ZZ Ward plays the House of Blues Sept. 7 as part of Live Nation’s “Ones to Watch” tour.
Guaranteeing a good time with a memorable concert ZZ Ward (Born Zsuzanna Eva Ward) is bringing her “Down and Dirty Shine Tour” to the Anaheim House of Blues September 7.
Growing up with her family in Roseburg, Oregon, Ward was introduced and influenced by multiple styles of music at a young age.
“My parents would listen to muddy waters and Mamma Thorton so I got into blues through them,” Ward told OC Concert Guide in an interview. “Then, my older brother would listen to a lot of hip-hop. So I started taking his Nas CDs and his Jay-Z CDs and just started getting into hip-hop.”
By the age of 12, Ward joined her father’s blues band and despite her age, began playing at various bars around Oregon. Pursuing her interest in hip-hop, at the age of 16 Ward began working with the hip-hop scene in Eugene.
Years later Ward relocated to Los Angeles, Calif. where she was founded and signed by Boardwalk Entertainment Group and Hollywood Records.
Before the release of her full album “Till the Casket Drops” with Hollywood Records, Ward created a free mix tape “Eleven Rose” in February 2012 that caught the attention of many artists.
“I would flip hip hop songs that I loved. I kind of wrote my own songs over the top of beats of some songs,” Ward continued. “I flipped a Kendrick Lamar song and I also flipped a Freddie Gibbs song. They [Lamar and Gibbs] liked what I did with that and they believed enough in my talent to want to get on some other songs that I was doing.”
Ward’s first full-album “Till the Casket Drops,” was released October 2012, which featured her work with Lamar and Gibbs.
“I ended up making a record that kind of combines my two favorite kinds of music,” Ward said. “My style is back porch blues meets hip hop. I don’t know who else is in the style with me. So I think my music is pretty unique.”
Since the release of her album, Ward’s has performed for and been featured through multiple television shows and films including Good Morning America, Conan, MTV’s Awkward, and most recently Warner Brothers film “We’re the Millers.”
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity for my music to get out there and be heard by more people,” Ward said in response to her music features.
“There are certain places where we go and a lot of people have heard of us or heard of me and there are a lot of places where we go and people are discovering me…you know I’m a new artists and this is my first record so it is really fun to go out there and make new fans,” Ward said.
While Ward acknowledges a lot of ground needs to be covered, she is continuing to put her focus on the tour and before thinking about the next album.
“’Dirty shine’ is a phrase that I’ve been using that kind of represented ‘Till the Casket Drops’ and it is about me embracing my style even though my style is different,” Ward explained. “So the Dirty Shine Tour just means I’m going to kick it back and have a good time.”