as seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Special Issue 2022 – I Belong
Kendall Kendall! I am a musician and songwriter. Their love of music spans decades. Kendall inspired by 70’s and 80’s R&B! Inspired by legends such as Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder. They are aficionados of old-school jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra, as well as new-school R&B artists such as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill and India. is. Internet, Solange, and many more. The music and sound of Kendall!
Kendall! They share how they use music as a lens to foster social dialogue on topics that impact the world around us, especially marginalized communities.
How did you use music to network with the people around you?
My music has helped me network in many ways. My first year of college was me and my little acoustic guitar playing open mic nights against the world. I remember my first one was in the backyard of someone who happened to run an art collective at my university. I sang “Nakamarra” by Hiatus Kaiyote. It’s a song that the saxophonist in the audience was trying to arrange for the band. The rest is history. We rehearsed, arranged original songs that were initially playing on guitar and with fellow musicians he played his Bossa Bistro in DC and it was amazing. When COVID hit, I had more time to figure out how to produce my own music. Social media was great for networking when we were mostly online. I am so grateful that the connections we have made online have helped me today as we live in a more hybrid environment.
The texture of your vocals and music is the atmosphere that captures the listener’s ears. Talk about the music that influenced you and why those artists influenced you.
It has countless influences. I grew up on her R&B records from her 70’s and her mother’s 80’s. I am heavily influenced by the vocal productions of Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder. Back when Pandora still existed, I felt called to a jazz radio station when I could come across what station was calling you. When I was 12, I listened to and sang along to a lot of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day and Frank Sinatra. Inspired by a blend of old jazz records and her stacking vocals. I try to bring that beauty into my work (that’s what I was aiming for with ‘Daydreamers’, ‘Lullaby’ and ‘Mona Lisa’!). For new school artists (90s and beyond), we are inspired by the sounds of D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, India.Arie, Steve Lacy, Ravyn Lenae, The Internet and Solange. Some striptease of my music is inspired by Jessica Pratt, Nye Palm, Moses Sumney and Mereva.
How important is listening as a musician?
The most important thing for a musician is listening. A lot of people think it’s playing or singing, but it’s listening. Sound and tone are balanced by hearing all the musicians in the band. You can find balance by listening to your body and taking care of it. Listening to feedback, criticism and praise. It’s about listening to those who resonate and those who don’t.
When it comes to social issues, especially those that directly affect queer and BIPOC people, music can be used as a tool to spark conversations about social justice. What social challenges do you think the community faces? How can music facilitate these discussions?
As a black queer, I believe my community’s challenges are rooted in the legacy of colonialism and slavery. We are still systematically denied resources and access to education, clean water, healthy food, police brutality, and more. I think it might be the most important challenge we face — the idea that something is wrong with our blackness. We live in a society that does not directly address systemic racism and the white supremacist structures that perpetuate it. We are led to believe that there is something wrong with queerness rather than addressing hetero-patriarchal structures. Music is a universal tool that can open doors to healthy dialogue. believe.
What kind of social progress do you want in marginalized communities, and how can artists like you contribute to that change?
I want everyone to eat. Food apartheid is a national problem, and it’s terrible in the DMV. Our food system is not meant to make healthy food sustainable, equitable or accessible for everyone. It’s no coincidence. For me, accessibility to healthy food means more than putting low-end grocery stores in the food desert. truth Access to food starts at the root, creating access to food production and developing sustainable community-based farms. There are many people in my area already doing this job. As an artist, I want to use my platform to connect people on social justice issues such as food injustice. It’s about building a community around work.
Tell me about Topaz Jones. Do you think they influenced you to become the artist you are today?
Topaz Jones is an amazing hip-hop artist from Montclair, New Jersey. In 2021 he made this beautiful visual his album (now one of my favorites of his). Don’t Go Tellin’ Your MommaOriginal music and a glimpse into his hometown. He also highlights short vignettes from Black artists and activists in his family and community. I kept thinking that my community must be at the center of my mission, even if I did. Shout out, Topaz Jones! He helped me tap into the greater purpose of my work.
Your song “Day Dreamer’s Lullaby” is a simple and elegant vocal arrangement. It has a similar essence to Sade’s “Love is Stronger Than Pride”. What was the recording process like? Tell me about vocal stacking in particular.
The vocal stacking process for “Daydreamer’s Lullaby” started with one idea. I wanted to build harmonies that reminded me of Doris Day’s old jazz song, “Again.” I spent her day trying to get the pitch, vocal texture and timing to my liking.
What is your favorite gear to use in your live set? How do you use these tools to translate the same mesmerizing ambient vibe your records have?
Honestly, this is one of the ways I want to level up as I advance my craft! Still, as my resources grow, I want to intentionally invest in pedals and other gear that give me more control over my live sound.
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