Reneé Austin stands out as a vocalist and songwriter whose reach extends well beyond conventional blues territory, yet whose work carries strong promise for expanding the audience for the genre. Born in San Diego and raised in Texas, the attractive, intelligent performer developed an early command of stage presence while absorbing Texas roadhouse blues, soul-blues, and gospel from childhood. Her first release for San Francisco-based Blind Pig Records, the 2003 album Sweet Talk, earned widespread praise.
Raised in Kingsland, Texas, Austin began singing as a toddler under her parents’ encouragement and penned her initial compositions during adolescence. She performed regularly at school and church, and by her final high-school years she had resolved to pursue singing and recording as a livelihood. Her principal vocal influences remain the leading women of blues and soul, among them Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Tina Turner.
During college she relocated to Minneapolis, where she quickly entered the city’s active blues club circuit. There she issued her debut recording, Dancin’ With Mr. Blue, which received recognition from the Minnesota Music Academy as Best Blues Recording; she was also named Best Female Vocalist and Best Blues Artist. These honors led to opening slots for Robert Cray, Delbert McClinton, and Lonnie Brooks on their Minneapolis engagements. On Sweet Talk she shares a duet with McClinton on “Pretend We Never Met,” a Bruce McCabe composition they recorded together in Nashville. The album contains seven original songs by Austin, Joanna Cotten’s “When Something Is Wrong,” and two numbers produced by Kevin Bowe. Its range stretches from the slow, sultry ballad “Fool Moon” to roadhouse blues-rock material such as the McClinton collaboration and “Pour the Sugar Slowly.”
Although subsequent projects may reveal greater stylistic focus, the breadth of this first widely distributed effort usefully demonstrates Austin’s capabilities to radio and festival programmers. She has already appeared on bills with Jonny Lang, Blues Traveler, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, and Keb’ Mo’. Should she maintain a sustainable touring pace, further success appears likely. A second album, Sweet Talk, was released on Blind Pig in 2003, followed by Right About Love in 2005, also on Blind Pig Records.
