I wanted to deep dive into that whole world until I found my own sound. That’s really what keeps me going with the Blues, the ever-ongoing search to find my own sound, I think. That’s what I’m also trying to explore with my YouTube channel.
Being a musician in this YouTube and Spotify economy is certainly an interesting one, have you found any particular challenges associated with this new economy?
YouTube has actually been a blessing for me. I started the channel when the pandemic hit and all our shows got cancelled. It was an outlet to reach new people with my music that I hadn’t had before. But it really has been an incredible journey that has been filled with nothing but support, encouragement, and a sense of camaraderie among my peers.
It’s the first and only thing I’ve been involved with that hasn’t been met with any “competition” if you will. All the established YouTubers met me with open arms when I started making a little noise in the YouTube world and it was truly refreshing. I’ve developed friendships and connections with people and brands that I had always been a fan of and that I hope will last for decades to come. So, I guess no challenges yet! Mind you I’m more in the demo/review world on YouTube rather than the “release music” world.
Your YouTube channel has a strong push on showcasing Small Businesses, why?
Because they’re the ones that need it. I have absolutely nothing against big businesses, I own a whole lot of their products. But the big businesses generally have an entire marketing team behind them ready to advertise and promote their products.
The one-person shop located in California, Texas, Ottawa, Indonesia, Greece or wherever, that is sitting at their bench making incredible Guitars, Pedals, Amplifiers, Picks or what have you, doesn’t really have a voice. I want to give them that voice. I believe that their hard work deserves to be seen and deserves to be given a chance in the market. These Small Businesses always end up making everything by hand and you can see and feel and hear the love that went into what they’ve created.
The Buddy Blues Band is touring all over the place it seems, is there a distinct difference between recording in the studio and the real-life experience of playing to a crowd?
In my opinion, nothing comes close to playing in front of a crowd. In the studio, I tend to get in my head a lot. “Let’s do that part again” “let’s try it one more time but differently” it never seems to end. On stage, there aren’t really any do-overs. You get the unpolished raw emotion of a song, mistakes and all, and you get real-life feedback from the crowd. Put me on a stage any day over being in the studio. But session work and recording with my band are also always productive!
Of course, it is difficult to choose a favorite I know, but do you have a particular guitar that has a special significance to you?
Two come to mind. Layla my black 2001 Stratocaster, my first “real” guitar. The one I’ve had the longest and the one that I learned how to play on.
And Goldie, the Gold PRS that my wife bought me. It’s the nicest gift anyone has ever given me.
What is next for Buddy Blues?
I think I’d like to focus even more on the YouTube channel. I’m really loving the process and where it’s going. I’d like to grow my audience on there and see where that takes me. It’s a heck of a good time filming YouTube videos and I’m in an environment that I’m really enjoying and I’m quite happy with the direction of the channel!
Thank you Buddy for your time!
You can follow up with Buddy Blues at:
- Website: https://buddybluesband.com
- YouTube: @buddyblues
- Instagram: @buddyblues
- Facebook: @MrBuddyBlues
