Opelousas

Inspired by the Louisiana town of the same name, Australian trio Opelousas (Opper-loo-sas) serve up a spicy slice of Swamp blues.

Their debut album Opelousified is a feast of grit and glory and features a roux of Kerri Simpson’s powerful raw vocals, Alison Ferrier’s dirty stripped-back electric guitar, amplified fiddle and smooth vocal tones, peppered with Anthony “Shorty” Shortte’s swamp-soaked percussion.

This powerhouse plays pulsating rhythms from the belly of the blues. A distillation of Melbourne’s finest, Opelousas draw inspiration from their friends and contemporaries; the legendary Kerri Simpson’s New Orleans pedigree, Ferrier’s electric energy that recently took the Melbourne Recital Hall by storm, and Shorty as the back beat and bedrock of the original Collards Greens and Gravy.

The trio added a special ingredient to their simmering sound: ARIA award winning singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeff Lang. Jeff co-produced the album with the band as well as recording, mixing and creating film clips for both ‘Dear John’ (below) and ‘James Dean’. The resulting gumbo is a tasty treat for audiences far and wide.