News - Press

Blueroomess – Moving Forward

They’re one of the bands that best embody the essential elements of American roots music. Though they haven’t released many albums, Blueroomess’s live performances are intense and emotionally charged. The release of their new album, the captivating Moving Forward, is the perfect excuse to get in touch with the people behind the project: Donna Lee and John Married, who originally started as a duo.

As John explains:
«I came from playing acoustic guitar alongside a harmonica player, forming part of various blues bands and a small project before Blueroomess, where I played rhythm guitar in an instrumental group. Eventually, I felt the need to create something more personal, and right at that time, Donna came into my life – and I into hers. From the beginning, we shared a vision, without forcing a specific style, simply enjoying creating and performing songs together.»

And Donna, where does she come from?
“From jazz, funk, and other projects too. I remember one we played in called Atiza. John and I instantly connected, and soon we had a bunch of songs ready. We started playing live as a duo while looking for more musicians. We were clear that we wanted double bass and drums. John always dreamed of having a pedal steel player in the band. Sergio joined in 2015 and fit in immediately — he’s more than just our drummer; he’s a percussionist with a great sense of groove and dynamics. In 2016, Mr. Aaron Feder joined, first playing lap steel, then pedal steel, and later dobro, banjo, and mandolin. We clicked right away, and he became part of the project. The last to join was Ignacio, in 2017. We already had a studio date booked with Mike Mariconda and Marc Tena… but no bassist yet! Ignacio dove in, learned everything, and became a core part of the band.”

And so, almost without realizing it, Moving Forward arrives — a collection of original songs, plus one cover, reviewed in this very magazine.
John comments: “The songwriting process usually starts with Donna and me, but in this case Aaron surprised us with ‘Bright Feeling’, a track that we hadn’t expected but ended up loving and recording. While the songs are born between Donna and me, they take shape as a band. Sergio, Ignacio, and Aaron all contribute their vision, and in the end, everything passes through the band’s filter. We’re quite democratic in that sense, and that gives strength to the final result. Even though we’ve been through a few albums, we never stop composing or trying out new material live.”

And the cover? Donna says they like to take songs they love, reinterpret them, give them a twist, add something of their own — and surprise people. Those who’ve seen them live know it works. Their version of “Bad Moon Rising” by John Fogerty became part of their repertoire, and they liked it so much they decided to record it in the studio.

The band has recently released a small run of CDs (available at blueroomess.com), and they hope to release the vinyl version this summer.

— Alfred Crespo, Ruta 66