LONDON, UK — November 24, 2025 — Gothic-blues artist The Curse of K.K. Hammond is shining new light on one of her boldest creations, “The Ballad of Lampshade Ed,” a stark and unnerving murder ballad co-written with acclaimed roots musician David and the Devil. The song and its video have resurfaced at a time when Netflix’s latest entry in the Monster anthology –Ed Gein –is sparking global discussion about the infamous figure whose crimes shaped decades of American horror lore, including Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking Psycho and the creation of Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
While the new series digs into Gein’s life, trauma, and the cultural echoes of his actions, Hammond’s track takes a more intimate route. “The Ballad of Lampshade Ed” compresses the story into a tense, slow-burn narrative that feels both steeped in tradition and unmistakably modern. Hammond and David and the Devil handle the subject with a mix of grit and restraint: sliding guitars, dense atmosphere, and lyrics that paint a portrait of a young boy trapped under the heavy shadow of a zealously devout mother. Hammond’s nearly spoken delivery…low, smoky, and edged with dread..pulls the listener steadily into that emotional chokehold.
The song’s video, created by Tom Hughes of Ritual Video, amplifies the intensity. Hughes’ cinematic approach charts Ed’s path from childhood innocence to the suffocating control of his mother, ultimately suggesting the moment everything breaks. The clip rises to a chilling climax, serving as a stark visual counterpart to the themes explored in Netflix’s dramatization.
The renewed attention arrives as K.K. Hammond continues to carve out a unique space in contemporary roots music. Living quietly in the woods with her guitars and a home studio tucked among the trees, she has amassed a worldwide following drawn to her blend of gothic storytelling and blues tradition. Her singles, videos, and her Billboard Top 10 album Death Roll Blues have cemented her reputation as one of the genre’s most intriguing outsiders.
David and the Devil, whose breakout single “King of the Swamp” reached #1 on the iTunes Blues chart, adds his own raw authenticity to the collaboration. Together, the two crafted a murder ballad that could have been handed down through generations, yet feels right at home in the current moment, arriving just as the new Netflix series starring Charlie Hunnam, Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Laurie Metcalf, and Tom Hollander hits the cultural spotlight.
As Monster: Ed Gein prompts audiences to reconsider how true-crime legends shape storytelling, film, and folklore, “The Ballad of Lampshade Ed” stands as a musical reflection of that same fascination. It isn’t an attempt to sensationalize the past. It’s a creative interpretation and an examination of the shadows that haunt Western narratives.
For more information, please visit www.thecurseofkkhammond.com