I’d like to be able to say that I’ve been singing, writing and performing for the better part of my life, but in actual fact the first time I ever stood behind a microphone and performed in front of an audience was less than 10 years ago – I was 47 at the time. Truth be known, for as long as I can remember I had a passion for music, life just never led me in that direction, there were always other priorities.

I’m originally from England and if you lived in England in the 60’s you couldn’t help but be exposed to blues music. Blues was everywhere back in those days, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, early Fleetwood Mac, Cream, Yardbirds, The Animals, The Stones. I was also listening to Soul music which was very popular in England at the time – Otis Reading, Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett.

Those early influences have always stayed with me and so when the fickle hand of fate deemed that I would now be a singer of songs, I guess it was only natural that it be blues!

Gaining confidence and self belief as a performer is no easy task when you have already passed your ‘middle years’ believe you me! What did stand me in good stead was my passion for the music and a whole suitcase full of life experiences along with more than my fair share of hard knocks.

I had already been performing with two other local Brisbane blues bands when I met a lovely young man called Chris Harvey (or Harvey as he is usually known). Harvey was also from London and making a name for himself locally as an exceptional and passionate blues guitarist. We became great friends and started a band together called Steppin’ Out, which was a bit of a nod to our heritage and British blues. Steppin’ Out gave me the opportunity (with Harvey’s encouragement) to find and develop my own style as a singer.

I’d started listening to and covering songs by some great contemporary female blues artists. Singers like Janiva Magness, Deborah Coleman, Debbie Davies, Lou Ann Barton, Angela Strehli, Marcia Ball and Barbara Blue. To sing their songs is a pure joy. I was always pretty canny about the songs I’d choose to cover, most of the time shying away from the standards. I love to hear great electric blues guitar and Harvey plays with so much passion – that I’d quite often find myself choosing a song to sing because I loved the guitar part. Steppin’ Out released a CD in 2007 called Toolbox Blues – that was my first venture into doing a ‘proper’ recording at the ripe old age of 52!

I’ve always been a writer, even before I started to sing publicly I was writing songs either for my family or just for the personal pleasure of putting words together. I suppose it was inevitable that I would want to start performing and recording my own material. With Harvey’s encouragement and assistance we decided to write and record some songs together. This was a long and secretly held dream come true for me. Dangerous Desires is the result.

Life can be downright strange sometimes…..if someone had told me 10 years ago that one day I would release a recording of my own original songs and they would be played on the radio, well you would have had to pick me up off the floor – I’d be laughing so hard!

I hope you enjoy listening to Dangerous Desires – I know that writing and recording it will be something I will never forget.

Cath Butler