Seven years ago, Seattle native Colin Lake met his wife in New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport. The serendipitous occurrence sparked what the young artist will always consider a “cosmic chain reaction” — one that would set him on the path to become the rapidly rising blues star he is today. Within a year, Lake could no longer deny his passion for New Orleans, and made the crescent city his home. Once there, he dove head first into an exploration of roots and blues, feeding on the energy of the musical city to launch a career on his soulful pipes and virtuosic skill on lap steel. In recent years, his journey has led him into opening slots for Dr. John and Gary Clark Jr., and he’s performed at a range of music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, Austin City Limits and Hangout Beach. Now, he’s gearing up for the Louisiana Red Hot Records release of his latest album, One Thing That’s For Sure, featuring a remarkable cast of talent, including Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All Stars), singers Maggie Koerner (Galactic), Sasha Masakowski, and Topsy Chapman.

Today, Elmore is premiering a live performance of Lake’s “I’m Trying to Tell You.” It’s the third installment of his Mt. Calvary Sessions, a series of videos for his upcoming album, filmed at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood. Lake notes of the series, “we recorded songs in a variety of formats – some with my band, some stripped down or solo.” But for this tune, “it’s all hands on deck.” “This song is a rocker,” he adds, “with a driving beat and a great feel and it’s the first in the series that features the lap-steel. It’s a song I wrote when I was having trouble writing songs, so the frustration that accompanies writer’s block is more or less the subject matter. It’s a tune that is a staple of our live set and I am grateful that we could round everyone up to document it this way.”

Marc Adams, the “father of New Orleans B3 Hammond blues organ,” kickstarts the track with a righteous, gospel-leaning vamp that fits the setting, but soon the thrum of the bass and drums and the blast of horns build with the cry of Lake’s lap steel to really heat the joint up. The frustration that fueled song’s creation is palpable on the song, Lake’s soulful croon of angst– “I’m trying to tell you… I’m trying to tell you…”– dropping off to a sheer blast of blues-rock fusion, the boys expressing big, complicated feelings as only musicians can.

July 27 / Ace Hotel / New Orleans, LA
July 29 / D.B.A / New Orleans, LA
Aug 4 / Newpark Concert Series / Park City, UT
Aug 6 / Cool Air Concert Series / Snowbird, UT
Aug 10 / Avon Live / Avon, CO
Aug 11 / Pickin’ in the Park / Paonia, CO
Aug 12 / Bayfront Blues Festival / Duluth, MN
Aug 13 / Cervantes Other Side / Denver, CO
Aug 17 / Kenney Store / Bellville, TX
Aug 18 / Last Concert Café / Houston, TX
Aug 19 / Kent’s Harley Davidson / Abilene, TX
Aug 20 / Strange Brew / Austin, TX
Sept. 8 / Blue Rooster / Sarasota, FL
Sept. 9 / Terra Fermata / Stuart, FL
Sept. 10 / Big Orange Festival / Punta Gorda, FL
Sept. 16 / Telluride Festival / Telluride, CO
Oct. 6 / Ogden Museum of Southern Art / New Orleans, LA
Oct. 15 / Crescent City Blues & BBQ / New Orleans, LA