Product Description
CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM - HARD ROAD CD
RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBER 26, 2025. ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
Hard Road is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s most personal and powerful album yet. Blending blues with rock and R&B, it marks a bold shift in sound and storytelling. Produced by Tom Hambridge, Patrick “Guitarboy” Hayes, and Nick Goldston, the record explores love, loss, identity, and growth. Released on Kingfish’s own Red Zero Records, Hard Road reflects his mission to honor blues tradition while shaping its future.
CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM
Hard Road
Red Zero Records
(Editor’s note: Red Zero Records is Ingram’s new label named after Red’s Lounge and Ground Zero from his Clarksdale hometown. His goal for the label is to provide a landing place for gifted young blues artists like Mathias Lattin, Dylan Triplett, and others.)
From Red’s Lounge juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi, to major concert halls around the world, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has nearly done it all. But believe it, he’s just commencing his life’s work.
This supremely gifted guitarist who can sing a song to life-and-death, matches his beautiful vocals is the Clarksdale-raised Kingfish who is now thought of as the “Face of the Blues.” He’s widely considered the number one up-and-coming (if not already arrived) presence in contemporary blues. His stunning diversity proves itself in taking music to many new places within his genres. Make no mistake though, the blues is at the core of everything he’s done.
With “Hard Road,” his fourth-album, the 27-year old Kingfish has accomplished a whirlwind of praise and deserved accolades. The 11-track, 42-minute recording is produced by four-time Grammy Award winning, omni-present Tom Hambridge (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, and a plethora of others).
On this incendiary recording, Kingfish tackles blues, soul, R&B, and more. He also had a hand in writing every tune on the album. The album begins with a mid-tempo burner, (with plenty of wah-wah guitar) “Truth,” an autobiographical song about his upbringing in Mississippi. Alluded to is his beloved late mother, Princess, who continues to be a lasting presence in Ingram’s life.
If there is a single, the second track called “Bad Like Me,” is it, (which belies that Kingfish is one of the most humble, accommodating and pleasurable musicians anywhere.) Check out this track’s video on YouTube.
The first ballad on the album is the beautiful, “Nothing But Your Love,” a tune of admiration and devotion toward a extremely special woman. “Crosses” displays monumental guitar solos mixed with pure grit. A blistering riff and incessant beat behind Kingfish’s evocative emotional vocals make this a standout on the recording. “Voodoo Charm” again features Kingfish’s talent at wah-wah and electric guitar, surrounding a tale of his baby-girl. It’s inspiring in its melody and inventiveness.
“Back To L.A.” is his love song to a favorite city in Southern California. Hambridge’s daughters accompany the tune in extremely well on background vocals. A real treat is hearing Kingfish play an acoustic guitar in a tribute to Delta blues on “Memphis.” It also features excellent harp work by newcomer Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport.
The rest of the tracks on Ingram’s latest effort are just as ear-melting and brilliant. Best take a good listen. You’ll be hooked after the first play, and will undoubtedly start packing your bags for Mississippi looking for him.
– Joseph Jordan