hen explosive natural ability collides with fiery, emotionally charged compositions, the result is Aynsley Lister; an incredible guitarist whose brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary songwriting fuelled with the kind of heart and soul that’s missing from so much modern music. Whether passionately writing and recording his own material or mesmerising audiences at his live shows, one thing is abundantly clear: music is hard- wired to his DNA and flows from his fingertips like sonic bolts oflightning. With in excess of 100,000 albums sold, lashings of critical acclaim and years of high profile touring, Lister’s resume speaks for itself and firmly secures his position as a leading light in the resurgence of British blues-infused music.

In hindsight, it’s clear Aynsley was born to be a musician. As a child he was hypnotised by his dad’s old guitar and at the age of eight was finally gifted his very own. With relentless dedication he taught himself to play, copying his favourite records note for note; Peter Green, Clapton and Kossoffweren’tjust his heroes­ they were his teachers. In 1998 Thomas Ruf signed Ayns1ey to his label, hooking him up with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s producer Jim Gaines to record his self titled debut disc, kicking off a successful relationship with Ruf Records that saw him release 7 albums and 2 DVD’s in ten years. Their influence also helped Lister land dream support slots with established artists like Walter Trout, John Mayall and Robert Cray, whilst rousing festival appearances alongside artists like the Fun Lovin’ Criminals cemented his standing as an artist whose work, although rooted in blues, transcended the genre with a fiery modem sound. In 2007 Aynsley was the only British artist to be named in Classic Rock magazine’s Top 10 Contemporary Blues Artists, alongside John Mayer and Joe Bonamassa.

In 2008 Aynsley signed to Manhaton Records, where he released the two most successful albums of his career to date. 2009’s ‘Equilibrium’ exposed Lister in his best ever form, throwing all his musical influences into a delicious melting pot that delivered sultry melodies, full throttle hard rock riffage and introspective ballads, storming into Classic Rock’s Top 50 Albums of2009. The subsequent tour saw Aynsley playing to over 16,000 people whilst opening for the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd, after which he and his band relocated to the Tower Arts Centre and knocked out a fantastic rendition of their high-octane live set to produce the storming ‘Tower Sessions’ record, which was consequently voted ‘Best Live Album’ in the 2011 Blues Matters Writers Poll.

Aynsley just released his tenth album, ‘Home’, on his own label (Straight Talkin’ Records) as he’s sagely decided to take control by bringing everything in-house, following other successful artists who’ve cut out the record companies with astonishing results. Needless to say, the tour in support of the album promises to be something truly special, not just for the fans, but for the main man himself.