TGS PLAYER SPOTLIGHT - CLAUDE HAY

Hailing from Australia's Blue Mountains, blues/roots artist Claude Hay takes Do-It-Yourself to impressive limits. He builds his own instruments. He built his own house. He customized his tour van with a kitchen and a recording studio. And his musical approach is no different – you see only one performer, but the sound and music builds layer-by-layer until you have to wonder where the rest of the band is. "He’s one of the most visually exciting blues players I've seen… I can't believe he does all those sounds live," said Drew Wajnert, CEO of Phanphest in New Jersey.

Claude Hay fuses slide guitar, sitar, bass and electronic percussion in a loop-driven performance that invokes the best of stomping traditional blues with a booty-shaking funk edge. His fresh take on roots and blues draws in a wide spectrum of listeners, but still has the chops for the blues enthusiasts.

In 2007, his independently released debut album, Kiss The Sky, was the ticket he needed to perform at venues and festivals all over the world, including in the UK, Europe and the US. His new release, Deep Fried Satisfied, showcases Claude as the ultimate DIY musician, honing his craft with hook-laden songwriting and undeniable talent.

The inspiration for Deep Fried Satisfied was born out of the guilt-ridden love affair he had with fried food, which was magnified when touring USA in 2008. This album is chock full of Muddy Waters-inspired, slide driven blues riffs and P-Funk style choruses and breakdowns. Claude’s particular affection for New York-style pizza is the inspiration for “Get Me Some,” which follows the success of “How Can You Live With Yourself,” a head-bobbing blues tune that Australians pushed to #1 on nationwide radio station JJJ’s Unearthed.

Claude Hay returns to the USA in November to promote his second release, after touring tirelessly in Australia with his custom campervan and hand-built twin neck guitar, fondly known as “Betty”. Claude has recently signed to the independent US record label Ingot Rock, based in Asheville, NC. “Claude Hay is just the type of artist we're looking for,” says Ingot Rock owner Chad Corley. “He’s an amazing talent with international touring experience, he’s mature and able to manage himself, and we believe he has a high potential to appeal to a mainstream audience.”

Claude’s previous international touring brought him to music industry centers Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, London, Berlin and Copenhagen. He was particularly a hit at New Jersey’s Phanphest and in Nashville, where his unique adaptation of “We Will Rock You” brought down the house. While his international audience is established and growing through adept use of media and social networking, Claude Hay has no plans to rest on his laurels. He does, however, always have to make time for his next DIY project.

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