Fun Facts: They say that you can tell a lot about a person by the company that they keep. And whilst that is indeed true, it is even more so for musicians. So the fact that Mats Ronander has rubbed creative shoulders, not only home grown legends such as ABBA but has graced the ranks of the likes of Ian Hunter and Graham Parker’s live line-ups, speaks volumes.

They say that you can tell a lot about a person by the company that they keep. And whilst that is indeed true, it is even more so for musicians. So the fact that Mats Ronander has rubbed creative shoulders, not only home grown legends such as ABBA but has graced the ranks of the likes of Ian Hunter and Graham Parker’s live line-ups, speaks volumes.
Mats has a string of critically and commercially acclaimed albums to his name, particularly in his beloved blues genre but also branching out across any number musical fields. He is a much sought after musician, as his resume shows, and his almost 50 years in the industry has seen him in studios, sessions and on stages and in touring bands across the globe.
Having gathered around him an equally impressive cast of players to form The Dusty Runners, Would You? is an album which mixes slick country grooves, polished blues and approachable rock, all shot through with accessible, soulfulness and infectious vibes. It’s where commercial possibilities meet rootsy traditions, where the sound of the American dream gets dressed up for an even bigger international audience.
At one extreme you have the purer Nashville infused sounds of the Karin Risberg led Nothing’s The Same, a song that just glistens with rhinestones and personal reflection and at the other The Bridge plays with big funky, soulful blues. The title track wanders through some latin inspired beats, Spare Me Some change is a bluesy plea and My World showcases the gospel harmonies which are never very far away from the proceedings.
It’s a fine album, deftly constructed, able to wander across genres yet deliver a consistent overall sound, one where rootsy underground music is taken from the truck stops and downtown blues bars and represented and repackaged for a slicker uptown audience. Purists might prefer their music with the rough edges still in evidence but Ronander’s ability to create such sounds for a much bigger stage is exactly why he has had such a successful career.