Not many 24-year-old blues guitarists can say they’ve opened shows for blues legend B.B. King, but Australian singer-songwriter and guitar phenom Hamish Anderson is definitely not run-of-the-mill. Currently touring North America to support his EP, Restless, Anderson’s eclectic, blues-soaked rock music has been praised by musicians such as Gary Clark Jr., who called Anderson a guitar player under 30 that people should be watching. (For fans who bring him baked goods at shows, it also doesn’t hurt that he looks like a younger, cuter version of John Mayer.)

A big music history buff, Anderson says, “It’s very important to me to find out what inspired artists that I like, as well as find out more about the music that they listened to.” To him, that means one thing: learning more about the music from the Mississippi Delta. “The blues is definitely the music that means the most to me and I feel a very strong connection to that music. I feel with everything that I write and play it is coming from the blues.”

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

Homebase: Los Angeles

Your music is very rooted in an old, blues style. How did you discover the blues?

I remember around that time when I was really starting to get into rock music I kept reading interviews with people like Eric Clapton and Keith Richards and they were always talking about the blues and artists like B.B. King and Robert Johnson. I started asking my dad all these questions about the blues and he gave me the album B.B. King Live at the Regal and that really changed everything for me.

Is that when you realized you wanted to be a musician?

When I was 12 years old I remember hearing The Beatles The White Album and the song “Back in the U.S.S.R”. From that moment on I just became obsessed with guitars and music and begged my parents for months to buy me a guitar. Playing guitar is my first love. It was the instrument that started my love for music and I still feel most at home whilst playing guitar.

What did you grow up listening to?

I grew up on my dad’s vinyl collection which was all rock records from the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as a lot of old blues and folk records.

So who do you count as your influences?

I am heavily influenced by bands like The Rolling Stones, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Jeff Buckley, BB King,The Band, J.J. Cale, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

What was the first CD you ever bought?

The first CDs I remember ever buying when I was 12 years old were The Cream Of Clapton, Led Zeppelin Remasters and My Generation—The Very Best of The Who.

Why is your debut EP called Restless?

Restless as a word has the sense of being driven and ambitious—I think it’s a good thing to be restless—wanting to pursue more and having direction, without being too specific.  

What's your songwriting process like?

The thing I really love about songwriting is it’s different every time. Sometimes you’ll start with a riff or a melody, other times with a lyric. It’s always different and that’s what makes it exciting.

As an example, “Restless” was the last song I finished on the record, but one of the first ones I started.

Did living in Australia help you make music?

For me, it’s not just about my physical location that fosters creativity. Writing a song is more of a snapshot of where I am in my life at that time. I feel that I am always trying to grow musically so each song is sort of a representation of what is inspiring me at the time, whether it be music, friendship, relationships, or traveling.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

Gary Clark Jr. for sure. Curtis Harding and Alabama Shakes would be great, too.

What was it like opening for BB King? Did you learn anything from touring with him?

Opening for B.B. King was an unforgettable experience. It was obviously an honor to do it — not only is he an inspiration to me, but he’s an inspiration to every guitarist I have been inspired by. He is the living embodiment of the blues.  It was an honor to open for him.

What struck me most about those shows were the enthusiastic, blues-loving crowds that came out to see him. And they were there from the time I went on stage to the very end of his set. I really learned about loyalty, too. His musical director and team had been with him for a long time.

I will never, ever forget those shows.

What are your big summer plans?

The latest video for my next single "Little Lies” was just released globally so we are working on that now. Then there will be a west coast tour starting in July and I head to Canada for the Ottawa Bluesfest and the Festival d'Ete de Quebec City where the Rolling Stones are headlining. After that, I’ll start recording some songs for my upcoming album and continue to write new music, as well.