Wayne Sutton

For Wayne Sutton, former lead guitarist/co-songwriter of ‘90s hitmakers Sister Seven, music has been a lifetime journey. His new solo album Blue Worm – his first in nearly 15 years – now takes him to the most surprising place of all. “When you discover a larger map it makes you hungry to create again,” Wayne says. “The key to finding your own voice is honesty.”

2020 had begun as a banner year for Sutton, having reunited with S7’s Patrice Pike for their Pike & Sutton album Heart Is A Compass. But when the pandemic hit, the duo was forced to cancel an international tour that included SXSW and Lollapalooza South America. “Most of this album was written between the end of March through end of May,” Wayne explains. “All of that fear, anger and uncertainty became the primary motivator to make this record right away.”

Co-produced by Wayne and award-winning engineer Bill Palmer, the album was recorded in a 1914 wood-and-adobe church in the desert ghost town of Terlingua, Texas. The 11 tracks on Blue Worm – the title coming from a Filipino martial art move in which a blade literally spills your guts – craft an urgent chronicle of unprecedented times with guitars that bridge the sweet spots between rock, folk and roots. Most of all, Blue Worm is a testament to one artist’s own hard-won sense of hope. “Music keeps growing as long as you keep your heart open,” says Wayne. “In the end, I just wanted this album to sound like who I am. I think it’s the most honest music I’ve ever made.”