A SPEED ROUND WITH SONNY BOY SLIM

If you could collaborate with any guitarist, dead or alive, who would it be?

Hendrix. I have these dreams where I’m sitting around in a circle with him and Bob Marley, and we’re just talking about music and playing the guitar together.

What’s one song from another artist that you always wish you’d written?

“Liberation” by Outkast, just because it has such a beautiful message. They collaborated with Erykah Badu on it, and I’ve got a lot of respect for the Badu family – their musicality, and the way they mixed the live instrumentation with the digital. And that chorus – “there’s afinelinebetweenloveand hate,yousee/camewaytoo late,butbaby,I’monit” – that really resonated with me. That was the first time I ever listened to hip-hop music with my dad, and he understood where I was coming from. He actually gave me props for my musical choices on that one.

What is your favourite pre- or post-gig snack?

Jameson.

What is your most embarrassing tour memory?

I’ve been pretty good so far, but I did fall off the stage in Germany this one time. The entrance was a staircase right behind the stage; I was moving around, and I guess I had my eyes closed and I didn’t know where I was at, and I stepped back and fell down the stairs. It wasn’t like Dave Grohl’s whole incident, though – I didn’t end up in a wheelchair or anything, thank God [ laughs].

What was your favourite album of 2018?

Jon Batiste – Hollywood Africans. I think John Batiste is just the most musical, most talented musical person on the planet right now.

Who should we be keeping an eye on in 2019?

There’s a group out of Austin, Texas – a couple of brothers that call themselves The Peterson Brothers. Glenn and Alex. And I mean, they’re young – they don’t have 40 years on them together – but y’know, when they live a little bit of life, with their musicality alone and when they put some soul on top of it, I really think they could be the next big thing. I’m a little worried about my own job security, if I’m being honest!

If Hollywood were to make a movie based on your life, who would you want to play yourself?

My movie’s still being written, y’know? My life is still going – we haven’t gotten to the climax yet. So my credit would be Gary Clark Jr, portrayed by himself.

If you had one wish, what would you spend it on?

I’d wish that people would try to understand somebody’s situation first, before they judge.