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THE BiTS INTERVIEW: CATFISH KEITH

Catfish Keith was born Keith Daniel Kozacik in East Chicago, Indiana, and was

first inspired by blues music he heard on the radio. These included songs by
Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, although by the time he owned

a guitar in his teenage years, he listened mostly to Son House.

The Guardian described him as "a solo revelation" who was "breaking new

ground for blues”. Twice a Blues Music Award nominee for 'Best Acoustic Blues
Album', he has had ten number one independent radio chart hit albums.

Catfish’s innovative style of foot-stomping, deep delta blues and American
roots music has spellbound audiences the world over. His most recent album
is “Wild Ox Moan” which is a recent IBBA Pick of the Month. Ian McKenzie

spoke to him about the album (and other things) on the telephone at his home

in Iowa.

BiTS: And what I want to do is to talk to you really about the inspiration for your new album,
which I think is absolutely terrific. Are you happy with that?

CK: Oh, thank you. Yeah, sure.

BiTS: Okay, let's make a start. I understand that you've just
completed is it your 52nd trip to Europe?

CK: Yeah, yeah, and most of those trips, I mean, we went
a few times into the continent, but those are trips to

the UK and Ireland. So yeah, we've been coming a real
long time since 1992.

BiTS: Wow, what is it that attracts you to the UK apart
from speaking English, of course.

CK: [Laughs] Well,
there's always been a
real connection, and I
felt that when we first got
there, to the kind of blues that I
love, which is the real early old-time country
blues and all the kind of weird, related offshoots of
that music. It seemed like right away when we came
the first time, I met a bunch of musicians that were into
the same thing and, you know, I really felt a connection
that people there liked the kind of weird and strange and cool old
music just as much as I did [chuckles].

BiTS: Do you find the audiences in the UK different from elsewhere?