By Cédric Vernet 
Now based in Spain after spending many years shaping his music in New Orleans, Luke Winslow-King returns with Coast Of Light, a new album due September 4 on Bloodshot Records. Still impossible to confine to a single category, the American songwriter continues to evolve his musical world through travel, encounters and the landscapes surrounding him. On this ninth album, he explores even more personal and sometimes more experimental territory while never losing that deep connection to the roots of American blues.
Before the record’s release, Luke Winslow-King spoke with Blues Actu about this new life in Spain, his relationship with the raw roots of blues music and the spontaneity that still guides his creative process today.
🎙️ Luke Winslow-King interviewed by Cédric Vernet
Luke, you were long associated with New Orleans. Now that you’re living in Spain, do you feel your songwriting has changed with this new environment?
Absolutely. Change is really the only constant, and songwriting is no exception. Over the years, I’ve made a conscious effort to make songwriting part of everyday life rather than something precious or something that only happens on a deadline. That approach naturally allows the writing to adapt to its surroundings and reflect whatever I’m witnessing and experiencing.
I’m really happy with the life I’ve carved out for myself here in Spain, and I’m enthusiastic about where this next chapter of music is taking me.
Can you still hear New Orleans in your music?
Definitely. Having cut my teeth in a place as influential as New Orleans, I don’t think I could ever completely leave that influence behind. It’s like a radio always playing somewhere in the background — those rhythms, approaches and traditions are always there when needed.
I try not to lean on them too consciously, but they’re absolutely part of the musical language.
Coast Of Light has a very cinematic atmosphere. Do you visualize images when you write or compose?
Sure. Coast Of Light feels like a collection of gathered souvenirs from Spain’s southwestern coast. The record plays almost like a book of memories.
I liken the approach to the paintings of Salvador Dalí — where a handful of objects may not seem directly connected at first, but together hopefully they create a world of symbolism and a singular aesthetic.
You’ve always seemed to reject boundaries between blues, folk, jazz and rock. Even so, does the blues remain the starting point for everything you do?
No, I’d say it’s the starting point for maybe the larger half of my work, but definitely not all of it. I’m careful not to feel bound by any one genre. A big part of finding my own identity has come from exploring the boundaries and frontiers between different idioms and approaches.
The record leaves a lot of room for spontaneity and collective playing. Are you still looking for the “danger” of live performance when you record in the studio?
Definitely. We’re always trying to explore those edges and expose our own vulnerabilities in the studio, because those moments tend to yield the ripest fruit creatively.
I’ve always encouraged my bandmates and collaborators to be truly adventurous in the studio and to feel free to contribute all of their ideas. Sometimes I’ll even create mechanisms to surprise myself in the process.
Dangerous Blues starts from an old field recording connected to Alan Lomax. What fascinates you so much about these raw roots of American music?
It’s hard for me to fully explain. I feel like this music sits at the very core of the music I play and very close to the source of my own existence.
I was born in Dubuque, Iowa on the bluffs of the Mississippi River, and this music has always felt like home — part of my identity. There’s very little about it that doesn’t fascinate me.
I’m proud that America has been able to offer something so raw and true to the world, and I’m proud to have the opportunity to represent that music as honestly as I can while traveling and performing. At the same time, I also feel a responsibility to create something authentic and original to myself as my own contribution to that rich tradition.
After nine albums, has it become harder to surprise yourself?
It’s definitely become part of the challenge, but I wouldn’t say it’s become harder. The goalposts are always moving, and every project comes with its own constraints and challenges.
I’m constantly working to keep surprising myself, but I still feel there’s a huge field of possibility left to explore.
You’ll be playing at Festival Eldorado even before the album is released. Do you enjoy testing new songs live before they belong to the audience?
Definitely. Some of these songs went through several different iterations before finally finding themselves recorded on wax. We’re always testing boundaries and feeding off the energy of the audience.
I’m really excited to share these new songs at the festival, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Thanks Luke, see you soon on the road.
Thanks a lot for the interview Cédric!
A record shaped by landscapes and memory
With Coast Of Light, Luke Winslow-King may have created his most evocative record in years. Inspired by his stays in Cádiz and along the Costa de la Luz, the album unfolds like a succession of fragmented memories, visions and reconstructed images.
Recorded at Jambona Lab in Livorno with Roberto Luti, the album leaves a vital place for spontaneity. It moves from the raw Mississippi Hill Country energy of Dangerous Blues, inspired by an old Alan Lomax field recording, to the far more floating and almost psychedelic atmosphere of Teacher’s Desk. A way for Luke Winslow-King to continue exploring musical frontiers while never losing touch with the deep roots of American blues.
Coast Of Light confirms that Luke Winslow-King remains one of the freest and most unpredictable artists on today’s roots scene.