Ted Russell Kamp: A Founding Father of Alt-Country

Ted Russell Kamp, a Los Angeles-based musician, songwriter, producer and country music dad, joins Dave and Donnie to talk about the evolution of modern country music from his perspective as one of the forefathers of the modern alt-country movement. Ted's balance between touring, producing, songwriting, and building a family is unique and inspiring.

We also explore his time with Shooter Jennings, his recent solo work and drop a boatload of stories from his time on the road and in the studio.

Show Notes

2:23: Ted tells us a bit about his background and entry into the country music space and how he grew up not liking pedal steel. But once discovering The Band and Whiskeytown, things really changed.

5:27: Ted’s move to LA introduced him to many of the great California country legends, like Merle, Buck and Dwight -- and having the opportunity to play with those who played with them -- pushed him further into this space.

6:01: The Shooter Jennings Relationship starts like most great music relationships -- a Hollywood jam session in a dingy practice space.

10:28: Slappin’ the Bass -- Ted has always loved the bass and that is how he can build trust with bands, musicians and production partners.

11:32: Six Degrees of Ted Russell Kamp gets us to Diplo and how his bass line got onto “Use Me (Brutal Hearts).” To quote Ted, this is a totally weird and wonderful LA rock star story.

18:09: The guys talk about Ted’s semi-autobiographical album and the push and pull of the road and family life. Luckily, Ted and his wife worked together to create a balance that worked for them, but it wasn’t easy and it took work to figure it out.

27:20: The Dads talk about the resurgence of roots music and freedom the LA Music Scene allows for exploration and creativity in this space. Ted finds the genre orthodoxy from some in the scene to be an interesting aspect of this renaissance and provides a few examples for those looking to dip their toe in the alt-country Americana space.

31:30: A quick discussion of the nostalgia loop and how what was on the radio when your parents were driving you around as a kid influences you as an adult. But as the world gets more complex, people long for things like music that they can understand, Ted explains.

36:12: The Dad Life Sound Check provides a chance for Ted to tell stories about Waylon Jennings being a mensch, Dave shares some great news and Donnie talks about the passage of time while using the word “vibe” too many times. Ted also provides more insight into his song writing process.

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Mentioned in this Episode:

• Shooter Jennings
• James Taylor
• Ted touches on how discovering The Band, Old 97s, Whiskeytown, Sun Volt, Uncle Tupelo and several others, paved the path to his chosen career in the alt-country and Americana space.
• Diplo and Sturgill Simpson partnership
• The Godfather’s final scene’s explanation of a man’s job
• Alan Jackson
• Tyler Childers
• Chris Stapleton
• West of Texas
• That 70s Show, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Emmylou Harris
• Waylon Jennings stories from the road

References:

• Theme Music: "Dark Country Rock" by Moodmode
• “Put the O Back in Country” - Shooter Jennings
• “16 Days” - Whiskeytown
• “The Weight” - The Band
• “Use Me (Brutal Hearts)” - Diplo, Dove Cameron, and Sturgill Simpson
• “The Ballad of the Troubadour” - Ted Russell Kamp
• “July 4th/He Stopped Loving Her Today” - Shooter Jennings/George Jones
• “Lonesome, On'ry and Mean” - Waylon Jennings
• “Another Leaf” - Charles Wesley Godwin
• “Daddy’s Mugshot” - Laci Kaye Booth