STEPPING into Joanne Shaw Taylor’s world is like being lost in a medieval forest, a surreal place where feral rock guitar solos are sweetened by soulful bluesy vocals.

But a Brummie blues singer?

Yes, really, Shaw Taylor has enough soul to compete with the best the Mississippi Delta has to offer.

Joanne left school at 16 and ran straight into her big break, as a twist of fate directed her demo into the hands of Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart after a charity gig.

She said: “Dave mentored me to be a songwriter and guitarist and I have so much to thank him for.

“He said to me, ‘Joanne, you can have the greatest guitar solo in the world, but if it’s not in a good song, nobody’s going to hear it’ and that’s so true.”

A year before she had the guts and determination to play The Marquee and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, while still at school, and began to overcome insecurity about her voice.

“That was a daunting experience, but you are sort of fearless at that age aren’t you and I just went to London and did it.

“I never really wrote songs until I was 21, and I certainly never set out to be a singer.

“Guitars were always lying around the house when I was a kid, and I would rifle through my dad’s record collection for sunken treasure, and falling for albums by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and Jimi Hendrix.”

Five years ago, blues label Ruf Records won the rush for Joanne’s signature, and soon she was working with veteran producer Jim Gaines, (Carlos Santana) on the songs that became debut album White Sugar.

“We recorded it in this little backwater town in Tennessee,” she recalls, “and if we needed a break, we’d walk to the shop and drink root beer.

“It was like, ‘Here I am playing with this legendary guy, who is now a friend of the family. I call him Uncle Jim.”

Joanne will perform tracks from her new album The Dirty Truth, as well as songs from her previous offerings White Sugar, Diamonds in the Dirt and Almost Always Never.

“I don’t think I’m a traditionalist, but I wouldn’t say that I’m pushing boundaries like Jack White.

“I’m a mixture: classic rock – Free, Paul Kossoff, Gary Moore, Clapton and all kinds of Sixties stuff. I’m a huge Prince fan too.”

Earlier this year, Joanne joined forces with Joe Bonamassa and blues guitarist Robin Trower.

“The business has always been male dominated, but I do see that changing a little bit, she said.

“There’s certainly more females playing guitar than when I started.

“One girl can open the door, but to do so, she’s going to be have to be like Hendrix – the best of her generation.

“I don’t know who that will be – but I think we’re getting close.”

Joanne Shaw Taylor, Clitheroe Grand Theatre, October 4. Details from 01200 421599.