On the 17th of July, Ms. ZZ Ward paid a visit to the Lightning 100 studio with guitarist, Eric Walls, and her adorable sidekick, Muddy Waters by her side. The songstress and guitarist performed two songs for us live on air after having Muddy Waters escorted from the room, as the dog enjoys howling along while Ward sings. Before performing stripped down versions of her hit song “Put the Gun Down” and new single “Love 3x”, Ward told us a bit about her musical upbringing.
“I started out in Glide, Oregon, and played in my dad’s blues band when I was twelve until I started writing my own stuff,” said Ward. “I moved to LA eventually.”
Ward writes crisp lyrics that take the form of narratives, which are heard in the record Til the Casket Drops and her newest album This Means War. In addition to singing with a sweetly heavy alt-soul influence, Ward also plays the guitar, piano, and harmonica.
“I’m constantly trying to write better songs than I have before without changing my sound too much, but, rather, allowing it to evolve,” said Ward.
Ward had the pleasure of touring and opening for Eric Clapton, but Nashvillians may know her from her performance at Live on the Green in 2013. ZZ Ward’s upcoming gigs include playing the Forecastle Festival in Louisville, KY this month, and an outdoor show on September 4th at Marathon Music Works.
“Personally, I like the outdoors. I’m from Oregon,” said Ward. “I like a tree or two, and definitely prefer it to playing in a bar, but no matter what, when people come out to party, it’s always a good time.”
Written by Aziza Cunningham
