Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, Slash – Our No. 1 Artist of the Year

2021-12-23

Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge and Slash pictured on a snowy hill.

Myles Kennedy – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Chuck Brueckman

Myles Kennedy has a versatility that enables him to shine in different genres, and that makes him Audio Ink Radio’s top artist of 2021

Myles Kennedy is one of the most celebrated vocalists of his era, and for good reason. Just take a listen to Kennedy’s work in Alter Bridge, Slash and his solo project, and you’ll hear his range and ability to deliver exceptional vocals no matter the genre.

This year, Kennedy released his sophomore album, “The Ides of March,” embracing heavy guitars, powerful vocals and solid songwriting. It was quite a different sound from Kennedy’s debut solo album, “Year of the Tiger,” which favored an acoustic, almost folk-like quality. Kennedy’s ability to triumph over any genre and deliver an astounding hard rock set with “The Ideas of March” makes him Audio Ink Radio’s No. 1 artist of the year.

One aspect of Kennedy’s new album that really shines is how it highlights his lead guitar playing. He’s known as a vocalist, but on “Year of the Tiger,” it’s obvious he’d be comfortable in the lead guitarist role, too.

Speaking with Audio Ink Radio about the new album and its guitar-heavy approach, Kennedy explained, “I think that over the last few years, I’ve kind of rediscovered my love for not just the electric guitar but also for solos and improvisation, which is kind of where I started as a guitar player.”

He added, “I knew that if I was going to have the opportunity to make up a second solo record, I wanted to explore that a little more and put together arrangements that would allow me to have a few bars to improvise and play lead guitar. So, it was kind of that need that led to plugging in and turning up as opposed to playing an acoustic guitar and kind of more of a singer-songwriter approach like I did on ‘Year of the Tiger.'”

Kennedy also said writing the new album was “very cathartic” during lockdown, a time when there was so much uncertainty around the world. “I think (it) gave me a sense of control, you know,” he said. “Given what we were just talking about, that was how I chose to deal with it.”

He added, “It’s funny how humans react when they’re put in those sorts of situations, and some people choose to do things that are productive to help them get through it. That’s fortunately what I was able to do. I don’t know if I didn’t have the songwriting outlet what I would have done. Maybe I would have learned to paint or sew. I don’t know! Hopefully I would have done something productive, but it was certainly one of those times where I was really grateful that I had an outlet.”

Read and listen to our full interview with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge and Slash here. View our list of the 50 Best Rock and Metal Songs of 2021 here.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Features, Music, Rock

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