Ted Hammig has been a steady presence in my life for over a dozen years. He arrived as a kind of musical prodigy at the age of eight wanting to play in the praise band. He could play every instrument. Over the years we’ve grown to be dear friends, I’ve watched him steadily work his way through various phases of his artistic career, and emerge as a regionally famous rock & roll star who I think is ready to break out.
He’s also the kind of rock star I think is typical of a Lutheran rock star. He’s got a definite theological sensibility, but it’s not of the kind that’s going to emerge as a “me and my boyfriend Jesus” kind of praise & worship voice. Instead, he sits squarely at that intersection of singer-songwriter integrity mixed with a classic rock vibe that, at the right moments, shows up as a voice of protest.
This is such a moment. He mentioned during church today that he’d recorded and released this song, and as soon as I heard it, I knew I needed everyone I know to hear it. He has kindly allowed me to share the full version here in Substack. You can also look it up at Youtube or other social media sites and share it there. It’s my hope it’s a voice of protest that will go completely viral.
Here’s the Youtube version:
Now go check out all of the music from Ted Hammig and the Campaign!1
For those in Minneapolis, I kind of think of him as our very own Jonathan Rundman…
