While he shares a name with the late, long-serving icon of Massachusetts politics, Canadian multi-instrumentalist Ted Kennedy is on his way to making it as much a household name in music. Today, we are thrilled to premiere his latest single, a charming electro-pop song titled “Forty.”
Over its four minute runtime, “Forty” perfectly blends modern electronic sounds with vintage new-wave song structures and vocals, creating an appealing mix of new and old. The song starts with a simple electronic beat, leading the way for Kennedy’s rich baritone vocals that recall Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. The lyrics are reflective and nostalgic, including lines like “It keeps coming back to me / We were young.”
Kennedy has previously released a pair of EPs. First came Late in 2014, which featured songs such as “Pretty Right” and “Summer Love.” He followed that release up with another EP two years later, titled Lost. He has plans for a new collection of music in 2019, which will be inspired by the underground electronic scene in his hometown of Toronto. Kennedy hosts a monthly concert series in the city, which is called Frequencies. This series features live appearances from local electronic artists, firmly entrenching the musician in his city’s genre and boundary-pushing electronic music scene.