Multi-talented singer-songwriter Devin Kennedy is back with catchy pop anthems on his newest EP, “You & Me, That’s Enough”.
The Berklee College of Music graduate started creating music at a young age, teaching himself guitar, drums and piano. In 2018, he released a string of well-received singles. These days, his music is everywhere, with successful rotation on Los Angeles radio stations as well as features on the “Today At Apple Playlist” in all Apple stores nationwide, and BMI’s Music Monday.
Today Surfing Sound Waves is featuring Kennedy’s new EP. We got to chat with Devin about his artistic journey, inspirations, and newly released music!
SSW: Your new EP “You & Me, That’s Enough” is finally out! Congratulations! Can you tell us more about this project? What was the inspiration behind it and what was the creation process like?
Devin Kennedy: Thank you so much! So excited to finally have it out! I wrote over 200 songs this year and chose 4 to put on this EP. I’ve been releasing singles for almost two years, so when I decided to release an EP it was important for me to really think about what I want to say as an artist right now. It all comes down to this for me, this EP is about truly connecting with other people. I feel like so many of us lack real connection with friends, family, and ourselves. This EP is a reminder to myself (and hopefully others) to give your people the love that they deserve.
What would you like for listeners of your music to take away from your records?
I want them to be able to roll the windows down and drive to my music. I also want them to feel something. It’s interesting to see how a song that I write about something specific can effect people in such a broad way, and that’s because everyone perceives/listens to music differently. For instance, I wrote my song “Something Bout That Feeling” about the unconditional love of my family and friends, but I’ve had people reach out to me and say it’s their “song” with their significant other or it’s their go-to work out song. As long as they’re feeling something, then I’ve done my part.
Our favorite song on the EP is “No Worries”. Can you tell us more about this track?
I wrote “No Worries” with my friend Ian Walsh. We wanted to write something carefree. The inspiration behind the song is: I’ve been guilty of getting caught up in the day-to-day. I spend too much time focusing on the small things and not enough time on what matters, my people. No Worries is a reminder to always give the people who support you the love and respect that they deserve. If you’re able to do that, then you’ve got No Worries.
You have several shows coming up this month in LA and NYC. Where is a destination you haven’t toured that you would like to?
Besides doing a full US tour, I would really love to get to the UK as soon as possible. It’s been so long since I’ve been, and I have some amazing fans there that I can’t wait to meet.
What should we expect from you in 2020?
I can definitely confirm that I’ll be releasing an albums worth of music. It will most likely not come in the form of an album, but there will be a bunch of tunes dropping. I’ll also be announcing a lot of tour dates.
Let’s talk about more of your personal journey. What is the hardest lesson you’ve learnt in life so far?
I feel like a lot of people don’t see the music industry or being an artist/writer as stressful, but the truth is, there’s a lot of rejection/negative feedback that comes your way. It’s something that I’ve struggled with for a long time, but I’m learning to have thicker skin, take it in stride and learn from it.
Growing as a person, you will always encounter challenges that require leaving your comfort zone to try things that scare you. What scares you? Is there anything new and exciting you’d like to try?
This is tough because outside of music I’m so not a risk taker. Creatively, I’d love to try writing outside of music, maybe for TV down the line. That’s not scary to me, more than anything it’s me psyching myself out because I’ve never really done anything outside of making music.
We got one last question for you! Thinking of yourself as a soul on Earth, what do you think your purpose is?
My purpose is to reach as many people as I can with art. I want to inspire people to be creative. Music has been such an incredible creative outlet for me, and has allowed me to grow so much as a person, if I can give that gift to someone else, than it would all be worth it for me.
