29 November 2019 - 0 Comments

Up-and-coming Wellington artist Kennedy returns with the heartfelt new single Help.

Listen on Spotify or Apple.

A song steeped in raw emotion, Help shines a spotlight on Kennedy’s exquisite voice, coupled with her knack for storytelling that speaks directly from the heart.

Kennedy first turned heads when she released her debut single On The Run. Her unique style and sound, matched with meaningful lyricism and catchy melodies, stood her out as an act to watch. Now Help further establishes the young artist’s place in the bustling New Zealand pop scene.

She explains that Help was the first song she finished after a period of struggling to write. “I just sat down one day in my room, completely alone, and wrote it from start to finish in about 10 minutes.”

The song then went through several incarnations before Kennedy settled on the right vibe. “We explored a more upbeat style but it just never felt right. So we left it alone for about six months and then came back to it. The first version I wrote ended up being the final version, which makes it all the more special.”

Help tells the story of a one-sided relationship, where one person wants to make things work so badly they’re blind to reality – a doomed relationship! “The idea for the song began from a feeling of just not feeling like a priority, but not knowing how to articulate that feeling to the other person. It was a cry-for-help song to not only admit things weren't ever going to work, but to acknowledge and mourn the ending,” says Kennedy.

Recorded in Auckland at No Filter Studios with Matt Sadgrove, from the famed Kiwi band Sons of Zion, Kennedy called in long-time friend Levi Stringer to work on production. “We both had the same vision for the song. There's something really special about working on a very personal song with someone you've known for almost eight years.”

Although On The Run and Help are Kennedy’s first solo singles, she had her first taste of success when she featured on the 2017 song Taking Me Home with Dutch producers Joey Dale and Anthony Dircson. The song received critical acclaim on EDM blogs around the world.

Born in Kaitaia, and descending from Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou, Kennedy’s journey has taken her from full-time university studies to working in the studio alongside some of New Zealand’s most well-known musicians and producers. And the journey is only beginning!

Find Kennedy:
SPOTIFY | INSTAGRAM  

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