Award-winning Dutch composer, guitarist and producer Guy Renardeau, known as The Blues Guy, presents The Blues Guy & The SHADES OF BLUE: Colours in Your Mind, a seven-song contemporary blues album bringing together an international cast of acclaimed vocalists and musicians.
Spanning seven tracks and 26 minutes and 51 seconds, The Blues Guy & The SHADES OF BLUE explores pain, love, resilience, ambition and self-expression through a modern blues sound shaped by rock, Jazz, soul, R&B, ambient music and cinematic composition.
At the heart of the project is Guy Renardeau, a Dutch music virtuoso based in Los Angeles whose career crosses the worlds of blues, rock, film and television composition. A headliner at the international Jimi Hendrix Music Festival, Renardeau has served as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Gothic rock band Lemming and Guy Renardeau Stream and has performed alongside artists including DJ Kypski, Jimmy Grego of Lenny Kravitz and Scott Henderson, Hans Dulfer, Omar Dykes, Snowy White and Ten of Gotcha.
Renardeau’s work has received recognition from numerous international music and film organizations, including the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Hollywood Independent Music Awards, Clouzine Music Awards, International Sound and Film Crystal Pine, American Music Awards, Hollywood Songwriting Contest, FilmHaus Berlin, Lonely Wolf, Europe Movie Music Awards, Independent Filmmakers Showcase, Maverick Movie Awards, Global Music Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, Emmy Award recognition, Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival, EIMA Awards and World Entertainment Awards.
A GRAMMY®-voting member, BAFTA and European Film Academy jury member, and World Soundtrack Awards Academy voting member, Renardeau brings his cinematic approach to songwriting and production to Colours in Your Mind. The album was produced, engineered and largely performed by Renardeau at Apollo Recording & Film Studio.
The Blues Guy & The SHADES OF BLUE is defined by its international collaboration, with each song introducing a distinct voice and perspective.
Award-winning singer-songwriter Glenda Benevides contributes two powerful performances, “Addicted to the Pain” and “Love on My Mind.” Known for a commanding voice rooted in blues and soul, Benevides combines emotionally charged storytelling with lyrics exploring life, love, personal experience, empowerment and unity.
American award-winning singer-songwriter Class Vee appears on “Nonsense” and “Beautiful Words.” Her energetic and versatile style blends contemporary pop and R&B influences with a touch of nostalgia, creating a personal and charismatic presence across both tracks.
On “Harmonica Blues,” Renardeau is joined by Polish harmonica virtuoso Łukasz “Wiśnia” Wiśniewski. Founder and frontman of Kraków Street Band and Hard Times, as well as the Łukasz Wiśniewski Trio, Wiśniewski is recognized for his stage charisma, emotional performances and exceptional command of the harmonica. His career began professionally in 2005 after winning first prize at the Bydgoszcz Harmonica Meeting, Poland’s major harmonica festival. He has twice been nominated for the prestigious Polish Fryderyk Awards and is an experienced harmonica educator and JDR Harmonicas endorser.
Canadian singer, songwriter and actor Melody McArthur, also known as Kristen McArthur, contributes the lyrics to “Heartache’s on Me.” A multi-award-winning artist from Northern Alberta, McArthur is known for powerful, emotionally driven performances across music and theatre. She was formerly the lead in the touring musical Bear Grease, including its 2025 off-Broadway debut in New York, and is scheduled to star in the world premiere of Rose at Canada’s National Arts Centre in 2026.
Los Angeles-based Dutch-Indonesian soulwriter KIA Knoester brings alternative R&B and soul influences to “Watch Me Work.” Her work has earned recognition including the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and Howard Rosen Promotion Talent Search, while her R&B collaboration “Together” with Adam Wilson won Best R&B/Soul at the Hollywood Independent Music Awards. Her songwriting has been praised for its honesty and emotional resonance, and she has also contributed to a Grammy-nominated album.
Together, these artists create an album that moves beyond traditional blues conventions while retaining the genre’s emotional core.
The album opens with “Addicted to the Pain,” featuring Glenda Benevides, before moving into the sharp and contemporary “Nonsense” with Class Vee. “Harmonica Blues” places the spotlight on Łukasz Wiśniewski’s harmonica playing, while Melody McArthur brings a deeply emotional perspective to “Heartache’s on Me.”
KIA Knoester delivers “Watch Me Work,” followed by Class Vee’s second contribution, “Beautiful Words.” The album closes with Benevides on “Love on My Mind,” completing a musical journey through vulnerability, strength, relationships and personal expression.
Across all seven tracks, Renardeau provides the compositions and instrumental performances, creating a unified musical foundation beneath the individual artists’ distinctive voices.
Album Tracklist
- Addicted to the Pain featuring Glenda Benevides
Lyrics/Vocals: Glenda Benevides
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau - Nonsense featuring Class Vee
Lyrics/Vocals: Class Vee
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau - Harmonica Blues featuring Łukasz “Wiśnia” Wiśniewski
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau
Blues Harp: Łukasz Wiśniewski - Heartache’s on Me featuring Melody McArthur
Lyrics: Melody McArthur aka Kristen McArthur
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau - Watch Me Work featuring KIA
Lyrics/Vocals: KIA Knoester
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau - Beautiful Words featuring Class Vee
Lyrics/Vocals: Class Vee
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau - Love on My Mind featuring Glenda Benevides
Lyrics/Vocals: Glenda Benevides
Composition/All Instruments: Guy Renardeau
The Blues Guy & The SHADES OF BLUE was produced and engineered by Guy Renardeau at Apollo Recording & Film Studio.
Producer, Mixer & Mastering Engineer: Robert McGilpin, BMC Music
Poster: Gene Williams
Vocal Engineering: Gene Williams, Mindspawn Mastering
Class Vee Vocal Recordings: Eric Maldonado, Paris Recording Studios
The album represents Renardeau’s continuing commitment to bringing together artists from different backgrounds and musical traditions, using contemporary production to explore the enduring emotional language of the blues.
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For more information, please contact: Danielle Holian | danielle.holian@decentmusicpr.com