Ash Ravens doesn’t just play the blues—he lives them, bends them, and invites you to go along for the ride. With the release of his latest album, Joyride Blues, the two-time Capital Music Award nominee proves that sometimes you have to lose the map to find the groove. Drawing from life in Bangladesh, Los Angeles, Melbourne, and now Ottawa, Ash weaves global threads into a record that’s as gritty as it is heartfelt, as classic as it is brand new.
Born in Bangladesh and raised on the sounds of bluesmen and jazz legends, Ash Ravens took the long road to Canada—through music cities like Melbourne and L.A.—and brought every influence with him.
His sound fuses the soul of blues with rock swagger, country honesty, and jazz complexity. He’s as likely to tear through a Joe Bonamassa-style riff as he is to whisper a nylon-string lament under the stars.
“I’ve always believed the blues could hold everything I’ve seen,” Ash said. “And on this album, I gave it all.”
A two-time City of Ottawa arts grant recipient and a regular on the Canadian scene, Ash is known for his heartfelt lyrics, technical precision, and fearless blending of genre.
“Blues is the root, but everything else is the fruit,” he said, smiling and name-checking heroes like Robben Ford, Matt Schofield, and John Scofield. “They taught me you don’t have to pick one path. You can carve your own.”
Joyride Blues shows off just how many paths he’s carved. There’s the full-throttle joy of the title track. There’s the traditional shuffle-blues of “My Ship Has Sailed.” And then there’s “Love Fades Away,” a midnight ballad that cuts deep.
“Joyride Blues is about chasing something,” Ash said.
“Sometimes it’s love, sometimes it’s meaning, sometimes it’s just a feeling. But even when things fall apart, you can still sing your way through.”
Recorded across several cities but always anchored in the blues, the album’s final track, “Somewhere South,” has its own story. Ash explained: “I was stuck. I grabbed a nylon-string guitar, went outside on this quiet southern porch, hit record, and played into the warm night. What you hear is the first take—cicadas and all.”
It’s a soft landing for a high-octane record, like the last cigarette after a long road trip.
Ash is currently booking shows for fall and winter 2025 and plans to bring the album across Canada and beyond. “These songs were meant to be played loud, with real people in the room,” he said.
“Joyride Blues is the kind of album that finds you wherever you are—and then takes you somewhere else.”
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