Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, the GRAMMY® Award-winning blues, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and R&B guitarist and vocalist, has released his eagerly anticipated new album, Hard Road, via his own Red Zero Records. Kingfish’s fourth album and first new studio collection since 2021’s GRAMMY® Award-winning 662 sees him reflecting on a journey that’s taken him from local teenage prodigy to global torchbearer for a new era of blues. Executive Produced by Ingram and Ric Whitney with production by Patrick “Guitar Boy” Hayes, Nick Goldston, and longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge, the album marks Kingfish’s most introspective and ambitious project thus far – lyrically, emotionally, sonically, and thematically.
“This record comes from real-life reflection,” says Kingfish. “I’ve been balancing fame, heartbreak, love, and relationships while trying to stay grounded, touring, creating, and maturing. These songs are about owning my story. They’re about learning to see myself clearly and seeing others with more compassion. That’s changed the way I write, the way I play, and the way I live.”
The album was heralded by an array of singles that showcase Kingfish’s depth and artistic growth in recent years. The scorching first single, ‘Voodoo Charm’, was followed by the fresh and funky ‘Bad Like Me’, and then the soulful R&B of ‘Nothin’ But Your Love’. The new single, ‘S.S.S.’, flashes and burns, digging in with a searing, driving force. Dripping with lusty energy and bewitching sensuality, the slinky funk of ‘S.S.S.’ expands the parameters of Kingfish’s music to incorporate other facets of his personal tastes. The elemental power of his guitar remains at the centre, with its searing tone and squalls of blistering leads, but Hard Road makes unexpected stops at smooth R&B, pop, and neo-soul, genres that tend to demand a bit more delicacy in their arrangements and instrumentation.
“In those genres of music, you have to be a little more restrained with your playing,” Kingfish says. “You have to tell a story rather than being all over the place. That’s a good thing, because it showcases another side of my playing, rather than people thinking that I might be a one-trick pony when it comes to guitar techniques.”
“S.S.S. is like a party joint,” says Kingfish. “That was one of the first joints that Guitarboy had brought to me, and we kind of revamped it and rewrote it. It’s a little different than some things I’ve done before. We got some pop elements in there, but I did bring the fire guitar solo to it, trying to keep the blues edge as well.”
Widely regarded as one of contemporary blues’ most dynamic live performers, Kingfish will celebrate Hard Road on a UK tour this November that includes dates in London, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Glasgow and Leeds. For complete details and ticket information, please visit www.christonekingfishingram.com/kingfish-tour.
A native son of Clarksdale, Mississippi — a city steeped in blues history — Christone “Kingfish” Ingram stands at the crossroads of legacy and innovation, channelling the spirit of the Delta while fearlessly reshaping its future. His mastery of the guitar, steeped in the tones of B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy, first turned heads when he was still a teenager. But what sets Ingram apart is how he’s expanded the form, blending in funk, soul, hip-hop, pop, and jazz to create a modern blues fusion that resonates across generations and genres. 2019’s debut album, Kingfish, topped Billboard’s “Blues Albums” for an incredible 91 weeks and earned him his first GRAMMY® Award nomination, plus three Blues Music Awards, including “Album of the Year.” Kingfish followed up with 2021’s 662, titled after his Mississippi area code, which won both the GRAMMY® Award and Blues Music Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album.” In 2023, the incendiary Live In London received yet another GRAMMY® Award nomination as well as his second Blues Music Award for “Album of the Year” and third consecutive triumph in the “Best Contemporary Blues Album.”
Now, Hard Road constitutes his most reflective work yet, meditating on his journey from teenage prodigy to becoming a trailblazer of a modern blues sound. Songs such as ‘Nothin’ But Your Love’ and ‘Standing On Business’ explore love, loss, identity, perseverance, and personal growth, but with a harder, emotionally rich edge to Ingram’s signature sound. As always, Kingfish’s renowned guitar work is both explosive and tender, a fusion of rock and R&B sensibilities with vulnerable, honest, resilient blues at its heart. A true statement of purpose from an artist who has already made history and is only getting started, Hard Road is infused with the wisdom of someone who’s lived through transformation, seen the world, and returned home changed.
Tracklist:
Truth
Bad Like Me
S.S.S.
Nothin’ But Your Love
Crosses
Voodoo Charm
Back To LA
Clearly
Standing On Business
Hard To Love
Memphis
UK Tour 2025:
November 18th – London – Kentish Town Forum
November 19th – Manchester – Albert Hall
November 20th – Wolverhampton – The Wulfrun Hall
November 21st – Glasgow – Old Fruitmarket
November 23rd – Leeds – Stylus
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