“I always wanted to play with my fingers, but now I was forced to”: When his keys player quit, McKinley James had to rethink his playing style to play in a duo – and he did it without turning to pedals, because “none of my heroes did”

McKinley James plays his '59 Gibson ES-335 reissue with his fist in the air against a red background.

Nashville-based blues rocker McKinley James came flying out of the gate in 2022 with his Dan Auerbach-produced EP, Still Standing By. His momentum screeched to a halt, however, when his keyboardist split, leaving only him and his drummer, Jason Smay (who also happens to be his father).

“For a moment, I was like, ‘What are we going to do?” James says. “But then I thought, ‘Well, other bands have succeeded as a duo. Maybe we can, too.”

James says he had to rethink his playing style to compensate for the low-end his Hammond player once provided. “I always wanted to play with my fingers, but now I was forced to,” he says. “Now I use my thumb on the bass strings and keep that root thing going, and with my fingers I work chords and little melody lines. After a couple months and some tours, I had it down. Now I really like playing as a two-piece.”

There’s an added benefit to the two-man approach, he notes: “We save on expenses. One less hotel room, one less everything.”

For his first full-length album, Working Class Blues, James and Smay holed up for three days in a studio they built in their family barn and recorded 11 tunes as blazing live performances. Whether it’s swaggering shuffles (Movin’, Call Me Lonesome), deep-grooving soul (Say Goodbye) or high-octane blues (Get to My Baby), the two work up a robust, fully fleshed-out sound.

James’ songwriting has grown considerably since his debut EP (each song features hooks to spare), and with his charismatic vocals and fiery guitar playing – he effortlessly shifts between in-the-pocket rhythm and sparky leads – he emerges as a major talent.

“I come from a traditional blues background,” he says. “I grew up on Lightnin’ Hopkins, Eddie Taylor and Lightnin’ Slim. I like to wave that flag, but I love keeping it fresh, too.

“I don’t want to write about the same old stuff – you know, drinking in a bar and that whole thing. I want to write about real experiences, like I do on Get to My Baby, which I think anyone can relate to. The blues can only live on if you drive it forward.”

McKinley's Ax-ology

• GUITARS: 1954 Fender Stratocaster, 1959 Gibson ES-335 reissue
• AMPS: Peavey Pacer, Fender Super Reverb, Fender Vibratone
• EFFECTS: “I don’t use ’em. None of my heroes did.”

• Working Class Blues is out now via Archive.