Biography

British blues guitarist Aynsley Lister began his professional musical career as a prodigy, gigging in bar bands starting at the age of 13. When he released his debut, Messin' with the Kid, in 1996, he had just turned 20, roughly the same age as such transatlantic peers as Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Lister didn't immediately cross the Atlantic, but he eventually got there. His first American album was Everything I Need in 2000, and from that point forward he worked steadily in the U.K., Europe, and America, touring and releasing records on a regular basis. Born in Leicester, England on November 14, 1976, Lister started to play guitar at the age of eight, jamming along with his father's old blues records. Once he turned 13, he started playing in local bands, cycling through several groups by the time he formed his own outfit at the age of 18. He released two albums on Tasty Records -- Messin' with the Kid in 1996 and Pay Attention in 1997 -- before making the leap to the Germany-based Ruf Records for his eponymous 1999 album. Lister stayed with Ruf for seven years, releasing three studio albums (2000's Everything I Need, 2002's All or Nothing, and 2007's Upside Down), two live sets (2002's Supakev n Pilchards and 2004's Live!), and a collaborative album (2005's Pilgrimage) in the process. Everything I Need found a belated American release in 2006, setting Lister up for his stint at Manhaton Records, where he released 2009's Equilibrium -- which featured a cameo from Robbie McIntosh, best known as a guitarist for Paul McCartney -- and 2010's Tower Sessions on both sides of the Atlantic. He transitioned to Straight Talkin' Records for 2013's Home, which was followed in 2016 by Eyes Wide Open. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi