Skunk Manhattan and guest co-host Tim Driscoll welcome ZZ Ward, a talented recording artist known for her unique blend of blues, pop, and hip hop. Tune in as they discuss her musical journey, her influences, and the recent release of her EP Mother, which marks her return to her blues roots. ZZ shares insights on balancing her career and family life, her collaborations with notable artists, and her upcoming tour plans.
The episode is about the importance of musical authenticity… the challenges of navigating fame while staying true to oneself.
Inspired by her father’s extensive blues collection, ZZ began singing at a young age and was performing by age 12. Blues shaped every aspect of her career — from her sound to her signature fedora. She broke through with a major label deal, landing in Billboard’s Top 40, with her 2012 debut album Til The Casket Drops. Her sophomore album, The Storm, hit #1 on the Billboard Blues chart and featured GRAMMY winners Fantastic Negrito and Gary Clark Jr.
ZZ recently signed with the legendary Sun Records for the release of Mother. The EP marks ZZ’s full embrace of blues rock, blending raw emotion with her signature gritty sound. The six-track collection features new blues-infused songs, along with reimagined, grittier versions of fan-favorites like “Put the Gun Down” and “Lil’ Darlin“, plus powerful renditions of Sun Records classics, like “Cadillac Man” and “I Have No One“. At the heart of the EP is the single “Mother“: a raw, relatable reflection on ZZ’s experience as a working mother that brings a fresh perspective to the blues tradition of authentic storytelling.
ZZ Ward links: Website | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube I Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast Links: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
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About the podcasters
Skunk Manhattan:
Skunk is a musician, primarily known as the frontman and guitarist for eclectic heavy-rock band A Good Rogering. Since moving to Austin in 2004, he has recorded and performed with a wide variety of bands and solo artists over a career spanning more than 20 years and has shared the stage with notable acts, such as Skid Row, Marty Friedman, Uli Jon Roth, George Lynch and Metal Church among others. Skunk not only works as a performing musician and recording artist, but also as a producer and music teacher. With two decades of insight into what it means to be a professional musician and a passion for not only music, but comedy and general chatter, Skunk was quick to jump at the opportunity to co-host a podcast with longtime friend, Victor Ramos.
Victor Ramos:
A Texas native, Victor’s early musical influences are a mixture of classic rock albums played by his Vietnam vet father and a whole lot of ‘the Fab Four’ via his Beatles-loving mother. Sprinkle in some classic country and Motown, and you have a man that would say “¿que?” when other Tejanos would ask what his favorite cumbia was. After a stint in the Marines, Victor moved to Austin in 2000 and began working in the tech industry. He met Skunk in a Spanish class in 2005 and the two discovered a shared passion for not only beer, but music. After years of collectively attending concerts and talking music, the idea to start a podcast centering around such topics seemed like a logical endeavor.
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