ZZ Ward began singing at the age of 8, inspired by her father’s extensive blues collection. By 12, she was already performing blues music, and it helped steer every aspect of her early career, from her musical sound to her signature Fedora. But as a professional female musician, she often felt pressured to compromise her blues roots to meet industry demands. She quickly became a buzzed-about artist, earning a major label deal and breaking into Billboard’s Top 40 with her debut release. Her sophomore album hit #1 on the Billboard Blues chart, highlighted by singles featuring GRAMMY-Award winners Fantastic Negrito and Gary Clark Jr. We talk about her new album, life as a mom, touring with Slash and so much more.