What The Tide Took Back

Victoria's Big Easy

Born from a shared passion for the raw honesty of early American roots music, What The Tide Took Back marks the first fully original project from Victoria’s Big Easy—a band conceived by guitarist/songwriter Chris West and Read more

Born from a shared passion for the raw honesty of early American roots music, What The Tide Took Back marks the first fully original project from Victoria’s Big Easy—a band conceived by guitarist/songwriter Chris West and vocalist Victoria Skingsley‑Bartholomew.  The pair began shaping the project in early 2025, drawing on their deep love of Delta Blues, Appalachian folk traditions, and the timeless artists who shaped them. Victoria, with her rich, blues‑soaked vocal tone, brought the emotional core. Her influences—Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Beth Hart and, of course, Bonnie Raitt—shaped the band’s sonic identity from the outset.  Formed just a year ago, the seven‑piece band from the so‑called “Colne Delta” of Brightlingsea, Essex, first came to prominence with a special performance at The Colne Delta Blues and Americana Club honouring multi‑Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artist Bonnie Raitt. The concert was captured on their debut release, Live at The Colne Delta (September 2025), which received glowing praise for its authenticity and musicianship.  Buoyed by that success, Chris and Victoria set out to craft a body of original work that paid homage to the roots of the music they love while carving out a sound unmistakably their own.  What The Tide Took Back is the result: a modern British take on the oldest American musical traditions, delivered with soul, grit, and a deep respect for the past. Release Date: 27th April 2026

AMERICANA UK

 

Americana UK

AUK Shortcut Reviews

By Bryan Bance on June 2, 2026

Hailing from Essex, UK, Victoria's Big Easy release their debut studio album, What The Tide Took Back, and it's a gem. It's a collection of nine smouldering acoustic blues numbers that showcase the powerful vocals of Victoria Skingsley-Bartholomew and the inspired guitar playing of Chris West. The album begins strongly with the gospel-like, shuffling blues of Take Me Down (Freedom), and it's immediately apparent that Skingsley-Bartholomew has a natural feel for the blues, and the acoustic format allows her assured vocals to stand out. I'll Be The Devil is equally strong and features some wailing harmonica and a buoyant bass pattern to guide the proceedings. Throughout, her vocals are front and centre, well as they should be, but the band do their part by providing some understated musical support. The backing is spot on, and the band always seem to find just the right groove and arrangements to complement the vocals. The laid-back acoustic ambience of Green Grass Mountain gives it a traditional-sounding feel, while the sultry blues chug of Playing Me A Fool shines the spotlight on Skingsley-Bartholomew's expressive singing. The final number, Gonna Take That Train, shows the band's, and Skingsley-Bartholomew's in particular, natural affinity and affection for early Delta Blues, concluding a delightful album from start to finish.

LIVE at Colne Delta

Victoria's Big Easy

Recorded Live at the Colne Delta Blue Club in April 2025.

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Debut 6 song album ‘THE MINI ALBUM’

CREDITS
Victoria Skingsley-Bartholomew - Vocals
Chris West - Guitar, (Bass, Keyboards - Track 3)
Nixon Rosembert - Bass
Aaron Hall, Drums (Tracks 1,2,3,5)
Piers Margary, Drums (Tracks 4,6)
Mike McCann, Keyboards
Backing Vocalist; Caz West, Sam Trickey, Izzy Buhuizer, Chris West, and Jacqueline Buchanan

Recorded at Pickwick Chapel StudiosRecorded by Chris West and Piers Margary
Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Chris West
Tracks 1,3,5, written by Chris West © whizwest music

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