JP Kennedy – The Grass Widow (2025)
Capturing the essence of youthful, rambunctious playfulness in his presence and attitude, singer-songwriter JP Kennedy masterfully blends opposing genres in a moving melody. Picking up some punk influences, with a pinch of folk, dollop of country, and a smidge of grunge, all stuffed in a rock music bread roll, Kennedy can easily slap a smile on your face and touch your heart with masterful elegance. Previously the lead singer of a German-based rock band, Kennedy turned solo, performing at venues and festivals in Germany. Join us as we delve into one of his most recent singles, ‘The Grass Widow’.
Recorded and produced by Irish musician Aisling Jarvis, ‘The Grass Widow’ is a bit of an oscillation between shimmering brightness and vulnerable dips. The blend of Ciaran Crossan’s guitar, Paul Jarvis’ bass, and Paul Collum’s drums punches grit into Americana-tinged vibes, breathing life into a folk-rock tune; an arrangement that you can imagine being played at a happy knees-up. Add Sophie Vardigans’ fiddle, and the lightness of the heart-warming melody ups another few degrees.
The thing is, just as a fun-loving heartiness exists, Kennedy’s vocals with lilts of the fiddle add sensations of fragility, vulnerability, and somewhat uncertainty to the exciting journey – perfectly aligning with the complex narrative and theme of ‘The Grass Widow’. Kennedy explains:
“I was only a year and a half when my grandfather passed away, so I was too young to remember him. He was a local schoolteacher, historian, folklorist, and songwriter in my hometown of Ardara in Co. Donegal. He didn’t specifically have a song about emigration, but his son, my uncle Lochlann McGill, introduced me to one of his songs entitled ‘Bás Chonaill Mhic a Ghoill’, meaning ‘The Death of Conall McGill’. I swapped the meaning of death in this case into what was referred to as the American Wake, a departure which was often a one-way trip with no guarantee of return. I revised the melody to suit what then becomes an upbeat song about the emigrant’s new life in America.”
In addition to the single, JP Kennedy released a music video for ‘The Grass Widow’. The video can be viewed below and/or on his YouTube channel.
Find out more about JP Kennedy on his Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
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