Virginia’s genre-defying outfit Kendall Street Company (KSC) announces the upcoming release of their fifth studio album The Stories We Write For Ourselves, and has treated fans to the first single from the album “Lady In Green” which is now available across all major digital platforms. In celebration of the release, Kendall Street Company has also added a handful of new live shows to their calendar including their own two-day event, The Company Picnic, happening this Labor Day weekend on Sept 5th and 6th. A full list of dates and more info can be found below. Listen to the first single “Lady In Green” HERE.
As the leaves begin to change and the weather starts to cool off this fall, Kendall Street Company delivers a softer, dreamier sound on The Stories We Write For Ourselves. Recorded in Virginia Beach and co-produced by Scott Gordon (Ringo Starr, Alanis Morissette, Aerosmith, Baja Men, Hanson, Cher and more), the 15-track album comes as a follow up to Kendall Street Company’s light-hearted, coastal themed EP The Nautical Aquatical, which was released earlier this summer. The new collection of material demonstrates the band’s more serious approach to songwriting, showcasing their versatility across multiple genres of indie, folk, pop, rock, jazz, and more. On The Stories We Write For Ourselves, lead singer/songwriter Louis Smith’s vibrant tenor is complimented by the instrumentation of horns, strings, piano, and even the banjo, with lyrics that delve into a variety of complex emotions from life and death, comedy and tragedy, and love and loss, to self-reflection and new beginnings.
On the lead single “Lady In Green,” the quintet channels an island feel with the gentle strum of a guitar, and the delicate vocals of Smith and guest singer Abbey Potter. The lyrics, which inspired the title of the record, provide an uplifting message that many of us can relate to in current times. The chorus reminds the listener to embrace change singing “Sometimes the stories we write for ourselves should be thrown away,” and beseeches us all to keep the faith “Oh it will all fall into place/ Light’s gonna shine through the rain / I’ve got this feeling that it’s all gonna be fine.” “The song, with its themes of overcoming tragedy, is hopeful yet poignantly aware of reality” says Smith. “Lady In Green,” now available on all major streaming services, is a just taste of what The Stories We Write For Ourselves has to offer.
The album’s release also signifies a new chapter in Kendall Street Company’s approach to touring and live performances. With most music venues and promoters on pause, the entrepreneurial quintet has taken it upon themselves to curate and self-promote a number of live-streaming sets online, along with a handful of intimate, crowd-sourced and socially distant shows for fans. Throughout the spring and summer KSC performed sets online for Roosterwalk, Homefest, and Live from Out There festivals, their own Containment Entertainment series, Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine’s digital ‘Trail Mix’ livestream, and The Jefferson Theater and Starr Hill Presents’ “So now, where were we” digital series. Now, KSC has shifted their focus to curating and performing at small, socially distant outdoor events such as their own 2-day live event on Sept 5-6 called The Company Picnic, which was designed to address safety concerns by limiting capacity, encouraging small groups of 6 or fewer, and giving attendees spaced out designated areas to watch the show from. At the end of the month, Kendall Street Company is scheduled to headline another socially-distanced drive-in performance in Richmond, VA, with more dates to be announced soon. A list of confirmed dates can be found below, and tickets to The Company Picnic can be purchased here.
Kendall Street Company Tour Dates
Sept 5th – The Company Picnic – Earlysville, VA
Sept 6th – The Company Picnic – Earlysville, VA
Sept 26th – WNRN Presents Virginia Commons Drive-In – Glen Allen, VA
