Erja Lyytinen

Born in Kuopio, Finland, Erja Lyytinen has been developing a blues-rock rooted in the American tradition since the late 1990s, with a strong emphasis on slide, electric guitar and a songwriting approach that blends delta blues, soul, swing and contemporary rock. Trained at the Kuopio Conservatory and later at the Sibelius Academy — where she was the first woman to study electric guitar as her principal subject — she earned a master’s degree in music in 2010 with a thesis on the style of Son House. After Attention! in 2002 with Dave’s Special and Wildflower in 2003, her career gained international momentum in the mid-2000s through Ruf Records and the Blues Caravan tour, which accompanied the releases of Pilgrimage (2005) and Dreamland Blues (2006). With Grip of the Blues (2008) and Voracious Love (2010) she adopted a tighter format, before exploring further shades on The Sky Is Crying (2014), a tribute to Elmore James, Stolen Hearts (2017) produced by Chris Kimsey, Another World (2019) and Waiting for the Daylight (2022). A regular presence on European and British stages, Erja Lyytinen has also shared bills or performed alongside Robert Plant, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Batten and Sonny Landreth.