New Album Pre-Listening Party

Want to hear all of "Vol. 12" before it is released? Now you can - just click HERE to head over to Blues-Finland.com and push play!

The digital album will be released via Bandcamp and Fairmus on Friday, March 3rd, the CD will reach Estonian record stores a week later - on March 10th. To pre-order the CD and have it mailed out on March 3rd, e-mail your order direct to Roots Art Records via roots.ar.oy(at)gmail.com.

Photo by Matti Karhula.

New Tune from "Afternoon"

Here's a brand new tune from the upcoming "Afternoon" EP - the CD will arrive on December 3rd, the pre-order campaign ends on Thursday, Nov. 25th. Read more HERE! 

 

Pre-Order Acoustic EP Now!

The 10-day pre-order campaign for the upcoming Andres Roots EP "Afternoon" just started and lasts until November 25th - the CD's ship out on the 26th at the latest, the official release date is December 3rd, and the EUR12.90 pre-order price includes shipping worldwide. Check it out HERE!

The CD EP includes six acoustic instrumentals recorded on October 19th, 2021 by Jaan Tamm and mastered by Asko-Romé Altsoo at White Room in Tartu, Estonia. The cover painting was created by Siret Roots, who also designed the sleeve and took the photo on the back. You can listen to the opening number "Years Past Midnight" below.

    

The Blue Icicle in Pärnu!

The winter bluesfest The Blue Icicle is happening again this week and Andres Roots will open the proceeding at 7 p.m. on Thursday, February 27th at the Pärnu Yacht Club - no cover charge! Below is a video recording of his complete set from last year, in three parts.

Album Teaser

Here's a first look at the "Mississippi to Loch Lomond" CD:

BLUES NEWS!

This year's first issue of Finland's Blues News is out next week, with an Andres Roots cover feature - cover photo by Peter Lee, interview by Leif Laaksonen. Check out the magazine on Facebook here or place your order via their website here. Andres' next gig is at The Blue Icicle festival in Pärnu on February 27 - showtime 7 p.m.!

 

Snake Girl Blues - Deep Blues Festival

Here's another live recording from the Deep Blues Festival - recorded at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi on Oct. 18, 2019, mastered by Asko-Romé Altsoo, photo by Peter Lee. Live album coming in March!!!

"Waiting Around" Video Shoot

On September 16th and 17th, a music video for the track "Waiting Around" off the new 7" EP was filmed at Genialistide Klubi in Tartu. Directed, filmed and edited by Asko-Romé Altsoo, with Oskar Harding in charge of lighting, the video features dancers from the Tartu Swing dance club, along with a couple of associates from Tartu's Vinyl Plant. Below are a few stills from the video - the clip itself will premiere in time for the final "Waiting Around" concert in Pärnu on October 4th.

New 45 Next Week!

On August 16th, Andres Roots will release his 7" 45 RPM solo EP "Waiting Around" – the first 7" record pressed at the Vinyl Plant in Tartu, Estonia. The on-location manufacturing of vinyl records in Tartu, Estonia was launched by Vinyl Plant in 2016 with Roots' compilation LP "Roots Music" – the first vinyl record ever made in Estonia, it went to number 1 in the Estonian album charts upon release and earned Roots a Golden Disc award. 

Unlike the 2016 LP, the four tracks on "Waiting Around" were cut expressly for the 45 and are all instrumental solo performances. The recordings were made on June 7th by Jaan Tamm, who back in the day recorded all but one of the albums by Roots' internationally acclaimed alt.blues trio Bullfrog Brown, and mastered by Asko-Romé Altsoo, who has been working with Roots since 2009. The EP cover was designed by Siret Roots, with front cover photo by Priit Põder from a March show at the Record Fair in Tallinn, Estonia and back cover photo by Leif Laaksonen from a February gig at the venue currently known as Mendocino in Helsinki, Finland. 

By chance, the first person to hear the 45 was the Finnish-born Tartu author Mika Keränen, who in his in-depth online review writes: "There is somebody sitting in the corner of a bar and playing guitar. You don't hear it when you have a CD. When you have the vinyl, you hear it and you feel it. This is why I like vinyl. It is next to live gigs."

The EP launch tour will start with solo shows at Von Krahl inTallinn on August 13th and at the Tartuff Love Film Festival in Tartu on August 17th, with concerts in Viljandi, Pärnu and Rakvere already confirmed for September and October and more dates TBA. Before then, Andres Roots will be joining Ismo Haavisto and Matias Partanen for three trio shows in Finland: at Paapan Kapakka in Tampere on August 8th, at the Rauma Blues Festival on August 9th and at Verstas in Lahti on August 10th.

To preview the new EP on YouTube, click HERE!

Album Launch!

The new album "Breakfast in September" will be launched with a show at the Texas Honky Tonk & Cantina in Tallinn this Thursday - the 12-track guitar-only album will become available at record stores and via digital music services on Friday, November 30.

The launch tour will continue with shows in Lääniste (Dec. 2), Tartu (Dec. 13), Pärnu (February 1, 2019), Helsinki (February 14, 2019), Turku (February 15, 2019), and Loimaa (February 16, 2019). Here's the one track that features a guest appearance by Halvo Liivamägi on guitar:

Waltzin' Blue

The new solo single "Waltzin' Blue" from the upcoming album "Breakfast in September" is now digitally available - check it out on Spotify!

Sawmill Tracklist

The tracklist for the upcoming Sawmill Roots Orchestra album is as follows:
1. Jook Jones
2. Meow Meow
3. Build Me A Statue
4. Raul's Custom Rag
5. Sawmill Stomp
6. Wagon Swing
7. Snake Girl Blues

The album will be released on March 2 with shows in Rakvere (March 2), Tartu (March 7) and Tallinn (March 9), all with special guest Robert Johnson (USA). Here's a preview:

New Track: Sawmill's "Wagon Swing"

Here's a new track from the upcoming Sawmill Roots Orchestra album - come see the band live this Saturday at Illegaard in Tartu!

Sawmill Album Cover Revealed!

Coming on March 2, the Sawmill Roots Orchestra's self-titled debut album will look like this - photos by Leif Laaksonen, design by Siret Roots.

T-shirts Now Available!

A selection of Andres Roots T-shirts is now available HERE - with 15% off until December 13th! The voucher code is welcome-100219674; you'll have the chance to choose your shirt colour and adjust the size and position of the design before you confirm your order. Buy your shirt today and get it in time for Christmas! :)

New Studio Track

The first Estonian Blues Challenge winners Tammepõld, Roots & Kadakas just finished recording a cover of the Willie Dixon classic "Little Red Rooster" - check it out below!

Album Preview & Muusika Cover Story!

The November issue of Estonia's only music magazine Muusika features a lengthy interview with Andres Roots! And the upcoming album "Winter" is now available for pre-order via Lasering (EUR) and CDMarket (USD). Here's a preview!