IZZIE'S CARAVAN

 

   Podéis oír algunas temas de su nuevo álbum  y otras anteriores : 

Our Story

 Salut and welcome to Izzie's Caravan.

In all sincerity, I prefer to see this website not as any form of promo website or the like, but rather a depository of personal expression, a virtual diary so to speak, where I can store and collate my personal endeavours through music and song. I do this simply to look back upon one day someday as a tabulate of my life - nothing more and nothing less.

To such an odd endeavour, I owe it all to certain individuals who have been vital in the development of my personal self and to whom I owe my unquantifiable respect, admiration, and, in a profound way, my life - John Frusciante, Izzy Stradlin, and Joe 'fkn' Perry. While those individuals may have shaped my childhood, any and all elements of my maturity have been defined by the blues. It took a long time to get here, but ultimately channelling the spirit of my personal Holy Trinity - the rawness of Buddy Guy, the finesse of Clapton, and the technique of Stevie Ray - absolutely floored me.  The blues is not a genre of music; its a lifestyle. I may not break any new grounds with my music, and I choose not to. What I do is a preservation of traditions; the traditions of story-telling; the stories of the daily struggles of being human. If anything I've learnt from the three Kings, Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Hopkins...and the list goes on...is to be real, and true to the spirit of the blues. Let it take you to the crossroads...   

An extraordinarily special Thanks goes out to John Fogerty, Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, and J.J Cale - for giving me a new lease on life by showing me the spirit of blues and rock n roll, just when I thought I had lost it. Every note I play is courtesy of their undeniable influence on who and what I am today. My infinite gratitude goes to them for shaping my musical tastes, my reclusive personality, for showing me the spirit of the blues and rock n roll and an approach to life. Today 'I am' because of you and today 'I be' because of what your music and spirit means to me.

Above them all stands one man...a giant who relegates everyone to a footnote in blues... Samuel John  Lightnin’ Hopkins... I’d be a blues legend by now had I spent the hours practicing and playing which I spent listening to how great you are... In reverence I can say I don’t know how to play the guitar...all I know are Lightnin Hopkins licks... 

To Leo and the entire Fender/Squier family, I realised what playing authentic means thanks to you... Build 'em and we'll play 'em...

The roots of Izzie's Caravan go deep, a long way back to my high-school days and playing bad music on very expensive instruments, to my university days playing good rock n roll on cheap instruments. It was in 2005 when Ray and I decided to start a band, sacrificing food money for buying gear. We had a shitty little recorder on which I started laying down tracks, and Ray would stroll over in the harshest Canadian winters with his bass strapped on his back, and we would write every day. With enough material, we knew we needed a voice, and I remember writing the following words on a sheet and posting it on a local music store:

'Vocalist needed for classic rock band!!! No pop-commercial-alt crap, just pure classic rock influenced by Tom Petty/CCR/AEROSMITH/GUNS N ROSES/MOTLEY CRUE.'

I met a couple of posers after who just didn't fit the bill. Until one day this guy shows up at the door, a guitar case with a Fender tele in his hand and a Motley Crue tee. He didn't say much, walked in, took out the guitar and started playing Highway to Hell. F**k that was it!!! When Sim came on board under the band name of 'MARS WATTS And the DEEP IMPACTERS, I knew I had a friend and a brother to whom I owe so much, and we went on to release 'TEN-CENT PLEASURES' and 'AN INFINITE DAY'.

From those days, stories that shall not be revealed until the three of us willingly sit down and talk about them, to now has been a long, long hiatus for me. IZZIES CARAVAN Is a new lease on life for me, and I intend to make my music matter for myself. Keeping true to our code back in the day, the music on this site is only and only intended for my own understanding - although anyone else who can relate is most welcome to.

To the love of my life, my best friend, my sister, and to the most amazing person I have ever known, Karen, this is all for you, and I know you look down on me everyday from heaven above. To my daily partner in crime, Tracii, you're in every song...

With that said, welcome again to IZZIES CARAVAN... I can only hope you're here for the music and the music alone... Enjoy the ride...

Cheers,

Izzie.

In artist web site : https://izziescaravan.com/home

New release cover  : BLOW THE LID