Craig Hughes

Craig Hughes is an alt.blues/roots performer from Glasgow, Scotland whose music is influenced by outlaw country, contemporary folk and the darker side of electric and acoustic blues. A string of acclaimed recordings and his formidable reputation as a guitarist, songwriter and live performer have led to comparisons with, amongst others, Richard Thompson, Howlin' Wolf, Nick Cave, Blind Willie Johnson, Jacques Brel, The Velvet Underground, R.L. Burnside, Loudon Wainwright III and The Cramps.

LIVE

Craig paid his dues in the late 1980s and '90s playing in alternative rock bands while at the same time developing his acoustic blues chops as a street musician ... lots of miserable, cold, wet busking from Glasgow through Central Scotland to the Edinburgh Festival and back.

While kicking his heels between bands in 2005, a run of successful solo gigs led to the opportunity to record in Dublin. The resulting demo was well received and led to gigs in the USA as well as across Scotland. Since then, Craig has shared the stage with many of the leading names in blues and roots music from the UK and around the world, while proving himself equally at home appearing on underground rock bills. Acts he has shared a stage with include Martin Taylor & Martin Simpson, Tony McPhee (The Groundhogs), Spot (ex-SST/Black Flag producer), Matt Schofield, Dave Arcari, Finland's Black Country Bluesman & The Croaking Lizard and Estonia's Andres Roots.

For over two years Craig hosted That Devil Music, a successful monthly alt.blues/roots gig in Glasgow, before switching to individual promotions in late 2010, with future plans including a festival. Craig's festival appearances to date include Bloom'N'Blues, Altus, Arkansas U.S.A. (2006, 2007, 2010), The Glasgow Jazz Festival (2009, 2010), Record Store Day (Stirling, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016), Almost Blue (Dundee, 2016), Old Town Under Sound (Edinburgh 2012) and Dundee Blues Bonanza (2012, 2013).

Craig has received generous support from local radio in Scotland and online. Since May 2009 he has performed live in the studio and been interviewed several times for Sunny Govan FM in Glasgow, as well as for Celtic Music Radio, who also recorded and broadcast a live performance by Craig at Paisley Arts Centre in 2010. In 2011 he was the featured live performer throughout a two-hour edition of Edinburgh-based internet-TV show The Scottish Connection.

Craig's live reputation has been bolstered by excellent online reviews (initially from celebrated alt.blues artist Dave Arcari on his Rock Radio.co.uk Blues On The Road blog; more recently from Americana UK). Although previously playing almost exclusively solo (guitar/vocal), in recent times Craig has been playing in a duo, The Craig Hughes Two, with percussionist Ally Tennick who also joins bassist Bryan Campbell in Craig Hughes & The Crow Bone Chorus who are currently in rehearsal for live and recorded work in 2018.

RECORDINGS

Craig's debut album Pissed Off, Bitter And Willing To Share was listed by Canada's Blues Underground Network as British Blues Album Of The Year 2009 and placed at number 6 in their overall Top 25 Albums Of The Year and was championed by Mark Steel on Steve Lamaq's Round Table (BBC 6 Music). Craig's second full length album Losers and Bastards was released in late August 2013 to considerable acclaim online and in print, leading to another British Blues Album of the Year award from Blues Underground Network. In addition, both albums picked up extensive international airplay.

Other releases include Pennies On My Eyes (originally a part of the Graveyard Full Of Blues project, a split release with Sleepy Eyes Nelson featuring a mini-album from each artist), which was nominated for a 2011 Scottish New Music Award (Jazz/Blues Recording Of The Year). The E.P. Hard Times: Volume 1 garnered great reviews and was named as Blues EP Of The Year 2012 by Blues Underground Network. Classic Rock Presents: The Blues Magazine went on to feature two tracks from this EP on separate cover-mount compilations. All releases are via Channel Nowhere.

Craig has provided the music for several film and video projects as well as co- producing and performing on the album Ten Fires (2011) and follow up release I'm Not Lost (2013) for alt-country/Americana artist Jim Dead. From 2012 - 2017 Craig also played guitar with heavy rock trio Dog Moon Howl, whose live shows and album picked up rave reviews online. Their final EP, These Days was released in mid 2017.

Dog Moon Howl released the EP These Days early in 2017 and The Craig Hughes Two will soon be releasing the mini-album Off the Cuff . Work will begin later in the year on Craig’s fourth album.