Ty Curtis is influenced by rock, reggae, country and jazz, but his first love has always been the blues, which, as vocalist Paul deLay said, he plays "straight from the heart." In 2006, the triple threat guitarist-singer-songwriter formed the Ty Curtis Band at the age of 19. The blues quartet released its debut album, Stubborn Mind, shortly after. The follow-up, Down On My Luck, proves the young musicians are anything but. They took second place at the 2009 International Blues Challenge for their youthful fusion of traditional blues with a touch of rock, funk and swing.