Birmingham-based Rebecca is a fully independent artist creating original blues/rock music with her co-songwriter Steve Birkett and releasing it on her own label, Mad Hat Records. She usually plays live within a 5-piece band, performing her original tracks along with one or two classic covers.
Wolverhampton-born Rebecca's current music began when she linked up with co-songwriter Steve to write blues-infused material for their excellent first album, Back To The Start (2013) which was followed by Believe (2016) and the live album BeLive (2017). Rebecca was voted Female Vocalist and Emerging Artist of the Year at the British Blues Awards 2016 and Female Blues Vocalist of the Year in the FORM UK Blues Awards 2018.
More Sinner Than Saint (2019) contains material honed with advice from producer Chris Kimsey, famous for working with the Rolling Stones and Peter Frampton, and the tracks were mixed by California-based producer Bill Drescher and Thunder's bassist Chris Childs.
The album received considerable critical acclaim and the second single – Hurts – was playlisted by Planet Rock Radio UK.
Stripped Back (2021), is an album created under lockdown conditions, with ten tracks from Believe and More Sinner Than Saint each re-presented in a laid-back style, together with two previously unreleased tracks.
The Space Between Us (2022), produced by Steve Birkett and mixed and mastered by Gavin Monaghan, features ten original songs and one cover in a collection of raw, passionate, multi-hued tracks that allow Rebecca to deliver her very personal lyrics with vocal conviction.
Stranger Blue EP (2025) is a collection of cover songs recorded in 'stripped back' style.
A Storm Is Coming, an album of ten new original tracks, dropped on 31 October 2025. Three singles had been released already and the second – Falling Into You – was playlisted by Planet Rock Radio.
A Storm Is Coming Quotes
"...pushing blues-rock's emotional and creative boundaries while staying true to its soul." David Scott, American Blues Scene
"...it gets a five stars from me." Bernard Doherty Planet Rock Radio
"...a thunderous, emotionally charged masterclass in modern blues-rock." Glen Parkes Jace Media Music
"Memorable songs and some fine playing. A real belter." Andy Snipper Music News
"...the most complete and fearless expression of Downes' artistry yet, offering a thunderous journey from intense emotional pressure to ultimate self-preservation." Allen Peterson Reviews
"...a must-listen for anyone who likes modern rock with a blues heart and deeply moving honesty." Plus One Reviews
"...A Storm Is Coming stands strong as another exemplary musical statement from Rebecca Downes." Ross Muir Fabrications HQ
"...ballsy and even more forceful than anything Rebecca Downes has released previously." Paul Monkhouse Metal Talk
"...this is music built for catharsis — passionate, melodic, and defiantly human." FV Music Blog
"...the album is a masterclass in contemporary blues-rock, marrying ferocious guitar riffs and soaring vocals with a sense of emotional immediacy that few artists in the genre achieve today." Flex Music Blog
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