NFV Song Spotlight: Kennedy Williams' Better Days

Kennedy Williams was up first on a WFNM night at Hotel Ziggy. I primarily went to this specific WFNM to catch Night Talks and Beck Pete. I had no idea what to expect when Williams took to the stage. As with many musicians who are up first at WFNM, she did a solo set. It was just her, a multi-color sweater, and a guitar. 

Kennedy Williams at Hotel Ziggy

I've got to say, she immediately won over the audience. That was evident when she got to her song "Tell Me." First off, she mentioned that she was from Indiana and asked if anyone was from the Midwest. Someone yelled out that they were from the Midwest. Williams than asked where and the person responded Indiana. In response, she said, "I was also going to say 'make some noise if you're from Indiana,' but nobody ever claps for that." You could see the biggest smile spread across her face. 

Then she asked for some audience participation. When she sang "Tell me again that you want me," she wanted the audience to sing back "Tell me again that you need me here." The audience more than willingly responded back to the trial run. When she started to sing the song, the crowd also sang along without needing any prompting. 

Kennedy Williams at Hotel Ziggy

Her bio on Silver Gun Records has the following tidbits:

Kennedy Williams is a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and performer based in Los Angeles, CA. Born and raised in Marion, Indiana, Kennedy relocated to Los Angeles in 2016, where her active participation in the LA music scene began. 

What song would I like to highlight here? "Better Days." It got the audience nodding their heads. When she asked them to once again join in, this time with vocal improvisation, they were even more willing to participate. The song is about chilling on a day where you have no idea why you feel great, but you're going to enjoy it without question:

Mess around and take the long way home
Though I may not understand

. . . . 

My peace, imma keep it

Demons, they’re defeated now

The lyrics also include "Play that song on the radio." Her bio mentions that her first single "So It Goes" got airplay on an Indiana radio station. Maybe "Better Days" is reflecting on that moment of hearing her song on the radio.

Kennedy Williams at Hotel Ziggy

As mentioned, her set was done solo. That got me wanting to listen to the released version. That music is definitely filled out. The coolest part added is the horn section that give it a jazz R'n'B sound. The song reminds me of the 80s when Patti LaBelle and Sade were releasing their hits of that decade. 

Setlist: Do You, In Between, Sting, Tell Me, Easy, Leave, Peace, Diamond, Better Days

You can catch her on January 23rd at Breaking Sounds.