Spotlight Sessions Spotlight Session: Blues Odyssey

The Blues Odyssey came together in Dublin around a shared love of blues, soul and classic rock. We’re seven musicians with different backgrounds and experiences, and the band gives us a place to bring those influences together.

We love the breadth of the blues: the rawness of traditional songs, the groove of rhythm and blues, and the energy of contemporary blues rock. That sense of travelling through different sounds is a good way to describe The Blues Odyssey.

Two early milestones were opening for Steve Ray Ladson at Whelan’s and playing our first headline show at The Grand Social. Seeing a packed room respond to the band was hugely encouraging. You can spend hours discussing arrangements in rehearsal, but playing for an audience tells you something that rehearsal never can.

We’ve since released Live at Camden Studios, and we’re now developing our first original material. It feels like the beginning of a journey, with Dublin as our starting point.

A powerful voice, two guitars, keyboards and a rhythm section that wants to make you move. Nil handles lead vocals and bass, with Julyo and Celso on guitars, Dario on keys and Rio on drums.

Our two-hour show moves between traditional and contemporary blues, soul and classic rock. You might hear the grit of Dust My Broom or Crossroads, the atmosphere of Feeling Good, and the heavier energy of Whole Lotta Love. We choose songs that give us room to express ourselves and build a set with changes in pace, mood and intensity.

There are quieter moments when the voice carries everything, and others when the whole band opens up. We enjoy the interplay: a guitar phrase answered by the keyboards, or a groove that develops because everyone is listening closely.

You don’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of blues to enjoy it. Come for the songs, the musicianship, a dance, or simply a good night out.

Jeff Beck, T-Bone Walker and Tedeschi Trucks Band are strong reference points, alongside contemporary artists such as Samantha Fish and Larkin Poe. There’s a connection between expressive guitar playing, powerful vocals and a band that really grooves that appeals to us.

Our repertoire also takes us into the worlds of Robert Johnson, Etta James and Led Zeppelin. That gives you an idea of the range: traditional blues, soul and heavier blues rock.

One influence people might not immediately expect is Pink Floyd. We bring a little of that atmosphere into the introduction to Feeling Good. Space, texture and anticipation can be just as powerful as a big riff or a solo. We like exploring those possibilities within a blues setting.

Our first headline show at The Grand Social in Dublin stands out. We’d previously opened for Steve Ray Ladson at Whelan’s, which was a wonderful introduction, but putting on our own headline night felt like a different responsibility.

We put a lot of work into the arrangements, rehearsals and promotion. When you’re building a band, you believe in what you’re doing, but you still have to persuade people to come out and experience it. Having a packed room for that first headline show meant a great deal.

It marked the point where The Blues Odyssey started to feel like something we could build beyond the rehearsal room. We’re still at the beginning, but that night gave us encouragement to keep developing the show and take it to new audiences.

Jeff Beck would be very high on the list. His touch, phrasing and sense of adventure are a huge inspiration. He could make a single note feel like a voice, and his playing is a reminder of how much expression there is to explore on the guitar.

Tedeschi Trucks Band would be another dream. The combination of Susan Tedeschi’s voice, Derek Trucks’ playing and that extraordinary ensemble feels close to what we love about music: soul, dynamics, groove and musicians listening to one another. Sharing a stage with them would be quite an experience.

At our Whelan’s gig, three friends turned up with cameras to capture the show. With three cameras, we thought we’d have plenty of footage to choose from.

We ended up with none. The cameras weren’t recording!

We can laugh about it now, but it taught us a useful lesson: never leave anything to chance. “Have we got someone filming?” and “Has someone actually pressed record?” are two very different questions!

Next up is Brú Bar in Cork on Friday, 4 December, starting at 10pm. It’s free entry, and we’re bringing our full two-hour show. We’re also giving away full-colour band badges to the first 100 people who register through Eventbrite.

We’ve recently released Live at Camden Studios, which gives people a chance to hear the band ahead of a gig. Alongside that, we’re developing our first original material, with our debut single planned for March 2027.

Looking further ahead, we’re working towards more Irish shows and exploring opportunities in the UK and continental Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands. We want to build an audience by getting out there, playing well and giving people a reason to come back.

Our live videos and updates are at www.TheBluesOdyssey.com and on Instagram @bluesodyssey.