Rock/Review JP Kennedy - The Grass Widow
JP Kennedy is a self-written artist that masterfully blends his punk rock spirit with influences from the opposing genres of country folk and grunge. Hailing from Ardara, County Donegal, he is a music graduate of Ballyfermot Rock School, Dublin, and the University of Popular Music and Music Business in Mannheim, Germany.
JP Kennedy’s “The Grass Widow” is a stirring folk-rock single that bridges generations, geographies, and emotional histories with remarkable grace. Taken from his forthcoming 2026 album “Road to Jerome,” the song transforms inherited memory into living narrative, honoring Kennedy’s Donegal roots while embracing a broader transatlantic story of departure and hope.
Inspired by a song written in Irish by his late grandfather, “Wee” Paddy McGill, Kennedy reimagines a tale originally centered on death into one of emigration — the so-called “American Wake,” a farewell that often carried the finality of loss. In this retelling, the emigrant leaves Inishkeel Island behind, the lights of Tory fading in the distance, and boards The Grass Widow toward an uncertain but hopeful future. It’s a powerful conceptual shift, turning mourning into motion and grief into possibility.
Musically, “The Grass Widow” is warm, melodic, and instantly inviting. Built around acoustic guitar and fiddle, the track moves with an upbeat, almost celebratory pace that mirrors its lyrical transformation. The production, handled by Aisling Jarvis, strikes a fine balance between clarity and charm, allowing the folk textures to shine while keeping the song radio- and playlist-friendly.
The accompanying video, shot on a freezing winter morning on Narin Beach with Inishkeel Island looming in the background, deepens the song’s emotional pull. Visually and sonically, it reflects Kennedy’s gift for Celtic storytelling infused with a rock sensibility.
With “The Grass Widow,” JP Kennedy proves himself a thoughtful custodian of tradition and a confident modern songwriter, crafting a song that feels both deeply rooted and forward-looking.