Keepin' it Country Media & Radio » Kennedy Noel

EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Kennedy Noel

Jennifer Swirsky — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:58:39 +0000

Have you met our friend, Kennedy Noel? If not, there is no better way than to get to know a bit about this talented, eloquent, hard-working fifteen-year-old who will, undoubtedly, take the music world by storm soon enough! You might recognize Kennedy from an episode of ABC’s hit show, “Nashville,” where she played an extra – you know, that teen who caught Juliette stealing nail polish on camera, which set Juliette’s career and life into a downward spiral (tsk tsk Kennedy!). You may also recognize Kennedy from Kelly Clarkson’s “Because of You” music video, as well as the young musical genius who played piano behind Kelly during her performance of “Because of You” at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Needless to say, Kennedy has done huge things in her small time here, and now that we have gotten to know Kennedy, we can easily say that she has a long, successful road ahead of her and we are incredibly excited to be along for the ride!

Have you ever wondered how a teenage singer/songwriter juggles her dreams and her reality? Have you ever wanted to know what it was like to grow up in a family of musicians? Have you ever thought about what musically inclined families do to ring in the holidays? If you answered “yes” to any of these things, look no further. World, meet the incredibly talented, up-and-coming Kennedy Noel!

KIC: For those readers who may be ‘meeting’ you for the first time in this blog, can you give us a little bit of a back story as to how you became a singer/songwriter?

KN: Well, I’ve grown up in a musical family where music is always around. My dad is a musician, so I grew up on a tour bus traveling the world. I started to sing before I could talk, so it’s always been my way to communicate to the world. I started playing piano at the age of 8 when I played for Kelly Clarkson’s performance on the 2006 Grammys, and started songwriting when I moved to Nashville at the age of 11.

(Check out Kennedy playing piano during the 2006 Grammy Awards below)

KIC: How would you describe your musical style?

KN: I would describe my music as “edgy-pop.” I love having an edge to my sound and having a rasp in my voice, however, I am still only 15 and can’t help but to have a little pop in me.

KIC: We know you are a teenager who is juggling music and the life of an every day, teenage girl. How do you balance school, friends, and working toward a career in music?

KN: I’ll be honest, it’s hard! School is definitely the number one priority. Like any normal kid I have homework and projects to work on, so that can sometimes take over my life. However, I always like to make time for creativity and friends. The moment I’m done with homework, I go straight to playing the piano and listening to songs!

KIC: We recently sighted you as an extra on the hit show “Nashville” and, years ago, we saw you in an acting role in a music video, as well as on the show “Majors and Minors.” Should we expect to keep seeing you on the small screen?

KN: Absolutely! I started acting when I was 5 and I lived in LA. I love acting and hope to keep doing it for a long time. I am constantly flying back to LA for auditions and working on my craft.

KIC: If you had to choose between music and acting, which would you choose? Why?

KN: You know, I don’t think I could pick between the two. Music has always been around and has been a way for me to express myself, and acting has always been a way for me to have fun and try new things. I think being in front of a camera is just as fun as being in front of a microphone.

KIC: What inspires your songwriting?

KN: I really like to pull from my life experiences and my friend’s experiences. It’s hard for me to write about things I’ve never experienced or witnessed. I have to believe what I’m writing about.

KIC: In what direction do you want your music to go as you continue to grow and progress?

KN: I really want to keep working on my edgier style and push towards a vintage rock sound. I love to cover Old 80′s rock songs and make them my style.

KIC: Since you are living in Nashville, do you feel pressure to perform a certain genre of music?

KN: Not really. I do get asked the question of “Oh, are you a country singer?” when I say I’m from Nashville, but once they hear my voice, it’s obvious I’m not country.

KIC: If you could collaborate with anybody, who would you choose and why?

KN: I would love to collaborate with either Best Coast or Owl City. I love Best Coast because she’s like a 60′s throwback with an edge and I would love to do a song with her like that! I also love Owl City. I think Adam Young is brilliant as a songwriter and a musician, so I’d love to see what would happen if we put our heads together.

KIC: What is your favorite song of your own? What is it about and what inspired you to write it/perform it?

KN: My favorite song I’ve written is called Losing Who I Am. I wrote it after going through a hard experience where I ended up losing who I was in the process. The song speaks for itself because you can hear everything that was happening in my head and what it took to get out of it. It actually took me writing that song to find myself again.

KIC: If you had to give up your entire album collection that you own, what one album would you hide somewhere so you could keep it?

KN: This is such an awesome question! I would keep Paramore’s RIOT! album. I think it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard.

KIC: What is your all time favorite country song?

KN: Crazy by Patsy Cline.

KIC: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

KN: Hopefully on tour with an album!

Quick Fire Round! Since the holidays are here and you had huge YouTube success last year with a Christmas song/video, we thought we would keep this round solely focused on the holidays!

KIC: What one gift do you want to find under the tree this year?

KN: Owl City’s All Things Bright and Beautiful record on vinyl.

KIC: White Christmas or Christmas on the beach?

KN: Definitely white Christmas.

KIC: Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

KN: Christmas day! The excitement is the best part!

KIC: What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

KN: We have a Christmas sing-a-long party every year with all our friends.

KIC: Favorite reindeer?

KN: Blitzen

KIC: Favorite Christmas song?

KN: Ingrid Michaelson’s Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

KIC: Sleep in on Christmas Day or wake up early?

KN: Sleep in. I need my sleep to enjoy what’s happening.

KIC: Favorite Christmas movie?

KN: By far – Elf!

Thank you, again, to Kennedy Noel for taking the time to answer our questions! We would like to invite all of our readers to take a look at a video of Kennedy performing a Christmas song she penned herself last year. This video had great YouTube success in 2011, and after you take a look, you will understand why! And, if you love Kennedy’s song, it’s available on iTunes!

Nashville Review: The Rise and the Fall

Jennifer Swirsky — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:56:31 +0000

Episode 4 started off with quite a bang…literally. We find Rayna and Deacon in bed together, only to find out Rayna was in a deep sleep, dreaming about her “duet partner.” Cinderella did say a dream is a wish your heart makes…looks like Rayna’s heart is speaking volumes to her head! In her recent state of perpetual guilt, Rayna agrees to sing at her husband, Teddy’s, political event to help bolster his chance to become an elected official like her father. The event is taking place at the country club, a place Rayna loathes, and who is playing alongside of her? Deacon, of course! As the day draws closer, we realize there is someone new in town and she seems slightly suspicious. And clearly there is a secret between her and Teddy, made evident by a conversation they had in private after the event. They call her Peggy, and this gorgeous gal looks familiar. ***Insert more Nashville cameo trivia!*** Can anyone name this country-music superstar’s wife who has joined the cast, for at least one episode, to raise our eyebrows about Teddy’s loyalty to Rayna? We will reveal the answer in next week’s Nashville Review! Oh, and who can forget the big coup d’etat between Teddy and Deacon, who are clearly fighting over Rayna’s affection without actually saying so? This marriage is becoming more and more rocky with each passing week, and with Peggy in the picture now, who knows what direction Rayna and Teddy will go? Rayna obviously sees the impact Deacon is having on her home life though because she has decided that letting Deacon go is the solution to her marital woes.

Alright, I know you all are just dying to know what happened with Juliette after she was caught stealing nail polish by some teenage fans with video cameras on their phones. (To answer last week’s trivia, the teenage vocalist is named Kennedy Noel. Check her out at @kennedy_noel on Twitter!) Well, the video that Kennedy’s character shot has gone viral and Juliette doesn’t seem fazed by this. Until she receives word that she has been removed from the list of CMA presenters (spiffy timing there, ABC and Nashville … way to promote the awards show that is airing 22 hours after Nashville!) and can only save face by agreeing to an interview on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts (another excellent ABC show plug). During the interview, Juliette defies orders by her management team to admit to her wrongdoing and fess up to gain sympathy for her mistake and, instead, lies and says that she accidentally took the nail polish. Next, in a shocking interview turn, Robin Roberts asks Juliette about her mother and her addiction. Juliette has all she can take and immediately leaves the set. As expected, the interview results in a downward spiral of sponsors pulling out from the tour and the tour, ultimately, being canceled. After her manager notifies her that he is quitting, Juliette explains herself and we learn a little bit more about the confident, sassy Ms. Barnes. It turns out Juliette has begun to self distruct and is losing grip on her life. Stealing made her feeling protected and like she was taking care of herself, just like she was forced to do as a child. It made her feel comfortable and safe…just like Deacon evidently does, because Juliette used a lifeline after everything hit the fan and decided to phone that friend with benefits. And, it seems that we are reaching a point where Rayna doesn’t only need Juliette, but Juliette will need Rayna as well. Perhaps these two ladies will team up and go on tour after all…

In other news, Scarlett and Gunnar deserve your congratulations, as they landed a deal and are now officially employed as songwriters! This is great for Gunnar’s love life, as he has already begun making music with an assistant, Haley; yet it seems to be causing a riff in Scarlett’s love life as Avery becomes increasingly envious of his girlfriend’s professional fate.

Oddly, even though plenty went on during those 42 minutes of blissful television, it seemed like a quiet week in Nashville. Perhaps after the last few weeks, where relationships were firing up and fizzling out, careers were rising and falling, crazy drunk parents were returning, and nail polish was being stolen, anything would have seemed quiet in comparison. If there is one thing I know, it’s that nothing stays quiet long in a city known for its musical prowess. Tune in next week to see what (and who) our favorite Nashville citizens have gotten themselves into again!

Check out these tunes from episode 104 of ABC’s Nashville:

“Murder of Crows” – Lindi Ortega

“This Can’t Be the Last Time” – Sugar & the Hi-Lows

“Ammunition” – Trent Dabbs

“By Your Hand” – Los Campesinos!

“Hit the Road” – Sherrie St. Germain

“Alright You Restless” – AgesandAges

“Changing Ground” – Performed by Rayna James