Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has signed a new emerging guitar talent to his record label, hailing him as the future of the blues.
For years, a host of blues greats have pointed towards “Kingfish as the future of the genre. Now, he’s pledging his support to the next great torchbearer: Mathias Lattin.
Kingfish, who has two signature Fender Teles, has signed the Houston, TX talent to his label, Red Zero Records, and believes he can take the blues to new heights. The 24-year-old has celebrated the deal with a song, Cadillac Assembly Line.
Curiously, Lattin is the grandson of NBA Hall of Famer and two-time NCAA All-American David “Big Daddy” Lattin. Like many blues icons before him, he has been haunting blues venues since before he was a teenager. His playing has blown Kingfish away.
“I’ve known Mathias for a while, and I’ve watched him really grow into his own thing,” Kingfish says of Lattin. “He can really play, but it’s bigger than just the guitar. He’s got his own sound, he can write, he can produce, and most importantly he’s not afraid to take the music somewhere different“
"That’s what I’m really excited about," he adds. "He represents where the blues can go next.”
Cadillac Assembly Line showcases Lattin’s melting pot of sounds, with soulful blues guitar and R&B beats as its bedrock. There’s a purity to his clean, emotional bends, but as Ingram says, it’s not explicitly nostalgic; he’s not afraid to steer the blues down his own lane.
“It’s refreshing to be a part of something where I can be unapologetically me,” Lattin says. “With Red Zero, I have the freedom to explore my music the way I hear it, take chances, and bring all of my influences into the mix. The blues will always be the foundation, but I’m excited to see how far I can push it.”
Lattin has already shared stages with Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, and Eric Gales amongst others. With Kingfish’s support, he’s sure to add many more names to that list.
Elsewhere, Kingfish has explained why the Telecaster is the perfect blues machine in his eyes, and though he’s rightly classed as a modern blues great, he’s never forgotten his roots.
