ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT

“"When the Lady sings she's going to burn this whole place down you better believe it! If you like raw no bullshit blues listen to this track - she's not playin' around! 4.5 out of 5 stars"”

— Nkechi Anele - Triple J

LADY VALIANT 2018 DEBUT ALBUM 'BACKROADS' - No. 13 ON THE AUSTRALIAN BLUES & ROOTS AIRPLAY CHARTS.

Biography

 "Lady Valiant: Where the raw spirit of Delta Blues meets the electrifying energy of modern rock, delivering a fresh and captivating musical experience." 

 

Lady Valiant, a band formed in Georgia, United States in 2015, draws inspiration from the original Delta Blues masters to create a unique blend of blues and rock music. 

With their minimalistic style, Lady Valiant weaves together the soulful essence of old-school blues from the Deep South with a modern rock twist, resulting in an original sound that captivates audiences. The band's arsenal includes dirty slide guitar, raw and soulful vocals backed by a rock solid rhythm section engine room that establishes their authentic and powerful presence on stage. 

Lady Valiant's hard work and dedication to their craft have led them to perform around 150 shows per year. They cut their teeth on the Australian pub scene, honing their skills before transitioning into the festival circuit. Alongside their festival appearances, they have had the privilege of supporting notable Australian acts while also embarking on tours in the United States and along the East Coast of Australia. 

In December 2018, Lady Valiant released their debut album, "Backroads." The record was heavily influenced by the band's tour of the United States and their exploration of the Deep South, including areas like Memphis and the Mississippi Delta region. The songs on "Backroads" evoke stories of legendary blues figure Robert Johnson and the vibrant gospel churches of West Memphis. Lady Valiant expertly blends elements of soul, blues, and folk, resulting in a fun, funky, and gritty sound that resonates with listeners.

 Lady Valiant's journey has been punctuated by remarkable achievements and performances. They have graced various festivals, such as Wallaby Creek Festival, Tablelands Folk Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival, Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival & Mitchell Creek Roack & Blues. They have supported renowned artists like Ash Grunwald and Jon Stevens & You Am I and have received recognition as the Best Live Local Entertainer in the Douglas Shire Business Awards. 

Lady Valiant continues to captivate audiences with their powerful and authentic music. Their fusion of Delta Blues with a contemporary edge sets them apart, making them a force to be reckoned within the music industry. With their unwavering dedication and ongoing musical exploration, the band is currently working on a new album, promising fresh and captivating experiences for their growing fanbase. 

 

GLENNA "MAISY-LOU" LYNES - VOCALS, HARMONICA, PERCUSSION

 Being born in the Deep South of The United States and having a skilled blues harmonica playing father will always have an effect on a young child. Glenna was no exception, growing up in South Carolina and Georgia she had blues music in her blood and was surrounded by regular extended music sessions regularly. It’s the Southern way.  Raised on a healthy diet of 50’s 60’s and 70’s rock and blues classic hits, Glenna grew up a natural performer. After stints on piano, fiddle and oboe it became obvious to everyone including herself that she had carried her number one instrument with her the whole time, her voice. Smashing today's auto-tuned, pop/R&B stereotypical sounds with her vocal sledge hammer, Glenna’s voice is rooted deeply in soul, guts and pure conviction. When the singing starts, the Lady Valiant front womans voice commands attention. Just as her idols before her, such as Aretha Franklin, Mavis Staples, Janis Joplin and Big Mama Thornton, Glenna’s performances are not easily forgotten.

MARTY BROWN - ACOUSTIC GUITAR, SLIDE GUITAR, STOMP BOX

 Marty was given his first guitar by his grandmother at the age of 12. A “beaten down old classical nylon string beast with a string action you could push a slice of bread through”. Nevertheless, this one gift was enough to change the world as he knew it. From that moment on, practice sessions with a locked bedroom door was a daily occurrence through his teenage years. An avid hard rock fan, Marty quickly moved to electric guitar and unleashed through the power of amplifiers but as the years progressed found himself being drawn back to acoustic guitars, in particular fingerstyle playing and experimenting heavily with alternate and open tunings. Growing up in the tiny regional Victorian town of Yackandandah, in a household which almost always had either a cassette, record or CD playing, Marty found his influences were plentiful. It wasn’t until later moving to Far North Queensland that he would co-found another folk band with friends and make music his profession. After spending time living in the Deep Southern region of the USA Marty rediscovered the blues and has since made dirty slide guitar a part of the Lady Valiant soundscape.

JAMES "FRY" ALLEN - DRUMS, VARIOUS PERCUSSION

Raised in a very wet and cold Cumbria, North West England.  Fry has been playing the "pots & pans" ever since buying his first Premiere Rock Kit in 1990.  Not long after, himself and a group of close mates got together and created their band "Broke" putting all they had into writing a mix of funk based blues originals, playing covers and taking any gig they could get their hands all while touring much of England.  After a full 'rock n' roll emotional breakdown' Fry packed his bags and drumsticks and emigrated to Australia with his sights set on Queensland where after settling into the lifestyle he even managed to purchase himself a 1950's Slingerland Drumkit with a unique sound and story of its own.  Back doing what he loved, he immersed himself into drumming again with as much local and national talent the Far North has to offer and in early 2018 was asked to come on board as drummer with Lady Valiant to give the band some real weight and groove for the Festivals and larger events that were being offered.  "When Lady Valiant asked me to give their sound a beat, my reply was simple.  F'YEAH LET'S ROCK!"

MATT GERDES - BASS GUITAR

Being dragged to band practices and gigs as a kid Matt was introduced to music by his dad, Jim. Having discovered his brother’s drum kit in the spare room he discovered he liked to hit things with sticks. At age 10 he decided to take up the saxophone after Jim expressly forbid him from learning the guitar. Somewhere in the middle of his high school experience, Matt decided that guitar would be a way better way to get the girls. Decades later he realised where he was going wrong and took up the bass instead. Matt has now come to realise that fast cars get the girls, not music. Unfortunately the development of his addiction to purchasing musical instruments means he will never be able to afford a fast car. Luckily the heat of the bass amp is enough to keep him warm at night.

 

                                           LADY VALIANT HIGHLIGHTS

BalconyTV - Kuranda Billabong 2016

Wallaby Creek Festival - Home Rule 2016

Tablelands Folk Festival - Yungaburra 2016

Runner Up - Douglas Shire Best Live Entertainment Business Awards 2016

U.S.A - Lady Valiant Throw Down Tour 2017

Runner up - Douglas Shire Best Live Entertainment Business Awards 2017

Yackandandah Folk Festival - 2018

Cairns Commonwealth Games Festival - 2018

Support for Ash Grunwald - 2018

Black Mountain Picnic Festival - Cooktown 2018

Tablelands Folk Festival - Yungaburra 2018

Cairns Music Festival 2018

Wallaby Creek Festival - Home Rule 2018

Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival - 2018

Support for Jon Stevens (Noiseworks/INXS) 2019

Mitchell Creek Rock & Blues Festival 2019

Best Live Local Entertainer (Douglas Shire Business Awards 2019)

Support for Busby Marou - 2020

Black Mountain Music Festival 2020

Footshill Blues & Roots Festival 2020

River Sessions Festival 2020

Black Mountain Blues Picnic 2021

Black Mountain Mixtape Festival 2021

Wallaby Creek Festival 2021

Tanks Arts Centre 'Grassroots Series' headline act 2021

Black Mountain Blues Picnic 2022

River Session III 2022

Wallaby Creek Festival 2022

Black Mountain Blues Picnic 2023

Cairns Festival 2023

Tropic Rock Festival - You Am I/Lady Valiant 2023

Savannah In The Round - (Jimmy Barnes/Daryl Braithwaite) 2023

 

PRESS/REVIEWS

“"Far north Queensland blues outfit, Lady Valiant make their debut offering with Back Roads, a self produced densely packed 7 track EP celebrating the Blues, recorded at Big Sister Studios in Cairns. Formed in 2015 by South Carolina native Glenna Lynes and Victorian Marty Brown, and now based in Port Douglas, Lady Valiant are emerging as some of far north Queensland's most distinguished Blues storytellers, and if Back Roads is any indication they are just getting warmed up. With a few trips back to the US in the last few years after they formed in Georgia, Lady Valiant's inspiration by the Delta Blues masters is evident and abundant, though with contemporary gritty electric slide guitar in spades, and female lead vocals Back Roads brings a fresh take on the often male dominated genre. From the opening track “I'm Gone”, the first and last warning of a woman fed up with her man, Back Roads drives fast on a dusty road right to the last note. A sparsely hypnotic and tightly coiled version of Blind Willie Johnson's dark gospel number, “John the Revelator” reveals a more murky and dangerous side to Lady Valiant and showcases Lynes' raw and powerful vocals to full effect. “The Outlaw”, an ode to moonshining, opens with a heavily southern accented monologue from vocalist Glenna Lynes' uncle, a Georgia moonshiner affectionately known as Bubba. (Guess what? I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell) “Kickin' Stones” takes a more joyful tone and reminisces on the simple and sometimes mundane day to day. The following crunchy riff and hat heavy drums of “Mississippi” takes us straight back to the Deep South, where Back Roads lays its roots, with a tale about working at the infamous Dockery's plantation. In a wry nod to Brown's youth, “Old Town” is an ode to anyone who grew up in that small country town, and the deep seated need to break free before succumbing to ennui and apathy. “Crossroads”, a pared back take on the notorious tale of Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil, closes out the album. From the grimy juke joints of Mississippi to copper stills hidden in the Georgia woods, and everything between the devil and Deep South Dixie, Back Roads is leaden with a sense of nostalgia, both personal and collective, with stories close to the hearts of its creators, and evokes an image of the Delta Blues in all its glory."”

— Stacey Brown - NQ Music Press

Songs

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