Music, as a medium, is constantly evolving. Innovative musicians take unique ideas, add their personal touch to them, and then release their music to the world. It takes a lot of effort and ingenuity to create original art that stands out from the crowd. Most artists struggle to ever carve for themselves a niche, even within their own genres. It’s a monumental challenge to attempt, but K.K. Hammond somehow sidesteps this completely, going the extra mile and crafting her own genre entirely.
Calling herself the Queen of Horror Blues, she draws inspiration from the gloomy, gritty atmosphere of the old Appalachian marshes. Taking her experiences as a big horror film aficionado, she would gradually start creating Horror Blues by fusing influences of Blues and Americana music that she had grown up with. The result is some stunning music, filled to the brim with personality and character quite unlike anything you’ve ever listened to. It’s equal parts chilling and fun, catching listeners off guard.
K.K. Hammond herself views the art of making music as a gift, something that she is privileged to be allowed to do. Her passion for the medium is tough to match, with her heart and creativity coming together to make something special every time. Creativity is a boon for artists, so being able to blend so many different influences in such a creative manner makes K.K. Hammond really stand out. She brings new and fresh sounds to the Blues genre and is a much-appreciated presence.
As a child, K.K. Hammond would learn music through the sweet sounds of her father’s flamenco guitar. She’d eventually grow to enjoy bands and musicians like the Delta Bluesmen, Charlie Patton, Skip James and Lead Belly, sowing within her a passion for making music. Over time, K.K. Hammond would blend all these various inspirations together, coming together to form something new.
Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. It would take time for the prospective artist to learn the ropes of making music in her own home studio and recording music all by herself. Despite describing herself as technically challenged, she’d go on to learn and define herself as an artist with her own unique style quite quickly. Even now, she continues to push the boundary of her genre in new and innovative ways.
K.K. Hammond combines these musical themes with a visual element, directing and creating her own music videos. Both the music and the videos come together thematically, all under the watchful eye of K.K. Hammond herself. Priding yourself on your creations is common within the music industry, especially when one has a unique idea like this. Pairing both of these aspects together makes for a complete audio and visual experience.
Her darker style of songwriting also meshes well with the more haunting and weird soundscapes at play. While it’s difficult to plan everything out and keep all her projects on track, she herself claims that it’s all worth it. Her passion for creating music is unmatched by many of her peers, and it’s a big part of why she’s become such a popular artist in the Blues music circles.
All of this will come together on K.K. Hammond’s upcoming concept album, Deathroll Blues. Evoking spooky and haunting vibes by literally harnessing the sounds of the American Deep South, K.K. Hammond hopes to provide listeners with a fascinating musical experience. The first track on the album, which is also the title track, is meant to represent the album, and we’re quite happy to see that it’s turned out quite well.
Other tracks, like “What’s the Weatherman Done,” move away from comfort and touch on the more realistic, harrowing concepts. With intelligent songwriting, K.K. Hammond thrusts you into her world of arguments and anger. You’ll quickly find yourself getting engrossed in the twists and turns of the story, making for songs that don’t just sound memorable but also read quite well.
For now, users can enjoy some of K.K. Hammond’s other fare, all of which are interesting in their own way. Her current EP, “The Ballad of Lampshade Ed,” is just a taste of what the musician is capable of, and we’re eager to see what she brings to the table as an artist. We’re hoping that the new album will highlight her growth as a performer, and It’ll be interesting to listen to.
With her own unique musical style and almost cinematic approach to songwriting, K.K. Hammond is an artist who’s successfully broken the mold. Most songwriters can only dream of writing music like her, and that’s not even touching on the various ventures into other mediums. One thing’s for certain, no matter where this approach takes her, she’s going to leave a strong, lasting impression on listeners regardless of who they are.
