Kenna

With her golden retriever, ‘Isabelle’ at her side, Nashville-based singer songwriter Kenna has some stories to tell. Originally from Maryland, Kenna’s devoted to writing deeply heartfelt and creatively inspired songs, but remains simultaneously focused on a healthy and balanced life.

After finishing up college in Boston in 2016, she says, “I followed my heart and moved to Nashville to pursue a career in the music industry! I’ve been writing songs and connecting in Nashville for about two years.”

In April, she made the decision to launch a Kickstarter, and was humbled by the response of her followers:

“It totally blew my mind to see how uplifting and responsive the community was. I ended up funding past my goal – it was incredible! Since then, I have been hard at work in the studio and behind the scenes, preparing for my record to release in the fall.”

Check out Kenna’s latest, “From the Grave”, off her upcoming album here:



In an industry that can be uncompromising and vicious, Kenna says her love of the music hasn’t wavered. We asked how she keeps it moving and she dropped a line about how making music has always been a safe place, and that the support of her momma doesn’t hurt either. “My mom has always inspired me to always do what I love. Never for a second has she ever doubted my dreams. She’s super special,” she said.

Many Americans believe we have reached total equality as far as the LGBTQIA+ community goes, with marriage equality legalized in the United States, but critics often raise the point that we are no where near equal representation in the entertainment industry. Kenna, who self-identifies as a lesbian, says that taking a label has historically made her uneasy. She told Girl Gang Music: “I was always scared of labels, but felt like I still wanted one to hold onto. I think it was within the last two years that I finally felt comfortable to identify that way, but it was so important that I took the time to understand myself first, before putting a label on it. After all, it is just a word.”


As we dove further into discussion with Kenna, we raised to her how artists like Halsey or Lauren Jauregui are openly bisexual-identifying, but only recently have released a song with a female pronoun.

“I actually will be releasing a song on my upcoming record that has a female pronoun in it – for the first time! I have written songs about girls before, but it was always from the “you” perspective,” she said.

The song is called “Haunted (Somewhere In The Grey)” and will be featured on her album when it releases this fal. She says, “it’s all about feeling like nothing in life is truly black or white, one way or the other, right or wrong. It’s about learning to understand how to be comfortable in the in-between, because a lot of life exists in that space. In the second verse, I talk about falling for a girl. It felt like my heart was telling me it was so right, but my brain was programmed to think otherwise, causing me to push her away.”

Excerpted lyrics from “Haunted (Somewhere In The Grey)” read:

“But my mind took over

said “you don’t even know her

and what would people think?

so I resisted and you fell distant

it happened in a blink”

Kenna says that the Nashville music community and her “tribe” have been endlessly accepting of her sexuality, but that thins can get dicey in the South. “If you take it about 20-30 miles outside of the city its like time-travel. Confederate flags and stuff. People still hating gays. Racism. It’s gross and unbelievable to me. But, it exists… and we can’t ignore it. My music falls under the genre of more pop/indie/Americana, which is becoming more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Living in Nashville, she notes, there are a ton of country music professionals, yet still very few out country stars. “In the end, as a community, we have to keep the conversation going. The more we talk about it and stay strong about what matters and what is right, the better it will become. We just gotta keep workin’!” - Girl Gang Music

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kenna combines a little bit of pop, a little bit of Americana, and a little bit of folk into one striking sound.

Throwing in sincere lyrics delivered by enchanting vocals, what makes Kenna so special is that she infuses her music with her personal values of living a balanced life by focusing on mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.

Today Kenna premieres her new single “Haunt’d” exclusively with Musical Notes Global. A synthy guitar-driven track featuring a driving bass and compellng kick drum, the song reminds us that there are no rules in life and not everything is black and white—there’s a lot of grey, and there is beauty in that. Life may never make sense, but it’s totally okay.

Listen to “Haunt’d” below. Get it on digital music platforms next Friday, October 26. Pre-save it here. - Musical Notes Global

Hi Kenna, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Thank you for having me, I’m so pumped! I have been so wonderful – this summer has been filled with a lot of music making and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It definitely has kept me busy in the best way.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Haunt’d”?

I am so excited to share it with the world! I wrote it with my producer, Jared Anderson. The week after we wrote it, we created the track in his basement studio in Nashville, TN. This song is really all about understanding how to be comfortable in the in-between parts of life, because a big majority of our lives exist in that space. This song feels truly authentic to me—the sound, the production, the lyrics. When writing this song, I got super real with myself and the truth of what I had been going through. All I want to do is connect to someone else in that uncomfortable in-between space. I believe that’s when true art can be created, when the walls are broken down and the rawness is revealed.

Did any event in particular inspired you to write this song?

I was actually walking my dog Izzy one morning and listening to a podcast called “Nocturne”. It explores the nighttime and all it’s facets, combining sound-art with storytelling. It’s really cool. The guest on the show was talking about how she’s fine with the middle of the day, or the nighttime, but the uncertainness of dusk, the in-between of night and day, really makes her uncomfortable. There is so much uncertainty. I realized how much I related to that feeling—maybe not literally, but figuratively. I think a lot of the changes I had been going through in my own life have put me in that space between night and day—where there are a ton of questions amidst the uncertainty, with no answers whatsoever. I got home and immediately wrote the opening line to the song, “The middle of the night // I don’t mind, it don’t scare me…”, then another line of the song “But the dark don’t stay and neither does the day // life’s mostly in the half-light”. I just knew it was a song that was going to mean a lot to me. I was right. From discomfort comes growth, and of course, a good song - RJ Frometa - Vents Magazine

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Kenna combines a little bit of pop, a little bit of Americana, and a little bit of folk into one striking sound.

Throwing in sincere lyrics delivered by enchanting vocals, what makes Kenna so special is that she infuses her music with her personal values of living a balanced life by focusing on mental, physical, and spiritual wellness.

Today Kenna premieres her new single “Haunt’d” exclusively with Musical Notes Global. A synthy guitar-driven track featuring a driving bass and compellng kick drum, the song reminds us that there are no rules in life and not everything is black and white—there’s a lot of grey, and there is beauty in that. Life may never make sense, but it’s totally okay.

Listen to “Haunt’d” below. Get it on digital music platforms next Friday, October 26. Pre-save it here. - Musical Notes Global

Nashville by way of Maryland singer-songwriter Kenna will be releasing her second single, “Floodgates,” on November 9th. We had the opportunity to listen to this track early, and are happy to be premiering it to you today!

Having moved to Nashville after attending Berklee College of Music, Kenna has worked with producer Jared Anderson to bring her creative vision to life. With a solid foundation of musical knowledge and experience, Kenna’s lyrics flow from a place of truth and self discovery.

“Floodgates” opens with the sound of a gentle storm that leads into a delightful blend of simple indie pop and Americana. Following in the footsteps of Kenna’s previous releases, “Floodgates” has a down to earth aspect that allows Kenna to meet you on your level and to speak from the heart.

Although gentle, Kenna’s vocals are powerful and confident. As her voice blends with synths and upbeat percussion, “Floodgates” leans into the idea of living life with an open heart and leading with intention. After all, meeting the present with curiosity and joy rather than dwelling on the past is a sure fire way to create the life that you’d like to live.

“Floodgates” comes to you from Kenna’s upcoming EP titled In The Grey which will be released within the next few months. For news and updates, stay up to date with Kenna on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. - Out From the Pinebox