Christone “Kingfish” Ingram debuts driving new single, 662

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, one of today’s leading blues torchbearers, has debuted new single, 662.

An homage to Ingram’s Clarksdale, Mississippi roots – and named after his hometown telephone area code – 662 packs a spanky single-coil riff and Chuck Berry shuffle, punctuated by Kingfish’s trademark beyond-his-years phrasing and rich vocals. And just when you think the track is over… another monster of a lead rears its head.

The song was written by Ingram and producer Tom Hambridge, and will appear on the guitarist’s forthcoming album of the same name, due in July 2021.

“662 is an ode to my roots, a nod to the area where I was born and raised,” says Kingfish. “This is a track that encompasses how a small corner of the Earth influenced my view of life and music. This song also points to the growth I have had since my debut album.

“As much as I have been fortunate to get Outside of This Town [the title of breakout single from 2019 Grammy-nominated debut album, Kingfish], I do want people to know that the 662 will always be a major part of who I am.”

Earlier this year, Kingfish took part in Guitar World’s roundtable on the state of guitar in 2021, where he detailed his approach to the blues.

“I try to take what the guys in the past did and give it a different format,” he explained. “And I try to mix elements. Like, there’s some rock stuff in there, which has pretty much been done time and time again, but I do it in my own way.

“In the future I want to bring hip-hop and blues together. That’s been done before too, but I want to do it in my own way and see what I can do with the blues, because I always feel like if we add a modern element to it we can attract the young crowd.”