Ghalia Volt walked into a Nashville studio with guitarist-producer JD Simo, plugged in, and cut eleven tracks in two days flat. The first taste of those sessions dropped today. “Ride” is the lead single from her upcoming sixth album Burn The House Down, due May 15 on Ruf Records.
The track wastes no time. “Ride” is a raw blast of blues-soaked rock & roll swagger — gritty, hip-shaking, and built for volume. It sets an aggressive tone for what comes next. Volt recorded the album live in the room with Simo, bassist Brian Allen, and drummer Chris Powell. Amplifiers bled into each other with no safety net.
As soon as that driving beat kicks in, “Ride” hits like a top-down highway anthem — a raw celebration of life that lives up to its name. Ghalia delivers a gritty, fun take on this one, and I dare you to sit still while you check out the video.
That raw, spontaneous approach marks a deliberate shift for Volt. During the pandemic, she performed as a road-tested one-woman band — playing drums and guitar while singing. Now, Burn The House Down puts her back in a full band context. Instead of carrying every instrument herself, she’s trading licks with Simo. Guitar World already tagged her as “a slide-ripping guitarist.” Naturally, pairing her with Simo’s equally fiery playing promises serious six-string fireworks.
Meanwhile, the album pulls from nearly every corner of roots music. There’s a John Lee Hooker-style shuffle on “Lucifer’s Grip” and Hill Country blues grooves on “Where Do We Go.” Additionally, expect juke joint stompers, late-night rock & roll, and flamenco textures from the Spanish music Volt grew up hearing. She also counts Skip James and J.B. Lenoir among her key influences. That lineage connects her modern sound directly to the deep roots of the genre.
Furthermore, Ghalia Volt’s trajectory backs up the ambition. Mississippi Blend (2019) peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums chart. Shout Sister Shout! (2023) then climbed even higher to No. 2. Along the way, she’s collaborated with Cedric Burnside and shared stages with Buddy Guy. As a result, album number six arrives with real momentum behind it.
In the meantime, MAGNET Magazine premiered the “Ride” video earlier this week. The single is available now on all digital platforms.
Burn The House Down drops May 15, 2026 on Ruf Records. We’ll have a full review closer to the release date.
