Kennedy (a.k.a. Prez) of the Kennedy Administration Band Shares Her Journey Through Life and Music

MUSIC

soul food talks

by Lazarus Lynch 
​WATCH FULL EPISODE ON YOUTUBE. 

(From left to right) Kennedy of The Kennedy Administration, Lazarus Lynch, Joshua Lynch. Captured by Anisha Sisodia.

After cooking two of her favorite foods, Galla Pinto and Banana Pudding, my brother and I met up with the artist in her Brooklyn neighborhood to talk about her musical journey and upcoming projects. 

Kennedy (a.k.a. Prez) of The Kennedy Administration isn't all that new to the New York City music scene. After moving from her hometown of Detroit, Michigan a few years ago, it wasn't long before the artist broke through the saturated industry, introducing a new vocal sound reminiscent of iconic predecessors Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, and Chaka Khan.  Her instrumental trio band is comprised of band leader and award-winning recording artist, Ondre J, Nat Townsley (drummer), and Cheltune Grey (bass player). The band has a weekly residence every Wednesday night at The Groove, a performance venue in New York City's Greenwich Village. The Kennedy Administration excells in a number of musical genres ranging from covers to originals with variations of contemporary jazz with a flair of R&B, hip-hop, and pop. Not to mention the occasional elements of funk that spontaneously enters in an improvisational performance. 

Here is a snippet of my Soul Food Talks Interview with Kennedy (PREZ): ​

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LL Prez, you're such an incredible person, first of all, and you're also an amazing artist. Tell me about your journey in music. How did it all start for you? 

KENNEDY OMG... I believe I was probably singing since I was in the womb. My mom was the praise team leader at this small church [my grandparent's church], my dad played bass. From as long as I could remember, my earliest memories I've been singing and bopping around with barettes in my hair, and just kicking my feet to the music. It's always been there. I just didn't realize how important it was to me until I got to the amazing age of six. I was at a funeral actually for an organ player.  People were crying and stuff but the music sounded so good. I remember holding the back of the pew and just rocking to the music and just feeling overwhelmed with this (makes a gasping expression), and I knew I really liked it. I tried to explain it but I scared everybody. 

LL What did you say to them? 

KENNEDY I was like, "I got all this feeling..." and she [my mom] was like 'what?' She just thought I was filled with the spirit. I was like, "No. It wasn't Jesus this time, it was something else." So, I've continued having that feeling. 

LL I've watched you at your show you do every Wednesday night at the Groove, here in New York City. What is it like being on that stage? 

KENNEDY For me, it feels like that's the one place I'm supposed to be. I feel like I'm flying. I feel like I throw the notes out and I place them amongst the stars. That's how it feels to me. It just feels natural, like that's where I'm supposed to be. 

LL Tell me about your EP? 

KENNEDY It's so weird to see myself on that [cover], I'm like, "oh it's me."  It's been an incredible journey just putting it together... Being more than just a singer. Writing and being creative and coming up with real concepts and ideas for the music. It's been great. It was a little terrifying at first, because you're trying to come from a perspective, at least for me, where people 'get it.' We [as people and artists] have all these internal conversations, but it's like taking all those internal conversations and actually putting them down on paper and them making sense. Then, singing those conversations out loud. It was great. I had a couple moments when I was like, "I don't know what I'm doing." 

LL You're working with some amazing people: Ondre J Pivec, Jordan Peters, Jay White, Chelton Grey, Nathaniel 'Nat' Townsley... Amazing people; people who's music I respect. What was it like working with them? 

KENNEDY Honestly, I'm the baby in the group because they all have years of experience. Nat Townsley has worked with Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, his resume is incredible. So, just to be around that energy... it was awesome just watching them give themselves and watching them chime in like "on that next verse, let's try this." I was able to just learn, you know. You can't pay for that... My friend/bandmate/producer, Ondre J Pivec, did such an incredible job. So, it's been so incredible to be in the studio and they're like, "does this sound good, Kennedy?" And I'm like inside [squealing] "oh my God, I love it," and I'm like "oh it's cool, whatever you want to do." It was just incredible.

Kennedy Administration EP cover. Click photo for more info.

LL Favorite Artists?

KENNEDY I can't say that I have like a favorite artist. I draw some from different people. I guess people who are really influential to me it would be Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews. You know Dave would just start screaming or yoddling and at first when I heard it, I was like, "what is this? This is crazy," but it inspired me. Some of the liberties I take, musically, are from listening to his music. Kim Burrell, Chaka Khan -- she's was just flat-footed and sang. No autotune. Nobody like, "huh" [struggling to get her on pitch]; she was dead on the note and I love her. Michael Jackson. Michael, for me, was huge. His album, "Off The Wall," you could just feel the energy. You could feel how excited he is [was] to do it. 

Kennedy of The Kennedy Administration (left), and Lazarus Lynch. Captured by Anisha Sisodia.

WATCH FULL EPISODE ON  YouTube. 

You can follow The Kennedy Administration on Instagram.
Check out The Kennedy Administration EP.