Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers

“Erin Harpe has it all. The looks, the chops, the voice, the
presence and the band all add to an aura that mesmerized
the crowd..." –The Alternate Root Magazine

“Something akin to what the blues sounded like, Muddy
and his band plugged in, which sounds better than ever
in these hands.” –Cheap Thrills Boston

Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers’ unique brand of blues is rooted in vintage 1930’s Mississippi delta blues, featuring originals and classics that range from Memphis Minnie to early Bonnie Raitt, plus their take on other genres like soul, funk, and reggae. 2012’s Boston Music Award-winners for “Blues Artist of the Year,” this band evokes a southern juke joint where the whiskey and gin are flowing and everybody’s dancing. Erin is recognized along with Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland, Rory Block and Ana Popovic in 2013’s “30 Women Burning Up the Blues” in The Alternate Root Magazine!

The Delta Swingers features Erin on electric and acoustic guitar and lead vocals, backed by Jim Countryman on bass, Bob Nisi on drums and vocal harmonies, and a revolving cast of Boston's best blues soloists, including the blistering electrified harmonica of Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt, the slide guitar of “Sonny" Jim Clifford and other local stars. Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers just completed a successful crowdfunding campaign for their debut album, which will be released this spring!

In a genre that is often dominated by men, Erin Harpe has been hailed as "an authentic blues chanteuse", earning a reputation for her raw style and "total, selfless and compelling immersion in the music". Growing up in the Washington DC area, Erin began playing the guitar in her teens taught by her father, bluesman Neil Harpe. She soon began performing at folk festivals, coffee houses, bars, and parties in the DC area, developing a strong blues guitar and vocal style of her own. Erin relocated to Boston to develop her music career, where she met local blues talents such as Paul Rishell and Susan Tedeschi. Erin has released two acoustic blues albums, her debut Blues Roots (2002) and 2008's Delta Blues Duets, which have received rave reviews and radio airplay across the United States, as well as at least six European countries and Japan. Erin's soulful vocal style and accomplished finger-picking guitar playing has earned her many fans, including guitar great Ronnie Earl, and she is quickly becoming recognized on the international blues scene. In fact, Erin's first European tour is happening this April!

Like her predecessors Memphis Minnie and Charley Patton, Erin has a wide appreciation of many styles of music, and ventures fearlessly outside the blues to lead her "Other Band", the electro-funk dance band Lovewhip. Erin has even been known to slip a Lovewhip song into her blues sets, and the dancers don't seem to mind a bit.