This is a light in the dark, a ship in the storm, a drowning man reaching out to shore. We wear the scars of heartbreak as a badge of honor. We are broken because we are vulnerable, and it is better to be vulnerable than to wear armor. We hurt because we are alive. Joy is defiance.

In a world of floods, tyrants, wars, and heartbreak, the band found refuge in a weathered homestead on a dirt road deep in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. There, by candlelight and wood stove, with Irish whiskey and laughter, they played late into the night, chasing beauty and building songs that could hold joy like a lantern in the dark.

The first take of the first song? I was so nervous. I wasn’t feeling it. The second take? I wasn’t feeling it either. @kevin.moloney.music said “that’s it!” I thought he was just being nice, but when I heard it the song was this mad manic pop hoedown. Champions of tomorrow’s fun!

A final band practice with Kevin Moloney tonight. We do all we can to prepare but we can’t control recoding - like we can’t control a show or a practice or even songwriting. We make ourselves raw and present and vulnerable and arrogant. We’re fighters who are willing to fight for what we believe.

My name is John Patrick Francis Kennedy. I did the DNA testing thing with my Dad when he turned 75. We’re Kennedy’s - which is a name from Southern Ireland. Kennedy means “ugly head” - a mistranslation. The original Kennedy was the muscle for Brian Boru, first high king of Ireland, and he wore a horrific helmet into battle. Anyway, me and Dad tried out the dna testing. Our dna had most matches in Dublin and Galway. So Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Remember if you drink Jamesons and Guinness you’ll never get a hangover.

There are problems in this world. We know. We’ve lived through the flood - metaphorically and literally. We’re trying to find ways to be kind and helpful. Our music isn’t about pointing out these problems - it’s trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is JOY. We all want to feel joyful and excited and hopeful and we want to laugh-out-loud and dance and connect with the friends around us.

“Us musicians spreading love gotta stick together #loveispunk”
-The Loverfaces band

I don’t believe in the old way and I don’t believe in the new way. I don’t believe in yesterday’s cruelties and I certainly don’t believe in today’s cruelties. I’ve done enough yelling to believe in introspection and kindness and working with a group of friends to create something beautiful.