In Conversation with
Stephanie Kennedy
November 2007
A little background:
Stephanie Kennedy is an young acoustic singer / songwriter based in
Liverpool. (UK)
She advises me she is currently recording her second EP and is a regular
At open mic nights around the city.
She has also performed at such venues as The Cavern (Where
‘The Beatles’ are famous for playing originally) and has also
performed at The Royal Philharmonic Hall, won 2004's Teen Idol
and has played at numerous city charity events.
I first heard quite simply when she contacted me over myspace.com asking
Me would I like to become one of her friends. I had a listen as I normally do
But didn’t do as I normally do dismiss them as no-hopers. Instead I was
Impressed by her recordings of two songs I knew Jeff Buckley recorded
Originally which were ‘Satisfied Mind’ and the sublime ‘Hallelujah’.
Although I had heard a few girl singer songwriters previously who had
Recorded heart felt beautiful versions of Buckley songs namely ‘Holly
Lerski’ and ‘Cherry Lee Mewis’ being two that spring to mind, both
Of which have done sterling versions, both of which oddly enough
Have being interviewed by ‘Setting Sun’ too.
Interested certainly further by Stephanie’s two excellent cover versions,
I listened to other tracks by her which I guess are / were originals and I
Really enjoyed both like Cherry and Holly’s material, and it made
Perfect sense for me to ask her to do a interview with me.
Of course, the rest is history as they say.
Special thanks to Stephanie for her hard work with this interview
And good luck with your second EP.
For further details on here – please look at her myspace.com page
Which is
http://www.myspace.com/stephaniekennedymusic
Regards
Andy N
Setting Sun:
How are things and what’s happening
At the moment?
Stephanie:
Things are good; it's been a crazy summer but now
I’m focusing on pushing myself alot more. Been in the studio
Quite a bit, but to be honest I'd be there a lot more if I could.
I've been offered loads of gigs through myspace recently
But my guitars been broke for over a month and
Still haven't got it fixed! So I need to sort
That out really.
Setting Sun:
Next, can you tell us a little bit about your music –?
What started you off etc or as I like to say
Sometimes who fired the starting pistol?
Stephanie:
To be honest I have not got a clue. My dad bought me
My first guitar when I was 2 and I learnt my first chord
(G or E, I’m not too sure..) When I was 5. I grew up
Listening to anything and everything in my parents record
Collection ranging from Barbara Striesand to Cat Stevens to
Dire Straits. I think because my music taste is so varied
And because I've heard so much, I’m inspired to take
These influences and create something of my own.
To take what I've learnt and carry on. I do more covers
At gigs than originals because I love taking someone
Else’s poetry and delivering it as my own. But my mission
In life is to write a song that inspires people as much as
'Hallelujah' does to me.
If I can affect people, truly make people fall in love
With a song or just make them stop and appreciate
Something I've written, then achieved everything. But
I'll never stop. I think, like every musician the world
Over, I'm forever cursed to NEED to be involved
In this industry in some way or another.
Setting Sun:
Next, can you tell you a little bit music wise, what
are your influences and whom you are
listening to at the moment?
Stephanie:
At the moment I’m sort of all over the place when it comes
To what artists I’m listening.
I’m loving Nick Drake and classic rock bands like
Blue Oyster Cult, Creedence Clearwater Revival and
Blue Oyster Cult. I’m a fan of dance remixes as well,
I’ve just bought 'All the remixes' by Soulwax which is
Brilliantly mastered. My obvious influence is Jeff Buckley.
I listened to 'Grace' for the first time about 6 years ago and
Fell in love with him straight away. But it would take
Many a paragraph to explain all the reasons I think he's the
World’s greatest artist (be it dead or not). [As I write this
My friend is playing the live version of Hallelujah/ I know
It’s over from the Mystery White Boy tour album
In the next room, and everyone has stopped talking to
Listen to it. A sign of a truly beautiful voice]
Setting Sun:
Do you play concerts? If so, how do they compare to
your music or if you don’t – do you have any
idea how you would approach it?
Stephanie:
Playing live is what it's all about. Don’t get me wrong,
I ADORE being in the studio; it's where Im most
creative and most at home. But performing live music
is where Im happiest. To have people stop, listen and
appreciate a song that you've written, or a cover that you've
turned your own is a huge rush.
I don’t think I've ever performed a song the same
way twice. A song can sound completely different
depending on the audience and mood that you're in. Live
music from small acoustic nights in cafe's to arena concerts
is a spectacular experience whether you're performing,
operating or just watching.
Setting Sun:
I have being enjoying your songs on myspace.com,
but the one that I think I have enjoyed the most
out of what I guess are your original two songs
is ‘Goodnight’? Can you tell us a little bit more
about this song?
Stephanie:
I wrote it originally for guitar, and it was unfinished
when I approached it in the studio. I played it on the
piano and felt that it captured the mood of the song a lot
more, so finished it on that. But to be honest I think I want
to re-record it, simply because I was really hungover
when we did the vocals and my voice sounds really
bad on it! It's quite a special song to me because I wanted
it to some up a feeling that is without words. It's about
that moment when you're falling asleep next to someone that
you care deeply about, you've stopped talking and you're
starting to nod off, and you feel at total peace with the
world. That’s why we recorded traffic and a radio being
played and faded it in and out underneath the track.
It adds, I think, to the emotion and affect of the song.
Setting Sun:
Your version off ‘Halleluijah’ also is lovely and I can see
you have covered ‘Satisified Mind’ so I guess you
love Jeff Buckley too, can you tell us more what led you
to covering Halleluijah and doing a fine version too?
Stephanie:
Hallelujah (as anyone that knows me can tell you)
is my favourite song in the world, and it is for thousands
of reasons. I think the main one has to be that it sums up
every emotion you go through when you fall in love, when
you fall out of love, when you hit tough times and
when you're made up with joy. Thats how I interpret
it anyway. Loenard Cohen did a beautiful job writing it,
but Jeff understood what it was about, and showed
this through his performance. When I perform it, I do it
as a tribute to him, to see if I can make people understand
this emotion as well, and simply because it's a beautiful
song to sing.
Setting Sun:
What plans do you have next, music wise? Do you have
any recordings or gigs planned at the moment?
Stephanie:
Gigs, no, apart from little local ones. Mainly because I
want to have finished and be more comfortable doing more
original stuff, and because my guitars broke. I want to finish
some other songs in the studio and then focus on getting out
there and letting people see me live.
Setting Sun:
Seem to recall you are from Liverpool What’s the music
scene like were you are from? Have you being to any
good concerts recently?
Stephanie:
The Liverpool music scene is fantastic. We have so
many venues to play at it, so many companies or
projects that help musicians get out there and play
gigs. It's a vibrant and happening place to be in if you're
a musician.
There's a gig, open mic or concert on every single night,
there's places where musicians just go to hang out and talk
about music and so many people are involved with the industry
here. Whether it's as a performer or making gigs happen.
I've just signed up with Oxjam to organise gigs and I work
occasionally with Adlib Lighting (best lighting and sound
company in England... haha). If I never make it as a recording
artist, I'd be perfectly happy helping to put gigs on and
working on them.
Setting Sun:
What do you do when you are not being a musician?
Stephanie:
Haha, well apart from being a lighting techie, part-time amateur
actress with a theatre company and roadie for a few bands, I work
in Boots in the city centre! I only started recently but I do
love the people I work with. Although it's full time Monday to
Friday 9 till 6 so it's seriously eating into my time to
rehearse or organise gigs.
Setting Sun:
Anyway, a few light hearted questions to finish off with, firstly
what would you like to be doing when you are 60?
Stephanie:
My main goals in life un-music related, is quite simply
to have a happy marriage and hundreds of children. I’d
love to be living in a cottage (I'll be bored of the city!)
with my husband and have tonnes of children and
grandchildren always visiting and it would be full of
music and instruments. And I'd grow my own vegetables
haha. I’m quite the gardener, I used to work in a garden
centre and seriously got into it! I'd like to feel like I'd
achieved everything I'd needed to, and I was just enjoying
my time with the man and family I love, with no
need to worry about the troubles of life.
Setting Sun:
Lastly, what do you think you will be doing when you are 60?
Stephanie:
To be honest I think I'll be dead! Thats a bit morbid
really isn't it?! My lifestyle is a bit hectic, and a bit
stupid to be honest. I’m not very good to my body.
There's a party every night and I have to go to every one,
and I take stupid risks. I've actually never really regretted
the way I live my life till just then! When I said what I
wanted to be doing at 60 but what I probably wont have...
might be time to clean up my act! xxx
