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Kristalln Kingfish Ingram has become the defining voice of the blues in the 21st century. Rolling Stone has called Kingfish quote, one of the most exciting young guitarist in years with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince. Kingfish is currently on tour and I was able to catch up with him to discuss his new album, 662.
We also discussed how he developed his plane technique and his view on the current state of the blues. Here now my interview with Kristalln Kingfish Ingram. So my first question I have for you is, you're currently on tour, the Juke Joint Life tour. How's the tour been so far and how does it feel to be on the road again in front of audiences?
I'm in so far so good, man. The tour has been amazing. We hit up Florida, because it's no care, I'll do the East Coast next. We're in New Soar the Night, everything's been amazing, man.
We just like, no, just having to get in front of people. Yeah, I bet, because that's where the energy comes from and everything. Right, right, right. You need that energy to feed off, so yeah, most definitely.
Awesome. The new album is called 662 and it's incredible. It's so good and it's a really, really personal record for you. What has it been like for you to really kind of put yourself out there and share a different side of yourself with the public on this album?
Well, for me, it was kind of like a side of relief because I've been wanting people to hear that more personal side of me for like a long distance because that's all the blues and your life. You can't sing about anyone else's. For so long you can get away with that, but it comes in time and point you need to tell your story. So I just had some things that I had been to in the last two years that I had just wanted people to know about.
And that's when 662 was more. Now one of the really great standout tracks on this album, it's called Not Going to Lie and you have this great lyric in it. It goes, got to keep it going. I promise buddy guy.
That's incredible. Can you kind of share a little bit about how that lyric came about and what's the responsibility like for you kind of carrying on the responsibility of what buddy guy wants? Well, I'd like to say, Mr. Guy has been an incredible mentor in his relationship to my career.
He got to me out of my career and gave me an opportunity to go and roll with him. So he's been an incredible part of my journey. I wouldn't be here in a certain spot because of certain things that he did. And I feel like I just have a place that's one of the young, one of the young people that's doing this journey, they're just trying to keep up his legacy and his, what can I say, his history, whatever, because I was really inspired by him as a child, from his style and if not too many people are doing his style, playing the crazy wild blues nowadays.
So I feel like that's a very important piece. Yeah, I totally agree. And you kind of brushed down your style. You have an incredible style when you're playing the guitar.
I mean, you have really fast fingers and you fly along the fretboard, but yet you're able to create just these incredibly beautiful melodies as you're playing. How did you go and develop this technique that you got? Oh, thank you. Well, I was very into the, you know, the Shreddy players, you know, I got like a Johnson and well, let me say the guys who shred but still have soul, you know, guys like Eric Johnson and your girls and my boy down in Texas, Lance Lopez, Blue's Rock Titan just, you know, just players of that long, so I studied those girls and I was young and incorporating that along with the, you know, slow-hand guys like Eric King and BBK and Freddie King.
I just intertwined it too and they would create my own lane, you know. That's incredible. And there's no one out there that sounds like you. So it's really cool.
Oh, thank you. No, man, it's so awesome and everything. And it's great because working at a college station and playing your music to college students now, they're getting into the blues because it's your speaking, their language, your speaking, their speed because you're one of them. Oh, thank you.
Thank you. That's what I try to do. I try to put some urban feel of some sort into my blues to the grassland and then what's there even teaching about the real world thing. Yeah, totally.
Now, Kingfish, you're coming to Chicago this Sunday. You're playing the Vic Theatre. I mean, obviously playing Chicago, that's got to be a pretty cool deal for you because the blues history here in the city is just absolutely incredible. What's it like for you when you play Chicago?
Man, I have a fun time every time we come to Shout-Tah. I have a broad respect, you know, so like the Chicago blues community there. I know a bunch of players in that, you know, in that area. So I used to call Chicago like a second home when I first get because I just feel so much in love with the community, you know, in the blues and the camaraderie that Chicago has.
So yeah, just to come back to this, the plain, you know, this is no historical blues area. You know, just amazing, you know, just amazing, so for sure. That's awesome. And you're also playing the Apollo Theatre on Thursday, March 31st.
I mean, that's got to be an incredible feeling too, playing such a historic theatre in New York. Right, right. I was surprised when I saw this guy's one, started with a, you know, bring my book forward. I was surprised when we got it.
So yeah, man, I'm just grateful to you, you know, like, you know, make your memories and just, you know, bring the music to the masses out here. That's awesome. What would you say is the biggest misconception that the blues is facing right now in 2022? That there are no young black kids into our planet.
You know, for years, I've had to, you know, go through people saying that, you know, kids that are my age, you know, and that looks like me, you know, they're only into us, you know, what's Martin, like, Rapidly, the popular, or the popular, whatever. But I think, you know, and I say this in the most humble form, but I think myself, along with a host of others at the moment, I show that, you know, that that misconception is wrong. So, you know, we show that there's young black kids and, you know, and young kids of all this into, you know, this type of music. So yeah.
Final question for you. If you're going to recommend any blues artists or blues albums that people need to check out and listen to them on vinyl because outside of the radio listening to something on vinyl is like the best way to listen to music. What would you recommend people check out that it's like, this is the one album you have to hear on vinyl? Well, I'm kind of, I don't know, I don't know that many albums in the blue front, but I do know tons of great guitars are still like every college, Sun, House, Robert Johnson, Elmo James, Little Milton, BB Freddie, and this goes on and on.
These are guys who I love and I listen to. That's awesome. Kingfish, thank you so much for taking some time out of your day today to talk to me. I really, truly appreciate it.
Thank you so much, my really good opportunity to see you soon. And that was my interview with Kristalln Kingfish Ingram. For more information, please visit KristallnKingfishInGrum.com. Special thanks to Matt Lofollet at Alligator Records for arranging this interview.
This interview was also co-produced by Dante Potata. I'm Peter Creighton and thanks for listening. Thank you very much for listening to this WXAV 88.3 FM podcast. Be sure to visit our website WXAV.com for more information on your skate from ordinary radio.