And he says one of his main motivations is to capture the feel of classic-era British blues clubs. He's gearing up for a brief UK tour later this month, ahead of taking part in Mott's run of reunion shows, which follows their 2009 gathering.

Ralphs says: "I put together this band with a bunch of guys I met at a pub where there was this monthly blues jam. I thought, 'If I can talk to these guys and make sure they're okay people, maybe we can work together.'