Dermot Kennedy Breaks Down New Album Sonder Track By Track: Exclusive
The post Dermot Kennedy Breaks Down New Album Sonder Track By Track: Exclusive appeared first on Consequence.
Track by Track is a recurring feature series in which artists share the story behind every song on their latest release. Today, Dermot Kennedy breaks down his new album, Sonder.
For Dermot Kennedy, the message of his latest album, Sonder, out Friday (November 18th), began with the title word’s specific definition. “Sonder” is “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.”
The singer-songwriter took that concept to heart. “I exist in an industry where we’re encouraged to constantly only think about ourselves and I find that exhausting and uninspiring,” Kennedy says. “I want to learn about you. Let us share all of our triumphs, all of our troubles. Let this music belong to all of us, to find our own stories and our own solace within it.”
Sonder is an open book of discovery, with each track is a unique chapter. There’s “Innocence and Sadness,” a call to action fueled by his most poignant vocal performance on the record, coupled with heavy and somber piano. “There’s such urgency in this song,” Kennedy says. “An urgency to live beautifully and resist the passing of time and the loss of love.”
Then there’s the atmospheric “Homeward,” which paints a vivid picture of individuality. “It sounds like driving down a backroad in a small town at night and seeing the lights go out in quaint little houses, while you wonder who they are and what they dream about,” Kennedy says. Elsewhere, tracks like the nostalgic-driven “Divide” and the inspiring “Better Days” maintain an optimistic tone.
It all comes together to cultivate a sense of safety; a space where Kennedy opens himself up for others and allows them to do the same. Ultimately, the uplifting nature of the album finds a way to permeate — and you may find that those random passersby seem a little familiar after all.
Listen to Sonder and check out Kennedy’s track-by-track breakdown below, and grab tickets to see him on tour — which includes a headlining date at NYC’s Madison Square Garden — here.
“Any Love”:
I love how this one ends. I want people to be living in the world of this song so intensely, only to be taken out of it so suddenly. “Someone I was seen by, someone who was so mine” is my favorite lyric on the album.
“Something to Someone”:
That means everything, right? To be something to someone is all a person needs to be saved. I love seeing the crowd sing this song at my shows and wondering who they’re thinking of when they sing those words.
“Kiss Me”:
“Whatever may come somewhere deep inside, there’s always this version of you and I.” This song was born from the idea that even when a relationship feels like it’s lost its way entirely, the very best version of you both still exists. Just not right now. Your best day will come again, you just have to be patient.
“Dreamer”:
I love the simplicity of this song. The piano in the verse makes me think of cartoon characters sneaking around trying not to be caught. And the sentiment is all about how there’s beauty in simplicity when it comes to love. No grand gestures, just being there for somebody. That can mean more than anything.
“Innocence and Sadness”:
My soul really lives in this one. I played this song live for the first time recently, and it really wiped me emotionally in a way that I’ve never experienced on stage. There’s such urgency in this song. An urgency to live beautifully and resist the passing of time and the loss of love.
“Divide”:
This song has a little bit of a retro feel, which is something I haven’t done before. It has that nostalgia in the music, and it feels like an old love story being recounted.
“Homeward”:
For me, this song captures the idea of “sonder” more than any other song on the album. It sounds like driving down a backroad in a small town at night and seeing the lights go out in quaint little houses, while you wonder who they are and what they dream about.
“One Life”:
I’m so excited to play this song live. It feels like it’s been influenced by my love of hip-hop, in the music and the writing. It has an energy that I can’t wait to bring out on tour.
“Better Days”:
My dose of good news for the world. These days the world can feel a bit scary, and so I wanted to write a song that would hopefully make people feel a little bit more hopeful about their own life. Playing this song at festivals, especially after the pandemic, was the most beautiful feeling.
“Already Gone”:
The first lines of the chorus in this song feel like a proclamation from an actor to the crowd in a theatre show. “I feel like the moment’s already gone. If she was in love, would have said it by now.” There’s so much yearning in those lyrics and in the melody.
“Blossom”:
This is the dreamiest song on the album. It holds so much nostalgia for me personally. Which is strange, because the song is about how I’m scared of future goodbyes.
Dermot Kennedy Breaks Down New Album Sonder Track By Track: Exclusive
Joe Eckstein
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