Biography
Chambers DesLauriers is a contemporary blues, soul, and blues‑rock band built around the personal and musical partnership of American singer Annika Chambers and Canadian guitarist–vocalist Paul DesLauriers.[1][2][3] The project crystallizes two already established careers: Chambers, a Houston-born soul‑blues vocalist who came up singing in church and honed her artistry after two tours of duty in the U.S. Army, and DesLauriers, a Cornwall, Ontario native who began performing professionally as a teenager and became one of Canada’s premier blues‑rock guitarists.[1][2][3] They first met at a music conference at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis in 2018, reconnected a year later, and quickly moved from whirlwind romance to marriage, eventually formalizing their shared musical vision under the Chambers DesLauriers banner.[1][2]
As a band, Chambers DesLauriers draws deeply on electric and soul blues traditions, blending Chambers’ gospel‑inflected, powerhouse vocals with DesLauriers’ fiery yet lyrical guitar work and a tight touring rhythm section.[1][2][3] Their recordings, including the collaborative album “Good Trouble” and the later full‑band set “Our Time To Ride,” were largely tracked live off the floor to capture the immediacy of their stage sound, with producer Eric Corne helping shape a mix of deep blues roots, soulful R&B melodies, and riff‑driven rock.[1][2][3] Surrounding themselves with seasoned players such as bassist Gary Davenport and drummer Sly Coulombe, they have crafted a sound that emphasizes resilience, personal storytelling, and the chemistry of two artists who have weathered military service, international touring, and, in DesLauriers’ case, recovery from a traumatic brain injury in 2018.[1][2][3] Though still in the early chapters of their joint discography, the project extends Chambers’ Blues Music Award–winning legacy in soul blues and DesLauriers’ Maple Blues Award–decorated career, positioning Chambers DesLauriers as a modern blues act that bridges traditional forms with contemporary, emotionally direct songwriting.[1][2][3]
Individually, Chambers earned a 2015 Blues Music Award nomination for Best New Artist Album with her debut “Making My Mark,” followed by “Wild & Free” and “Kiss My Sass,” and has been recognized with multiple Blues Music Awards for Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2019, 2022, and 2024, plus another nomination in 2025.[1][2][3] DesLauriers, after early work with Canadian acts such as Black Cat Bone and Dawn Tyler Watson, formed The Paul DesLauriers Band in 1997, releasing a self‑titled 2014 album that topped the Canadian Blues Chart and subsequent records like “Relentless,” while collecting at least six Maple Blues Awards and a runner‑up finish at the 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.[1][2][3] Chambers DesLauriers thus represents not a debut, but a convergence—an ensemble where two well‑traveled artists fuse their personal histories and stylistic strengths into a cohesive, modern blues statement.
Fun Facts
- Annika Chambers and Paul DesLauriers first met in 2018 in the packed lobby of the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis during a music conference; they locked eyes, then did not see each other again for a year, after which their reconnection quickly led to engagement and marriage.[1][2]
- Much of the basic tracking for the album “Our Time To Ride” was recorded live off the floor in Montreal to preserve the band’s onstage energy, with producer Eric Corne emphasizing a relaxed, performance‑first atmosphere.[1][2]
- During the “Our Time To Ride” sessions, Paul DesLauriers reportedly recorded most of his guitar solos in a single night, staying in what Annika described as a creative ‘zone’ while the team debated whether he needed a break.[2]
- In 2018, before fully launching Chambers DesLauriers, Paul DesLauriers survived a traumatic brain injury, an experience he says deepened his connection to music and affirmed the guitar as his anchor through recovery.[1][2]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Mahalia Jackson - Gospel vocal influence on Annika Chambers’ phrasing, emotional delivery, and church‑based vocal approach. (General influence on Chambers’ early church singing; not tied to a specific Chambers DesLauriers release.) [Chambers’ youth and formative years before her professional debut.[2]]
- Aretha Franklin - Major soul and blues vocal inspiration for Annika Chambers’ soul‑blues style and repertoire choices. (Influence evident across Chambers’ solo albums such as “Making My Mark,” “Wild & Free,” and “Kiss My Sass,” which precede Chambers DesLauriers.) [From Chambers’ discovery of blues during her Army service onward.[2][3]]
- Yolanda Adams - Contemporary gospel influence shaping Chambers’ vocal power and spiritual intensity. (Formative influence on Chambers’ vocal approach rather than a specific collaboration.) [Chambers’ early life and early professional period in Houston.[2][3]]
- Mavis Staples - Soul and gospel‑blues inspiration for Chambers’ blend of message‑driven lyrics and groove‑based arrangements. (General stylistic influence evident in Chambers’ soul‑blues repertoire.) [Ongoing influence through Chambers’ solo and collaborative career.[2]]
- B.B. King - Core blues guitar influence on Paul DesLauriers’ phrasing, vibrato, and sense of melody. (Influence heard across The Paul DesLauriers Band releases and his work within Chambers DesLauriers.) [From DesLauriers’ formative years learning the blues masters onward.[2][3][5]]
- Robert Johnson - Foundational Mississippi Delta blues influence on DesLauriers’ understanding of song form and guitar language. (General stylistic influence rather than a specific tribute recording within Chambers DesLauriers.) [Early guitar development and continuing reference point throughout his blues career.[2][5]]
- Bukka White - Blues guitar and slide influence contributing to DesLauriers’ rawer blues textures. (Referenced as part of the canon DesLauriers studied to develop his own voice.) [Formative listening and study period before and during his early professional years.[2]]
- Peter Green - Electric blues‑rock guitar influence, shaping DesLauriers’ tone and expressive, melodic soloing. (Influence audible in DesLauriers’ blues‑rock work with his own band and in Chambers DesLauriers.) [From DesLauriers’ early exploration of British blues‑rock onward.[2]]
Key Collaborators
- Gary Davenport - Touring and recording bassist for Chambers DesLauriers, part of the core rhythm section. (Bass on “Our Time To Ride”; also appears on the earlier joint project “Good Trouble.”) [Circa 2022 onward as recording and touring collaborator.[2][3]]
- Sly Coulombe - Drummer and percussionist in the touring and recording lineup, providing the band’s groove foundation. (Drums and percussion on “Our Time To Ride.”) [Sessions and touring around the “Our Time To Ride” era.[2][3]]
- Sasha Smith - Keyboardist contributing organ, piano, and Clavinet textures to Chambers DesLauriers’ studio sound. (Keyboards on “Our Time To Ride.”) [Recording sessions for “Our Time To Ride.”[2][3]]
- Jesse O’Brien - Keyboardist augmenting the band’s arrangements in the studio. (Keyboards on Chambers DesLauriers recordings produced by Eric Corne (noted as part of the album personnel).) [“Our Time To Ride” recording period.[2]]
- Mark Pender - Trumpeter adding horn lines and arrangements to Chambers DesLauriers’ material. (Trumpet on “Our Time To Ride.”) [Studio sessions for “Our Time To Ride.”[2][3]]
- David Ralicke - Saxophonist providing horn parts on Chambers DesLauriers’ recordings. (Saxophones on “Our Time To Ride.”) [Studio sessions for “Our Time To Ride.”[2][3]]
- Eric Corne - Producer, co‑writer, and background vocalist, instrumental in shaping the band’s studio sound. (Producer and co‑writer on “Good Trouble”; producer of “Our Time To Ride,” with additional recording at his Forty Below Studios in Los Angeles.) [From the “Good Trouble” project through “Our Time To Ride.”[1][2][3]]
- Nicoya Polar - Background vocalist supporting Chambers’ lead vocals in the studio. (Background vocals on “Our Time To Ride.”) [Recording period for “Our Time To Ride.”[2]]
- Chris Peet - Bassist and primary drummer on the early joint album “Good Trouble.” (Bass and drums across much of “Good Trouble.”) [Circa 2022 sessions for “Good Trouble.”[3]]
- Alec McElcheran - Bassist contributing to the rhythm section on “Good Trouble.” (Bass on selected tracks of “Good Trouble.”) [“Good Trouble” recording sessions.[3]]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Good Trouble | 2022-10-21 | Album |
| Our Time To Ride | 2025-08-22 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Written In The Stars (Written In The Stars)
- Sing (Sing)
- People Gonna Talk (People Gonna Talk)
- Love You Just The Same (Love You Just The Same)
- Mississippi Queen (Good Trouble)
- You've Got To Believe (Good Trouble)
- Stand Up (Good Trouble)
- Heavy Load (Good Trouble)
- I Need Your Love So Bad (Good Trouble)
- Isn't It A Pity (Good Trouble)
External Links
Heard on WWOZ
chambers deslauriers has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 5, 2025 | 20:52 | our time to ride | Music of Mass Distractionw/ Black Mold |