SPILL FEATURE: WHERE THERE’S LIFE, THERE’S BLUES – A CONVERSATION WITH BILLY GIBBONS

WHERE THERE’S LIFE, THERE’S BLUES

A CONVERSATION WITH BILLY GIBBONS

Billy F Gibbons is a living legend who remains in constant motion. This year alone, the singer and guitarist led ZZ Top across the United States, Canada, and Australia. When not with ZZ Top, Gibbons keeps himself busy as a solo artist. His most recent single, “Livin’ It Up Down In Texas,” was released as a part of the Landman soundtrack and was featured on Cruising With Billy F Gibbons, a compilation featuring a range of his solo material. Now, Gibbons is set to hit the road with his solo band through December until next February, including a lone Canadian date at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, ON.

“Gonna be quite the eclectic excursion,” Gibbons states regarding his upcoming solo tour. He credits this to his bandmates, drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton (Stevie Ray Vaughan) and keyboardist Mike “The Drifter” Flanigin (Jimmie Vaughan). He adds, “both [are] quite capable of doing anything — except maybe grand opera.  We got blues, we got rock, we got surf, we got country; kind of like a charcuterie plate set to music.” When comparing his work, on and offstage, between his solo band and ZZ Top, Gibbons elaborates, “The expressions with Billy F Gibbons & The BFG Band twists a bit more of the blue side while ZZ Top remains a conspirator. And, of course, the blues indeed gets bluer along with experimenting within sounds of an Afro-Cuban descent with a few outside formats opposite the ZZ Top wheelhouse.” In both instances, he continues, “To a great extent, the real life is out on the road so we’re constantly in step with both ZZ Top and The BFG Band.” On the road, Gibbons and company are able to breathe a new sense of life into his music, making the road his natural element, so much so that, when justifying his relentless touring schedule, he calls himself a “homebody.”

Discussing his newest single, Gibbons states, “”Livin’ It Up Down In Texas,” came to the fore in conjunction with Billy Bob Thornton, Cj Boggs, and C&W writer, Mark Collie, as Paramount’s Landman series took off. Head man, Taylor Sheridan was leaning for a feel with a rocker to compliment the sizzling of the first season. Our collective collaboration encapsulates the overriding theme writ large of the series.” The resulting track is a jangly rocker centred around a loose riff and Gibbons’ signature gravelly voice. “Livin’ It Up Down In Texas” shines for Gibbon’s ability to produce a gritty track that is simultaneously a bop, featuring a sparse arrangement and a pair of tasteful solos absolutely steeped in the blues. In regard to his approach in the studio, Gibbons explains, “When recording, it seems to be about creating a special sonic universe.  It’s a great feeling inventing worlds which hadn’t existed previously, so there is a strident accelerated motivation to keep thrashin’ and bashin’.”

PURCHASE TICKETS TO BILLY F GIBBONS AND THE BFG BAND @ AVALON THEATRE, FALLSVIEW CASINO RESORT

Looking back at a legendary career that kickstarted in 1971, with the equally accurate as it is comically titled, ZZ Top’s First Album, Gibbons remains a vital presence within the blues cannon. Reflecting on the genre, he tells me, “It’s a most human-like sound, connecting directly to one’s heartbeat.  Where there’s life, there’s blues, and the other way around.” He also champions the work of those carrying the torch, stating, “Gary Clark Jr. is a monster from Texas!  Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is a young guy up from Mississippi who is really ripping it up.  Also want to highlight the blues-meets-everything of Mr. Guthrie Trapp, who shows how to put it down in a potent and powerful way.” Looking back on his own career, Gibbons reflects on three essential ZZ Top tracks, “Have to mention “Waitin’ For The Bus” and “Jesus Just Left Chicago” as that unusual coupling are two distinct songs which have been cohabitating for decades.  They weren’t intended to be inseparably conjoined, however, a stealth decision by the engineer on the Tres Hombres disc joined tracks 1 and 2, as an unexpected pairing without a break between the two.  It’s become a sign running both together included in nearly every performance.  Of course, there’s also “that thing,” which is what we call “La Grange” because “that thing” has taken on a life of its own.

Over 50 years since first making his mark, Gibbons presses forward tirelessly. Upon concluding his upcoming solo tour in February 2026, ZZ Top will hit the road across the United States from March to May before jetting off to Europe throughout the summer. Additionally, he is currently in the midst of recording his follow-up to his 2021 solo album, Hardwire, and most excitedly, he tells me, “With ZZ at this very moment, we’re closing in on a release following the new year,” marking the first studio album from the classic rock veterans since 2012. Truly, the blues are alive and well with Gibbons remaining a pioneering figure.

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Photo Credits: Blain Clausen