We recently connected with Kendall Renee and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kendall, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I was born with a rare medical condition that’s almost taken my life multiple times. I grew up in and out of the hospital. My life always has and probably always will look a little bit different than my peers. When I set out to begin writing and releasing music my mission has been the same since day 1: Tell the world it’s beautiful to be different and that they are never alone.
Today I am proud to say that mission has not only been successful but has been my greatest joy. I’m telling my own story, I’ve watched my “scars heal somebody else” as a line in my song Better is Coming says.
In 2020 I partnered as a changemaker with Aerie by American Eagle to make a music video for my song Better is Coming showcasing the stories of individuals with disabilities, including my own story. The video went on to help thousands of people and continues to bring hope to so many. It’s been one of my favorite passion projects thus far, but there’s so much more to come very soon!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I saved up for my first guitar at 13 years old, but truthfully music has always been a huge part of my life. My Grandfather was a gospel opera singer and my grandmother is a concert pianist. I grew up watching them use their music for ministry and learned to sing from my Grandpa. I’m proud to say I followed in their footsteps and now music has become my own mission.
Whether it’s the songs I write or the stories behind them, my biggest goal is just to help others feel something. I want them to know that someone out there knows what they are going through and did their best to put it into a song that can serve as therapy for the many different moments of life. My heart is truly in being who I know I needed growing up. If I had someone like myself to mentor me, I think that would have made a huge difference. I want to be that person for someone else.
There are many incredible and gifted musicians in this world, but there is something really special about music that can heal. Certain songs just cut through and reach you when you need them most. Some songs can even change lives. I work every single day to write, record, and release that music as an artist. I also have a huge passion for writing with others and being a part of them telling their own story.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I think I have had a lot of very big shifts in my journey in just the last few years as an artist and songwriter. I used to keep many songs too myself because I believed they were too honest or blunt. I kept others up my sleeve because of fear of how it would impact my listeners. I have been singing in church most of my life, but have intentionally kept my faith based music a bit separated in my career as a whole. I deeply wanted my music to be for EVERYONE, and I think fear played a huge role in me keeping my worship songs to myself. I also endured a lot of church hurt at a pretty young age in my career but also just in my life. It impacted the way I saw the music business and my own ministry. I really wanted to do things differently.
For many years I stepped away from publicly releasing or writing worship based music. I had been told countless times that once you label yourself as a “Christian artist” you would lose people who would have otherwise connected to your message. That made me sad because all I’ve ever wanted was to positively impact others. It didn’t seem entirely possibly to “do both”, yet I did see a few artists that I looked up too, fearlessly paving a way regardless. They combined their secular and faith based music in a way that I looked up to so much. I also saw the trials and pushback they sometimes received. Truthfully it all just scared me and seemed so vulnerable to do alone.
About a year or so ago I decided to go with my gut and make a very difficult decision. I chose to go against everything I had heard and sing a very very honest song I wrote about my faith at an industry event. It was a room full of hundreds of people in this business. I was truthfully terrified and still can’t tell you why I knew I had to do it if it weren’t Devine intervention.
I was trembling walking onstage but I will never forget that night or how it changed my life. It was like everything shifted that night because I just owned it. I shared from such a vulnerable place, and because of that, I reached so many people. Many of the people my song hit the hardest didn’t even believe in Jesus or love Him the way I do, but they could relate to the vulnerability in my song because that’s HUMAN. That night and song is also the reason I now just recently signed my first ever one song co-publishing deal.
My point in saying this is that my journey with that song had been LONG. I had gone through so much self doubt, so much insecurity. I didn’t feel qualified or strong enough to share such a powerful message. I did however, know deep down that this song was different. Something within this song kept me coming back to it and fighting for it for years. Sometimes you just know when something is your truth to share. This one single moment changed so much because it was as if a lightbulb turned on. I realized not only can I do both, but I already am. The only boxes that exist are the ones we create for ourselves.
Today I am in the process of finally recording that worship/CCM EP as well as finishing up a full length album of ALL kinds of songs. Music is music. At the end of the day, if what I’m sharing is my truth, others feel seen and safe enough to share their own. I will no longer be creating boxes but breaking them down. I hope others would do the same in their own field. No one can tell your story like you.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
For many many years (truthfully since I was a little girl) I wanted to make a music video for others growing up like I did. Whether it be medical struggles or just overall not feeling like you fit in, I wanted to be the voice I needed to hear. I had been pitching this idea for years but truthfully just didn’t have the funding or team in place as an independent artist. We wrote the song “Better is Coming” on the 17 year anniversary of the day I had the surgery that saved my life when I was 4 years old. I don’t believe that or anything that followed was an accident.
I knew when I wrote the song with my mentors and friends Richard Harris and Warren Sellers that it was special. I had a very clear vision I just didn’t know how to make it a reality.
For some time I shopped my idea around and attempted to find funding for this major music video production. I was truly trying to do something on a major label level as an indie artist which is usually looked at as insane. For almost a year I went back and fourth with an organization, in the hopes I would receive their grant and finally be able to make my dream a reality.
I can not even explain how my heart broke when they said I wasn’t chosen. I had exhausted all measures and I think most sane people would have given up then. I was so disappointed inside but I still had my hope. I’m glad I didn’t give up because even after receiving another devastating “no”, I was so close to my “yes”.
Less than a week later I got the email from Aerie letting me know I was a finalist in their changemaker campaign, and a little while after was officially chosen along with 19 other incredible young women making a huge impact in this world. I was over the moon. I will never forget opening that email or the way myself and my family cried.
Because of the Aerie grant I was able to create the music video and fund the whole project that went on to touch thousands of people across the world. I will never be able to express how proud I am of this project or grateful I am to the team of incredible people involved. This was the definition of a passion project.
I believe if you have a vision there’s a reason for that, sometimes you have to hold onto hope for a VERY long time. In my case, it was many years in the making. However, when things did align it was so incredibly worth the wait.
See video here:
https://youtu.be/yYmiZcfNth8
Contact Info:
- Website: KendallReneeMusic.com
- Instagram: @KendallReneeMusic
- Facebook: Facebook.com/KendallReneeMusic
- Twitter: @KenRenMusic
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@KendallRenee
- Other: Better is Coming (The Official Music Video) : https://youtu.be/yYmiZcfNth8
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/50txkzPM1SvxnH6ua6WS6r?si=O4FVBHnSRPC-J3Za9Movlg (Brand new song “Souvenirs” releases on august 4th!)
Image Credits
Photos included by: Nate Kang Katy Schlemmer Jenn Olson Michelle Sullivan Tajmia Loiacono