One of the things that makes California unique is the breadth of its geographic features. You can easily hit the slopes on Olympic quality runs at Lake Tahoe in the morning and then catch the late afternoon break at Steamer’s Lane in Santa Cruz. It’s barely 100 miles from the glitz and glitter of Hollywood to the desolation of the Mojave Desert. When Ted Russell Kamp moved here twenty-some years ago it was to continue advancement of his musical career. While he’s succeeded admirably at that, the place itself got its hooks into him, too.
His adoption of the Golden State became the focal point for his new album, California Son (due out March 22nd). The record’s style ranges from the laid-back country rock of Shine On (featuring I See Hawks In LA) to the driving sounds of a Petty-esque Hard to Hold. Lyrically, the songs are an autobiographical trip through Ted’s life, from places that inspired him (Firelight, Miracle Mile) to tales of being a professional musician in LA (Ballad of the Troubadour, The Upside to the Downslide).
One of my favorite songs on the record, High Desert Fever, started life a decade ago as an ode to a woman biker in Joshua Tree. It never really found its legs and so when California Son started to coalesce, Kamp and co-writer Ted Wulfers got out their editing pens and broadened the subject matter to encompass the appeal of the entire area. If you know Kamp (and who in the LA music community doesn’t?), one thing that quickly emerges is his indomitable spirit. While the song captures some of it, the video really hits it home. When Kamp sings about the coyotes and cacti, it’s not as something to avoid, but as an example of the spirit of the high desert that’s so appealing. So with that lead-in, we here at Twangville are so proud to premiere Ted Russell Kamp’s new video, High Desert Fever.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.