Last year, in the middle of a solo on stage, Ally Venable had a revelation.
“I was playing so many shows that it started to become kind of a monotonous blur,” she says. “I noticed I was playing to my ego and just looking for applause. It was like I knew when people were gonna clap when I did certain things.
“After I caught myself, I started to get very intentional about playing for connection over playing for praise. And that really changed the energy for me and my band on stage and opened up a whole new world.”
“Connection” is a word the 25-year-old guitarist-singer-songwriter returns to often during our conversation. “I connect to the guitar on a very emotive level,” she says. “I connect with blues music, and I think it’s one in the same – blues music and guitar music.”
Venable first felt that connection when she was 12 and heard her dad playing Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Texas Flood in the car.
“When I looked him up on YouTube, it changed my world,” she says. “I wanted to play like Stevie and wanted to see if I could break my guitar in half like he tried to do. Through him, I found Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. My goal for my music became to introduce other people that don’t know a whole lot about blues or guitar music to this genre – like Stevie did for me.”
On her sixth album, Money and Power, she continues to do that. From the empowering Zep-like roar of the title track to the funky Stopper Back Papa to the tender melodicism of Keep Me in Mind, there’s a maturity in the writing, singing and playing that’s remarkable for someone so young.
In addition to her own extensive touring behind the record this year, Venable played with Experience Hendrix alongside Eric Johnson, Samantha Fish, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Zakk Wylde.
“I like being surrounded by guitar players that are better than me,” Venable says with a smile. “It makes me feel like I can work on something and learn something new from somebody else.”
Your last record, Real Gone, went to Number 1 on the Billboard blues chart. How’d that affect what you wanted to do with the new album?
My goal is to write about what goes on in my life and try to connect with myself, my instrument and other people
“It’s cool when your album has any kind of chart success, and I was very grateful. But I don’t want to make music solely for the intention of receiving accolades. My goal is to write about what goes on in my life and try to connect with myself, my instrument and other people. Making music is always about connection.”
What was going on in your emotional life that fed the new songs?
“Over the past two years, I was going through a lot of grieving, thinking about all of these situations and relationships and people who aren’t in my life anymore. And so what I did was I wrote a letter to each of them. That helped me come out the other side and become a better version of myself. I think it’s important to face your own blues, because you’re going to come out on the other side of that as a better person.”
The title track, Money and Power, speaks to not only women in music but in society at large, and that’s especially resonant in the current political climate.
“Recently, I’ve been seeing more young girls at my shows – with their parents. I was thinking about them seeing someone like me, not that much older, playing music and following her dreams. Even if she doesn’t want to play guitar, just seeing a woman doing her thing is inspiring.
“The song asks, ‘Why is it so conflicting to see a woman with money and power?’ That’s a conversation we need to keep having. Let’s dig into our history, especially with where we’re at right now and raise awareness about how far women have come and how much work still needs to be done.”
What gear are you using?
I love thrifting, going in and not knowing what little treasures I’ll come out with. It’s like creating music
“In the ’90s, Gibson did a limited-colors-edition series for Les Pauls, and I love my magenta model. I call her ‘The Wounded Warrior,’ because I’ve dropped her so many times. [Laughs] For amps, I use a Category 5 [Andrew]; last year, I upgraded the speaker to a Celestion. It has a nice big, round sound.
“I use a [Detrik Fx] Experience Wah – the white one – with an Analogman King of Tone [overdrive]. That’s my bare-bones setup. But then there’s also an MXR Carbon Copy for delay and a Keeley Monterey [Rotary Fuzz Vibe] for fun, vibe-y effects.”
Do you have outside interests that feed your creativity?
“I just bought a house that I’ve been renovating, so that’s been a hobby. But don’t ever renovate a house and release the album at the same time – you’ll go crazy! [Laughs] I’m gardening, trying to grow some strawberries and potatoes and perennials.
“And I love thrifting, going in and not knowing what little treasures I’ll come out with. It’s like creating music. You kind of know where you’ll start, but you don’t really know what you’ll get until it’s finished.”
- Money & Power is out now via Ruf.
- This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.
