Whether you mention the name Walter Trout to Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd or John Mayall, praise immediately follows. The U.S. East Coast musician has earned these accolades over the past four decades with his consistently high-quality work on the guitar and on the microphone in the studio and on the world stages. When this eclipsed issue is published, he is currently on a blues rock cruise in the Aegean Sea with 24 other acts such as Bonamassa, King King or Keb' Mo'. Without much of a breather, the tour continues on both sides of the Atlantic after that. And in October he is extensively on tour in Germany. In his luggage he has the new album "Ride".
eclipsed: Surprisingly, I'm not reaching you in California, but in Denmark. What happened?
Walter Trout: We have a house in Denmark, in a small town right by the sea. At first, the only plan was to retire there during the pandemic. Because it seemed more comfortable and safer to us than in the USA. And now we like it so much that we will probably stay here forever. Besides, in Denmark I don't have to get so worked up about the political and social conditions in the States.
eclipsed: In other words, you as an old Woodstock hippie [the 71-year-old Trout grew up not far from Woodstock and was there as a visitor, not as a musician; note] do you have a grievance with the USA?
Trout: The country is divided. And the two poles - on the one hand, the people who voted for the terrible Trump, and on the other hand, an almost equally large group of liberals and leftists - don't just disagree, they oppose each other as enemies. In my opinion, that can't go on for long
eclipsed: But US tours still exist?
Trout: I'm US-American, of course. However, for logistical and cost reasons, I have two different bands with some overlapping personnel: a live band that I tour with in Europe and one that tours with me in the US.
