Ethiopian American activist and musician Kenna talks new philanthropic album ‘Songs For Flight’

GroundSounds caught up with grammy & emmy-nominated Ethiopian American musician Kenna to talk about his philanthropic and musical passions. We discuss his plans to crowd fund his new album, Songs for Flight, with proceeds going to different charitable organizations, check out the exclusive interview below.

 

 

GS: For people who aren’t familiar with the campaign and your new album, Songs for Flight, could you tell us a little bit about your vision, what you are looking to accomplish and what “One for One” means?

Kenna: Well, Songs for Flight is my third studio album and to do something special I decided that I would stay independent and crowd fund for the album. But outside of that I wanted it to represent who I am as a person and I decided to create this model for music which is “One for One” and it’s basically Tom’s Shoes for music. The idea is that for every one dollar I make for profit, I’ll give one dollar to the causes my fans and I care about. Which is basically a new way to look at a contract with your fans.

GS: And this isn’t you first foray into a philanthropic mission within the music industry you have done. When you launched Summit for Summit, it was specifically to raise awareness on the Clean Water Inititaitve. This time around you have 3 main causes you are raising money for and different organizations within those causes. How did you chose these causes and organizations.

Kenna: The three that I chose are based on my inheritance. I have a symbol, that nothing is greater or less than us symbol and there are two “I”’s.One represents my inheritance, inheritance is water for my dad, women empowerment for my mom and sister and arts for myself. So, the three areas in philanthropy that I care about are those three. Those are really just open ended for my fans to get involved with and they can choose whatever organization they care about to donate to.

GS: Very cool. The first single of the album is Sleep When We Die” and it’s a little bit of a new direction for you.

Kenna: Yep.

GS: Can we expect more of that on the new album? Tell us about the creative process with this new album.

Kenna: Well, it’s a new sound for me, but I just wanted to write something adventurous for the crazy across the world music video. I don’t really know if that’s going to be the sound. I do have some aspirations to make a Smashing Pumpkins meets Yeezus album. But the single is just a first step at looking for a sound. The trip for the music video will very much inspire it and when I get back into the studio everything I’ve learned will go into the sounds I make.

GS: Can we expect any collaborations from other artists on the album?

Kenna: Yes! Can I tell you who? No. But, they’re all people that you know. I wish I could just tell you but I’m still working out who is all going to be involved. And if you saw the crowd funding launch, you would see that a lot of talented people have been blessing me with attention and their voice, and being able to communicate with their fans as well what I am doing. So, a lot of those people involved in that are potentially involved with the album, but I just can’t confirm it.

GS: In an attempt to get some specifics out of you, can we expect a story within a story with the album? How are you trying to express the movement within the album?

Kenna: It’s all new music and we are going to write all of it as we go and the fans are going to be involved in every step. I think it’s just going to be a very revealing way to show your fans what it takes to make an album and show them the steps and the process and the people that are involved and it’s going to be an opportunity to involve people in a way that they can finally understand that it takes a great deal to make a quality album. The people involved are epic talent and the journey that I’m going to go on and that I’m taking everybody with me on will inspire it. As we go along we are going to see these really amazing change makers and artists and go on adventures; and together we will be inspired and create Songs for Flight.

GS: When you say fans will be involved, I know one of the packages is studio time with you. Are you expecting to collaborate with fans on a song?

Kenna: Yeah, I think that’s the whole point to include people in the process and let them see the dynamics of the engineers, musicians and the time that is spent working on a song, To get it right and to record the next day is a costly thing and I want people to know and feel that and be empowered by it. Because then they know the music is really taken care of and that before we threw it out into the world it was given love.

GS: I know you talk a lot about artists being a cause themselves, tell me what you mean by that?

Kenna: Well, I’ve just gone through a lot of things as an artist and I’ve been signed to several labels and I’ve seen the end of that movie a bunch of times and you know, I always die at the end of those movies. So, I decided, maybe I didn’t want to die this time. The question you have to ask is, how do you create another music industry, one where it’s fair? Where you actually feel a connection to the people who are working with you. Before there was a music industry, we would all be buskers and we would have our hats out asking people to give us money, which makes us a cause. No one was obliged to give you money they just gave it to you if they wanted to and if they didn’t want to, they didn’t have to. So, I think art and cause are inextricably linked because of that. That’s what One for One is. My fans are my investors and they make a decision early on to invest in me. My job as CEO is to build a business that gives back and reinvests in the world. My fans will be responsible for that because they will have been there in the beginning to give me the opportunity.

GS: To go back to the single, “Sleep When We Die” and to discuss more about your fan’s involvement, Millenials have been getting a bad rep.

Kenna: What’s the bad rep?

GS: That this generation are “slactivists”.

Kenna: Oh come on

GS: {laughs} There’s this perception that we just use social media but don’t actually get involved.

Kenna: Oh, that it’s just about liking everything?

GS: Yes, so, how would you address the haters that may think, “oh this is just a hashtag”. How do you want to show them, that this is more than a hashtag, that it’s your passion and your movement?

Kenna: I think every generation has gotten slack for being a generation. I think that doesn’t really add up to anything. I think what matters is what you choose to do with your life, individually and what kind of purpose you want to have in your life. I never aspired to be a star my goal has always been to be a leader and if I can lead a movement where it’s people pursuing their purpose and they are caring about the world while they are doing it then I’ll have had my legacy, and that’s what my goal is. I hope that anyone who sees what I’m doing is inspired to do something similarly. If there are more musicians in the world that can see, you can be a One for One artist and give back while you are doing what you do as an artist, I can imagine the ripple effect will be really great. Generations are generations, so we will see what happens. We’re all slactivists {laughs}

GS: So, where do you see the industry itself changing and growing? Since not just you, but there are other artists as well that are choosing to stay independent and are able to make a career doing so. How do you think that will affect the major labels.

Kenna: Bono said something to me once in a hotel when he was walking by and he was drunk. It was awesome. I told him, “you know every lyric on my record has your name on it”. And he said, “Are you signed to a label?” and I said, “yes” and he said, “they need you, more than you need them”. That’s the truth of its. Labels, will always exist. They will always find a way to make money, that’s their job. No one should be mad at a record label. If you signed a deal, be mad at yourself. What it comes down to is, you have to make a choice before you walk into that whole thing. You have to know who you are and what you represent. We are seeing more and more artists now more than ever standing firm on the idea of engaging with their fans first. This is my version of it. But there’s an infinity between zero and one and the opportunity is to choose what is your path, and not have it be an industry thing. The industry is going to thrive by the way. The music industry is going to explode when they figure out the telecoms are the ones that owe everyone money.

GS: So speaking of engaging your fans, can you tell us conceptually how you plan to incorporate your fans in the video for “Sleep When We Die”?

Kenna: The video is going to be very much a pied piper experience. The idea is that you get to follow me through all of these different places in the world and there’s something magical about including the fans in every country and allowing them to be a part of the story. It’s also about the young people who are actually doing something, whether it’s donating to an organization that’s out in the field while they are at school or working two jobs. Showing that you can give when you have nothing. Highlighting those types of people. We will also be doing a lot with social and push things out so people can see where we are. But the video itself will be just a magical experience of traveling through the warps of life and enjoying every moment and not letting up… and sleeping when you die.

GS: Is there a city you are looking forward to going to?

Kenna: I think I want to see Mumbai the most. I haven’t been there and from what I hear there’s a crazy hip-hop scene that popped out of nowhere. I want to see what Indian hip-hop is, I think that’ll be rad.

GS: How are you planning on keeping the momentum going with the giving and funding?

Kenna: I have literally now idea how to crown fund. I’m a very bad fundraiser. My fans are doing the job and the heavy lifting. What I have to do is just keep on showing them that I’m down to do whatever. So we might find me doing whatever, which is not necessarily what I want to do. But my team is like, “what would you do for like five hundred bucks from a kid?” And I’m like, “oh man, what does that mean”. I’m counting on my fans to just tell me what they want me to do and I’ll do my best within reason. What’s been really great is that I’ve been having like Medici type outside partners, like studios and brands who come to the table and say we want to help.

GS: You’ve told us what inspires you personally. Who or what inspires you musically?

Kenna: Musically I have to say I really respect Mark Foster, from Foster the People. I really respect Kanye, I mean for a lot of reasons. He had a long speech at the VMAs but outside of that he’s brilliant. I also really love the path, The Weeknd is on. Musically that’s who I look to. Outside of that, I’m really inspired by contemporary artists right now. Glen Kaino is a really amazing contemporary artist who made this copper archery exhibit. You can see that it’s archer’s bows coming from all different directions but it lands all in one place. I think that’s a really great example of collective aim. I think that’s what we are talking about right now. How we all have the power to join together and that’s what my symbol is. Nothing is greater or less than us. I’m just interested in those types of artists that exemplify unity and the shift from individualism. .

GS: I like that, collective aim.

Kenna: yeah, it’ll change the world.

GS: GroundSounds has this idea of Grind Time. This is where you are doing what you love, enjoy and are passionate about. My last question for you is aside from music, what do you like to do on your Grind Time?

Kenna: I skate or I snowboard. I snowboard more than I skate, but it’s summer right now. I go on a short board and I’m pretty much a cruiser at this point. I definitely like to coast and not think. That’s one of the things I’ve been doing a lot lately. But Snowboarding is where I live, if I could be on a mountain that would be awesome.

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