Women of Blues Rock - 50 Shades of Blues Rock

"She is the future" - Carlos Santana on Erja Lyytinen

Erja Lyytinen (born July 7, 1976 in Kuopio, Finland) is a Finnish vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She began playing guitar at age 15, around the same time she began writing her own songs. In high school, she performed with various projects, one of which was the soul group Brothers & Sisters, in which she was the lead singer. At that time, she was greatly influenced by artists such as Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. Later, she discovered the music of Koko Taylor, and she cites "I'm A Woman" from The Earthshaker album as one of her favorite Taylor songs. She also cites Bonnie Raitt as a major inspiration.

Erja Lyytinen is one of the leading blues-rock guitarists on the international touring scene. Over the course of her career, this "flying Finn" has released 13 studio albums, as well as several live albums. In the fall of 2023, Erja Lyytinen celebrated the milestone anniversary of her debut solo studio album, Wildflower, with a special one-off concert at Tavastia Club in Helsinki. This evening is forever immortalized on the artist's latest live album, "20 Years of Blues Rock!"

The studio album, Waiting for the Daylight, was released in 2022 and reached number 3 on the official Finnish physical album chart and number 14 on the October IBBA chart in the UK.

Having begun her recording career some 22 years ago, singer and guitarist Erja Lyytinen has become a true star in her home country and a prominent figure on the international music scene. During this time, the "Finnish slide guitar goddess" (The Blues Magazine) has recorded in locations as diverse as Helsinki, London, and Memphis, earning numerous awards. Lyytinen's musical palette is broad, encompassing the best examples of modern blues-rock, as well as being inspired and influenced by the great blues musicians of the past. Renowned slide guitar master Sonny Landreth, upon encountering Lyytinen's music, remarked, "I really liked her guitar skills. She's clearly made a name for herself. She's doing well, and it's no coincidence."

Lyytinen's first album was released in 2002 as part of the band "Dave's Special." Most of the songs on the album were danceable jump blues and swing, and were largely written by Lyytinen herself. She recorded her international debut album, "Pilgrimage," after signing with the prestigious German label Ruf Records in 2005. The 2006 Blues Caravan tour introduced audiences in Europe and the US to her fiery live performances.

The subsequent solo album, Dreamland Blues, brought her back to the US to record with David and Kinney Kimbrough (sons of Mississippi blues legend Junior Kimbrough). After two years of touring, she returned with Grip of the Blues in 2008, fusing hard-hitting blues with contemporary R&B. Her 2010 album, Voracious Love, was even more daring: the lushly arranged "Bed of Roses"—featuring Marco Hietala (Nightwish) on vocals and Apocalyptica cellist Paavo Lötjönen—proved once and for all that Lötjönen was unafraid to push stylistic boundaries. With 2013's Forbidden Fruit, she returned to more familiar territory.

The Canadian Blues Underground Network named The Sky Is Crying the best European blues album and best tribute album of 2014. It was also ranked among the top three international albums of 2014 by the British publication Blues Matters, which also named Erja the second best international solo artist.

The Sky Is Crying, a tribute to Elmore James, was a breakthrough. Released in 2014, it was widely hailed as her best and bluesiest recording to date. This collection of minimalist, old-school blues convinced even the most discerning listeners of Lyytinen's deep understanding of the blues and her unparalleled skill as a slide guitarist. A London concert, a rousing set of Elmore James covers and original material released a year later, led to Erja being named Best Female Solo Artist in the World by Blues Matters and Artist of the Year at the Finnish Blues Awards.

For her 2017 studio album, Stolen Hearts, the Finnish bandleader assembled a talented group of musicians in Helsinki in the summer of 2016, then headed to London's State of the Ark Studios to record with multi-platinum engineer and producer Chris Kimsey, best known for his contributions to classic Rolling Stones albums like Sticky Fingers and Some Girls. In fact, Stolen Hearts was mixed on the same EMI console that Kimsey frequently used with the Rolling Stones. "Chris said it was like meeting an old friend after years. He sat down at the controls, and the magic began." Mastering was completed at Air Studios Mastering (part of the world-famous Air Studios founded by Beatles producer George Marr),  Ray Staff, whose credits include such iconic rock albums as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes, came out at a time when Erja Lyytinen was expanding her horizons. In anticipation of the album's release, Lyytinen toured Finland with her compatriot, the late, great Heikki Silvennoinen, and performed her first concerts in India. She recalls the album's creation process as "cathartic"—the result of difficult times of "heartbreak, disappointment, fear of loss, and, at the same time, the deepest love."

In the months following the release of Stolen Hearts, Li Eytinen completed two successful UK tours, as well as the Blue Christmas tour with Sami Saari and Maria Hänninen in Finland. She also appeared on the Finnish TV show Tähdet, Tähdet (Stars, Stars), singing to half a million people each week. The icing on the cake was the announcement in late November 2017 that Erja had won the European Blues Award for Best Guitarist. In December 2017, Erja placed 7th in a MusicRadar poll, which received 136,000 votes.

In June 2018, Erja opened for Santana at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki. Carlos Santana invited Erja to perform on stage in front of 20,000 people. "It was so inspiring to see her play. She's like from the future, and I like the future," said Santana, nicknamed her "Lightning," a reference to Lightning Hopkins.

"Another World" marked a new chapter in both her personal and professional life. "While "Stolen Hearts" was created during difficult times," she reflects, ""Another World" is like spring, bringing new life and hope. The entire album is more rocky and funky, with elements of blues, pop, hard rock, progressive rock—one song even has an Irish flavor."

For "Another World," Lyytinen enlisted the help of many of her esteemed friends and colleagues, including slide guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth and former Michael Jackson guitarist Jennifer Batten. With each of the nine songs featured on "Another World," the Scandinavian guitarist elevated herself to new heights as a songwriter and performer, truly expanding her artistry and exploring areas beyond traditional blues. Another World, the result of a global team effort, including Lyytinen's first production work, was recorded, mixed, and mastered by an international ensemble of world-class professionals. The recording took place in several locations, including Gavin Lurssen's Grammy-winning Lurssen Mastering Studio in Los Angeles, and was mixed by Austin, Texas, legend Chris Bell.

Throughout 2019, Lyytinen fully embraced the idea of   exploring new musical and geographical territories, crossing the Atlantic several times and performing concerts in Canada. This culminated in a collaboration with Hollywood star and Blues Brothers member Dan Aykroyd, as part of the Downchild Blue's Band, at the Toronto Jazz Festival.

Similarly, the talented guitarist is not afraid to explore new musical directions or collaborate with artists outside the blues genre. In mid-2019, Lyytinen had the honor of opening for legendary Welsh singer-songwriter Sir Tom Jones during his Finnish tour.

Following the release of her album Another World, Erja Lyytinen's personal life and self-expression weren't always tied to music. The versatile artist expanded her repertoire by releasing her first book. The biography, titled "Blueskuningatar" (Queen of the Blues), was released in the last quarter of 2019. Although originally published in Finnish, the talented guitarist later released the book with an English translation.

Erja Lyytinen began 2020 with a series of solo concerts across continental Europe before returning to her homeland of Finland for a massive tour in February and March. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it was one of the busiest years of Lyytinen's career. Her touring and promotional activities were boosted by a number of high-profile achievements in 2019. Due to international travel restrictions and bans on large gatherings, several months of touring were unfortunately canceled or postponed. In the first half of 2020, amid quarantine restrictions, Lyytinen began working on new projects, such as developing her own tea brand called "The Blues Queen," writing her first book of songs, and reworking her recent biography into new languages.

In June 2020, Lyytinen placed second in the Total Guitar poll "The World's 10 Best Guitarists Today," a feat noted by Finnish media. That same month, the artist also had the opportunity to perform a widely publicized and historic livestream from the rooftop of the Novapolis building in Kuopio, which was watched by tens of thousands of viewers worldwide.

In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lyytinen returned to her hometown of Kuopio on the eve of Mother's Day to perform in an exclusive online pay-per-view event. This momentous occasion is now represented by the artist's third live album—the unique and historic CD/DVD edition "Lockdown Live 2020," released in November 2020.

Erja's 2022 studio album, "Waiting For The Daylight," received critical acclaim. The album's first single, "Bad Seed," was named the 13th best rock song of the year by Classic Rock Magazine. Furthermore, Lyytinen's guitar solo from "Bad Seed" ranked 10th in Guitar World magazine's "Best Guitar Solo of 2022" reader poll.

Erja Lyytinen made history as the first Finnish artist nominated for Canada's Maple Blues Awards in the B.B. King International Artist of the Year category.

On December 6, 2022—Finnish Independence Day—the queen of slide guitar was graciously invited to the Presidential Castle. The event was a fitting conclusion to a remarkable year. In December 2024, Erja Lyytinen released her latest live album, "20 Years of Blues Rock!" This live album continues the story of Erja's stage career, following in the footsteps of previous albums such as "Songs from the Road" (2012), "Live in London" (2015), "Lockdown Live" (2020), and "Diamonds on the Road – Live" (2023).

Lyytinen has received acclaim for her work from fans, peers, and the industry, receiving numerous awards. Erja Lyytinen's achievements include second place in Total Guitar magazine's poll of the "10 Best Guitarists of Today" and the title of "Best Guitarist" at the 2017 European Blues Awards. Most recently, she received further recognition, being named "Angel of Rock" at the HRH Royal Blues Awards ceremony in Great Yarmouth in October 2024.

This latest recognition followed her participation in the Finnish primetime television show "The Masked Singer" in the fall of 2024, where she reached the final.

Erja Lyytinen released her studio album "Smell the Roses" on March 28, 2025. As before, she self-produced the album, featuring, in her words, more "daring" songs. "Themes of forgiveness, hope, passion, loss, and betrayal inspired my songwriting, along with my love of nature," Erja confirms. She adds, "Titles like 'Going to Hell,' 'Abyss,' and 'Empty Hours' probably say a lot—this isn't just an album played in major chords with a smile on your face," Erja laughs. "This album is much heavier than my previous ones, but it's still uplifting."