Watch The Sena Ehrhardt Band Debut New Music From Their Upcoming CD at the Downtown Sioux Falls Block Party Friday

The Sena Ehrhardt Band came into our lives in late 2011 with their Blind Pig Records debut "Leave The Light On" and with their first Sioux Falls appearance at Old Skoolz in January 2012. Since then, we've sort of adopted each other. The Rochester, Minnesota native refers to Sioux Falls as her second home. I refer to Sena as my niece. The rising star in the blues world came 'home' Friday with her band to play the first Downtown Sioux Falls Block Party of the summer.

It's been a whirlwind three years for Ehrhardt that has seen her, their songs and the band nominated for numerous blues music awards including Best Female Vocalist in this years Living Blues Awards. The band has performed at JazzFest here in Sioux Falls, numerous blues festivals across the country, and opened for ZZ Top, Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter and several shows for one of Ehrhardt's idols, B.B. King. When she was a little girl, instead of writing letters to Santa, Sena wrote letters to B.B., so the opportunity to open for the King of the Blues is something that made a big impact on her life and career.

Sena and guitarist Cole Allen came to the B102.7 studios Friday afternoon before the show to talk about their latest CD which is being produced by David Z (Prince, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Billy Idol and MANY more). Ehrhardt said he was at the top of her 'wish list' when she started talking with her record label about who she would like to work with on her new album and with one e-mail from the president of Blind Pig, he was on a plane from L.A. to Minneapolis to start work with the band.

The band is kicking off an extensive summer touring schedule here in Sioux Falls that also has them recording at the White Wall Sessions on Saturday (they will be on season 2 of the TV show in the fall and be listening for the band on the radio show that airs Sunday nights at 7 on B102.7 in the coming months!)

I asked Cole to bring an acoustic guitar for the trip to town so they could play something live in studio. They not only gave us a song from the new record, but also unveiled the name of the new CD which will be out the first part of September: "Live My Life". After hearing the song below and others they played at the Downtown Block Party Friday night, the meteoric rise of the Sena Ehrhardt Band will definitely continue, and as their "Uncle Crash", I couldn't be more proud and happy for them.

Sena and Cole wrote much of the new album together including "Chilled To The Bone"

The band did both new and old originals downtown Friday night and included some of my favorite covers like "Goin' Down", "Angel From Montgomery" and "It Hurt So Bad"

The Sena Ehrhardt Band with Rick Roussell on bass on Paul Peterson on drums