[Cover photo credit to Stacie Huckeba]
British Blues-Rock artist Joanne Shaw Taylor continues her acoustic series with the release of “Grayer Shade Of Blue (Acoustic)”, a sparse reimagining a very personal track from her studio album, Black & Gold. Out now via Journeyman Records, the new version finds the artist “distilling the heartbreak and introspection of the original into its most essential form.”
Originally inspired by a chord progression sent to her by longtime keyboardist and co-writer Phil Whitfield, the song “channels the grief of a friendship that ended without explanation.”
Joanne Shaw Taylor says:
This song is about a very close friendship that I had for a decade plus that ended suddenly. I’ve never known why – the person just stopped communicating with me. It understandably made me very sad, but this song was my attempt to give myself some closure.
Regarding her acoustic versions, she adds:
I wanted fans to hear these songs the way they were originally written. Raw and personal – just me sitting with a guitar, sorting through something real.
Joanne Shaw Taylor is currently on the road for a busy year of touring. After a Spring U.S. run and summer performances across North America and Europe, she’ll return to the U.S. this Fall for a coast-to-coast headline tour, followed by a newly announced series of European dates in early 2026.
2025 Summer Tour Dates & Festivals
August 12 – Arden, DE – Arden Concert Gild
August 14 – Newton, NJ – The Newton Theatre
August 15 – Bethlehem, PA – Summer Series Festival
August 16 – Norwich, NY – Chenango Blues Festival
September 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea ALASKA
2025 Fall European Tour
September 24 – Bath, UK – The Forum
September 25 – York, UK – York Barnican
September 27 – Wolverhampton, UK – Wulfrun Hall
September 28 – Eastbourne, UK – Devonshire Park Theatre
September 30 – Arnhem, NL – Luxor Live
October 1 – Tilburg, NL – Poppodium 013
October 3 – Leipzig, DE – The Anchor
October 4 – Torgau, DE – Cultural Action Project Torgau (Kulturbastion)
October 5 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater
October 7 – Mainz, DE – Kulturzentrum
October 9 – London, UK – Cadogan Hall
2025 Fall U.S. Tour
October 17 – Bonita Springs, FL – Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center
October 18 – Clearwater, FL – Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
October 21 – Asheville, NC – Diana Wortham Theatre
October 22 – Raleigh, NC – Fletcher Opera Theater
October 24 – Wilmington, NC – Kenan Auditorium
October 25 – Savannah, GA – District Live
October 27 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
October 28 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
October 31 – Old Saybrook, CT – The Kate
November 1 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
November 3 – York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts
November 4 – Cleveland, OH – TempleLive @ Cleveland Masonic
November 7 – West Bend, WI – The Bend Theater
November 8 – Viroqua, WI – Historic Temple Theatre
November 9 – Minneapolis, MN – The Parkway Theater
November 11 – Madison, WI – Atwood Music Hall
November 13 – Bloomington, IL – The Castle Theatre
November 14 – St. Louis – Delmar Hall
November 16 – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion
