Cover Story: Myles Kennedy • The Golden Voice
Since stepping up on stage from the audience to join the fictitious metal band Steel Dragon from the 2001 motion picture Rockstar, starring Mark Wahlberg, Myles “Thor” Kennedy has shuffled from one extraordinary musical opportunity to the next.
In 2002, Kennedy was offered an audition for the vocalist spot in the newly formed supergroup Velvet Revolver, featuring former Guns N’ Roses members. Ultimately, Stone Temple Pilot’s Scott Weiland was offered the position.
In 2003, Kennedy joined ex-Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti in his new melodic rock band Alter Bridge and recorded seven full-length albums throughout his 20-plus years of dedicated service. Kennedy has also been fronting Slash, Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, for the past 15 years.
In 2008, Kennedy almost became the new singer of Led Zeppelin. Well, sort of… After the 2007 Zeppelin reunion at London’s O2 Arena with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham (original drummer John Bonham’s son), three-thirds of the band wanted to do some writing and jamming. Kennedy got the call since he knew Bonham when they both appeared in **Rock Star*. Whether they would’ve called themselves Led Zeppelin or not, the session fell through for one reason or another, leaving people to wonder whatever happened to those tapes from that special jam session.
MUSICAL STEPPING STONES
As one of the most prolific musicians in the biz today, Kennedy has recorded 19 studio albums with six different bands in his 36-year music career. Before the talented musician experienced the aforementioned musical escapades, Kennedy’s nascent beginnings started with bands such as Bittersweet, Cosmic Dust, Citizen Swing (the first band he fronted), and The Mayfield Four. With the latter, Kennedy recorded and released two full-length albums, including the band’s significant second and final record, **Second Skin*, released through Sony Music. “That record in particular is still probably one of my favorites out of the whole catalog,” Kennedy explains during a recent phone interview fresh off a European promotional tour. “It was just a real special point where I was living that narrative. It’s a very honest record and came from such a real place; I’m proud of it for that fact. And I think, to some degree, it was a stepping stone. It definitely was one of those records that, to this day, people still discover and say they really like it. So, I think that’s part of what led to where I ended up.”
Kennedy is set to release his third dynamic solo album, The Art Of Letting Go (released on October 11, 2024, through Napalm Records). The album cover is spectacularly rendered and adorned with an array of soothing hues that reveal hidden Easter eggs connecting Kennedy to his past albums. The album art and the introspective concept are a real “eye grabber”—decorated with tiger skeletons, owls, octopi, skulls, and flowers—that allows one to devour it while listening to the new tunes. “**The Art of Letting Go* is basically just where I’m at right now in my growth as a person,” Kennedy admits. “My evolution is just trying to stay more present, roll with the punches, and just not be reactive. The artist did a great job of incorporating things we were hoping to see, such as a manifestation of the transitory nature of life and images of previous records I was a part of making—which just helps tell the story. It was just an appropriate image to convey the overall meaning of the record.”
LIVING THE NARRATIVE
Some lyrical themes covered in The Art Of Letting Go are personal subjects for Kennedy, with short story narratives of various characters and their traits. Tracks such as “Miss You When You’re Gone,” “Saving Face,” “How The Story Ends” and “Mr. Downside” (with its enormously emotive and reflective lyrics), showcase the memorable storytelling that has become synonymous with Kennedy’s repertoire. “It’s interesting because with the solo records—and even with Alter Bridge to a point—it tends to be more autobiographical than it would be with what I’m doing with Slash,” Kennedy confesses. “So those stories, they just in some way, shape, or form pertain to my head space. A song like “Mr. Downside” addresses one of my faults and something that I’m trying to evolve out of, which brings us back to the album title. But that is, I tend to be a bit of a pessimist sometimes and am a bit of “the glass is half empty” (person). It’s kind of me addressing myself and trying to shift that internal narrative of how the story ends.”
Kennedy’s first solo album, 2018’s Year of the Tiger, is a collection of singer-songwriter acoustic songs, while his second album, 2021’s Ides of March, contains tracks with a rootsy, Americana vibe. On The Art of Letting Go, Kennedy set out to make a compelling rock riff-oriented album while still retaining all of his trademark melodies and soaring vocal harmonies. “Since it was going to be a rock record, it’s kind of the same way I approach things when I’m writing for Alter Bridge,” Kennedy explains. “Which is, the riff is paramount. So, the song lives and dies by the strength of the riff, which is very different from the first solo record. With this one, I’d run into my studio and just get to work and make demos. I spent a lot more time stockpiling these riffs and these ideas before I would take it to the next level.”
Although Kennedy confesses that this method was a little bit more time consuming in the beginning of the writing process, this allowed him time to step back and record all of his ideas at his leisure and then continue to build the songs from there. While speaking of the importance of the rock guitar riffs on *The Art of Letting Go*, Kennedy’s prowess on the guitar—which understandably sometimes gets overshadowed while performing alongside shredders such as Mark Tremonti in Alter Bridge and Slash in Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators—is awe-inspiring on this record. “In a lot of ways, the record is kind of an excuse just to play guitar,” Kennedy slyly admits. “And that’s what the solo thing is becoming more and more of. I had buddies that I grew up with way back in the day, and they would always be supportive and tell me that they like my records and like what I do on the guitar. I spent a lot of time developing (my guitar skills). I think that moving forward, I bet that’s going to be one of the main goals with these records. Just to play a lot of guitar; just get that off my chest.”
THE POWER OF THREE
Kennedy admitted that making The Art of Letting Go was just another excuse to get together with his longtime friends and create the magic of music. As a power trio, Kennedy is joined by his loyal friend and solid drummer Zia Uddin—who played with Kennedy in Bittersweet and The Mayfield Four—along with bassist and manager Tim Tournier. The musical chemistry and camaraderie between the three members are highly evident on the ten dynamic tracks. “(Zia’s) the person I’ve played with the longest—for nearly 40 years now. So there’s definitely a really great relationship with him. And once again, it’s another reason why I wanted to make another record, which is just an excuse to get back together with him and get back together with Tim. It’s a real good kind of family affair. And not just with the band, but also my crew. It’s just a really great environment; a good working environment that I think all of us love to be a part of. So, I think that’s one of the main perks of doing this.”
In addition to Kennedy’s strong relationship with his band and crew, he also reconnected with longtime producer/engineer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who produced Kennedy’s last two solo albums and almost every Alter Bridge album. “Elvis is just somebody I trust,” he says honestly. “That’s the most important thing and I knew stylistically the kind of record this was, he’d get it. It’s really in his wheelhouse. So, it’s just a real level of comfort that is important to me at this point. Early on, people would say that I should change producers every few records. And I agree with that to a point, but you also get into situations where you try new things, and you realize if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And I think I’m at a point in my career where I’m kind of sticking to that. I know what he’s really good at and it kind of falls in line with what I like.”
Signed to Napalm Records, mostly known as a record label with more of a heavy metal roster, Kennedy says the working relationship has been running smoothly. “When we first started working with them eight years ago with Alter Bridge, we knew them to be primarily a really heavy label,” Kennedy reflects. “Although Alter Bridge is heavier, we just wanted to make sure that it would be a good fit. And so they proved themselves, and then when it came down time to do the first solo record, they were interested in releasing it. And obviously, I was surprised, just because that was an acoustic-based record, and I wasn’t sure how that would work in that context. But they did a great job and I think that certainly helps keep things running smoothly.”
INTO THE FUTURE
For the past two decades, Kennedy has been successfully partaking in three full-time projects (Alter Bridge, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, and his solo career)—as well as writing, recording, and touring—while managing not to burn himself out. Kennedy’s track record and musical output are awe-inspiring. “I think the writing process is the funnest part,” he admits. “It’s the hardest part, but it’s also the part when you get it right. It’s the high that is kind of hard to talk about. So, in some way, I look at songwriting as my addiction—a healthy addiction. It’s just the need to continue to create and work through whatever’s going on in my life and let that work itself out through lyrics or through the music or through melodies. I just really enjoy it. And if the day comes when the well dries up, then I’ll figure something else out. But, for the time being, as long as there’s something to pull from, I’ll keep trying to do it.”
Kennedy is about to embark on a European/UK solo tour that launches in Oct. and goes through December before a headlining US tour begins in Jan. 2025—which includes the opening date in Joliet at the Forge on Jan. 17. “What I like most about playing Chicago is that it’s one of the most beautiful cities on this continent,” Kennedy confirms. “I remember the first time playing there, back in probably the late nineties, and I remember just really falling in love with it because it was the first time I’d been there and I got to experience the pizza and all that stuff. Initially, those first few tours there’s certain cities that really stuck out and that was always one of them. In Europe, as far as the fan base, it’s just a little bigger there. But I feel like it’s evolving here in the States and we’re just still continuing to try and build it. It’s been nice to see that start to pay off if you can just put in the time. And I think that that’s the name of the game when you’re touring; you just gotta keep coming back. So I’m looking forward to getting back there.”
When preparing the band’s setlist for the upcoming tour—in which preliminary rehearsals have already begun—half of the new songs from the new record have already been test-driven. Deciding which tracks make the setlist is the fun part for Kennedy. “You’ve got to be careful because, as the artist, you’re familiar with the songs, and you can’t wait to play them,” he says. “But you have to remember that the people showing up to the show may have just gotten the record, don’t have the record at all, or just know the singles. So, that’s something that you’ll always have to take into consideration. For the rest of the set we’ve got now, there are three full records to choose from. I’ll probably still pepper a few of those other things here and there, maybe a Mayfield tune or maybe an Alter Bridge acoustic thing. We’ll see as we get closer to the tour.”
With Kennedy’s solo dates for **The Art of Letting Go* already booked, it would dictate that Slash and Alter Bridge will be shuffled to the back burner until the middle or end of 2025. Kennedy filled me in on the current plans for both bands without giving up too many secrets. “In a perfect world, we’d get back in the studio and keep moving forward,” he concludes. “It’s just a matter of when that will happen, given everybody’s current situation. And that’s a good problem to have. When you’re in a business where if you can have one band that’s doing something to where if you’re having a certain amount of success, then you’re lucky. And with all of us, we’ve all got these multiple projects that we’re pulling from. The only negative is that it’s a bit of a nightmare from a scheduling standpoint. So, we’ll get it worked out and hopefully get back in the studio.”
The Art of Letting Go is out Oct. 11, 2024, through Napalm Records.
Appearing at The Forge on 1/17/25.
-Kelley Simms
Category: Cover Story, Featured, Monthly
