Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and musician Ted Russell Kamp’s 2020 album DOWN IN THE DEN is not his first rodeo – far from it. The album is Kamp’s 12th solo album in a career that spans 25+ years of hard work and great music. Born in New York, his musical career started once he relocated to Seattle, Washington. As leader of the trio Ponticello, he released four albums before stepping out on his own with his first solo album, DEDICATIONS, in 1996. Five years later, he moved to L.A. and started a new band called Union Pacific. While focusing on his own career, he also began to work with other artists and as a session musician. And then he met Shooter

Shooter Jennings is a Country Music outlaw. The son of ‘Outlaw Country’ pioneer Waylon Jennings, Shooter has carried on with his father’s musical legacy, taking it in new and exciting directions. When Shooter began putting together his backing band, the .357s, he brought in Ted Russell Kamp to play bass. Already a seasoned musician, Kamp was a perfect fit for Shooter’s band. Kamp’s first album with Shooter was 2005’s PUT THE ‘O’ BACK IN COUNTRY. That same year, Kamp released his next solo album, NORTHSOUTH. Since then, he’s recorded and toured with Shooter while also maintaining a prolific solo career as well. Which brings us to DOWN IN THE DEN

The follow-up to 2019’s WALKIN’ SHOES, DOWN IN THE DEN is an audio journey through American music. Some might want to classify the album as anything from Outlaw Country to Americana, but it stands on its own without being categorized in any one genre. The album is mix of Folk, Country, Bluegrass, Blues, and Rock, washed down with a shot of New Orleans sweat. From whisky-soaked ballads to blues-infused rockers, DOWN IN THE DEN is an unpretentious, free-wheelin’ collection of solid songs with both heart and soul. The album features guest appearances from Shooter Jennings (“Home Sweet Hollywood”), Kirsten Proffit (“Take My Song With You”), Gordy Quist (“Hold On”), Sarah Gayle Meech (“Word For Word”) and Shane Alexander (“Only Son”) but this is most definitely Kamp’s baby. DOWN IN THE DEN is what a modern Country Music album should sound like. In some ways, standing outside the walls of Top 40 Country Radio makes Ted Russell Kamp an outlaw himself. And he should be damned proud!

TED RUSSELL KAMP

DOWN IN THE DEN

7.24.2020