James Kennedy – the singer / guitarist with the now disbanded alt rock band ‘Kyshera’ – is launching his solo career with a new song and video ‘The Power’. This rebellious and insurrectional song lays down the foundations for the artist’s upcoming album ‘Make Anger Great Again’, out on September 25th via Konic Records.
“I’ve had enough. Trump, Brexit, Boris, the pandemic – this song is a reaction to all of it. The recent protests show that people everywhere have had enough too. It’s time to Make Anger Great Again” – James stated.
The self-produced album couldn’t be more relevant. It was recorded just before the lockdown, it was written as a call to arms during the era of Trump & Brexit, but recent events have intensified the mood on the streets to breaking point making the albums message even more timely. It’s no coincidence that James inverted the Trump’s ‘Maga’ into Make ANGER Great Again. The song harks back to a period when rock music was still raw and could drive a powerful message about revolution.
As many artists, James shot the video during the lockdown in an abandoned house as all the local halls were closed due to the pandemic. Because of the strict rules about social distancing Kennedy performed all of the instruments throughout.
“Make Anger Great Again” coincides with James releasing his debut book “Noise Damage: My Life As A Rock ’n’ Roll Underdog”, published By Eye Books on 18 October 2020. Part memoir, part expose of the music worlds murky underbelly, it’s the story of a half-deaf kid from a tiny, remote village in South Wales who was hailed as a genius by the UK’s biggest radio station and headhunted by major record labels, only for the music industry to collapse. Legendary British vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Ginger Wildheart described the book as “An accurate description of life as a musician. Harrowing, funny and 100% true”. A sample chapter and more on the book can be found here.
From South Wales, James Kennedy is a professional musician with a Top 50 best-selling album, several million song streams and hundreds of thousands of online followers. Through his band and solo releases, he has written a wide range of styles including experimental, acoustic, electronic, alternative & orchestral – mostly with highly political and philosophical lyrics. Hearing impaired due to childhood surgery, James has become an ambassador for several hearing charities, as well as speaking on panels and writing articles on a wide range of issues including mental health, the music industry and politics. He has toured much of the world, featured in many mainstream music publications and owns the music company Konic Records.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.