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ZZ Ward didn t have to look far for inspiration on her second full-length album, 2017 s The Storm. Equally evocative of blues grit and hip-hop bounce, the Los Angeles-based vocal powerhouse and multi-instrumentalist leapt forward by taking a deeper look at some of her earliest inspirations including Howlin Wolf, Robert Johnson, and Vera Ward Hall and Big Mama Thornton. For me, this album wasn t really about experimenting, she admits. It was more about simplicity, honing in on what I love about music and what makes me who I am as an artist. Growing up, I listened to a lot of hip-hop and blues, and I love those two genres so much. Sometimes, to evolve you don t need to go outside of yourself; you can reach further inside of yourself instead. It s a realization earned over a whirlwind five years.