Interview: Kennedi Seals
Photos by Saskia Reed. Cinematography by Justin Ward and Rodrigue Julien.
Originally from Minnesota, Kennedi Seals has taken the long road to Los Angeles—with stops in Hawaii, New York, and back again. Her journey weaves through farm-to-table cafés, marine conservation gigs, and a few wild detours that shaped her into the artist she is today.
After years of drifting and self-discovery, it wasn’t until the summer of 2024 that she began taking music seriously—realizing that her sound, story, and growth might actually resonate. Now rooted in LA with a clear vision, Kennedi is focused on creating, learning, and evolving on her own terms. Her music blends lo-fi textures with spoken-word intimacy, as heard on her standout track U PMO—a stripped-down, soul-spilling moment recorded entirely in her kitchen.
What inspires your music?
I’ve always had a deep passion for writing. Growing up, I wrote everything down from diaries, journals, and poems. I also loved theater, and would participate in local plays from K-10th because I became concerningly emo from 11th-12th grade, almost failing out of high school. I appealed to college and began reading poetry at open mics. Music feels like an evolved version of all of my art trades encompassed. I was truly inspired/motivated to learn how to make music because I really want people to read my poems and thought the best way to get people to pay attention to my words is through music. To me, music is harmonic identity. Kind of like vomit of the soul. Whether you make music or curate playlists for yourself, it’s undeniably a representation of one’s true nature.
Who are some of your influences?
I love Noname - she taught me how to speak my poetry in rhythm and demonstrates that there’s more to being an artist than just “making it,” and showcases that by staying true to her individuality while using her platform to uplift her community.
What are some of your favorite memories from your career?
I moved back to LA less than a year ago, and I’ve just recently started getting more positive recognition for my work. With that, I would say right now is my best memory as I’ve made so much progress by not giving up, even when it’s tough. Right now is the brokest and loneliest I’ve ever been, which I know will be so rewarding to look back on in a few years and see how everything paid off.
Which of your projects do you love the most?
U PMO is very special as I recorded it in my kitchen on Christmas Day. I’m usually surrounded by loved ones at this time, whether it be friends or family, but this year I was all alone. I actually was crying while recording this song ha. I asked Black Santa for U PMO to positively pivot my life, and I would say in some ways it did.
Who are some of the collaborators who helped you create your favorite works?
My friend Fred (“Terrible Calm Beats” on YouTube) makes super cool beats that I really resonate with. I found his YouTube channel far before moving back to LA, and when I came here, I reached out to him to meet up and collab. He liked my demos with his beats, and now he gives me permission to use his YouTube discography with proper credits. I ended up using one of Fred’s beats for U PMO. I downloaded it from YouTube (with permission), then recorded all of the vocals with my earbuds. After the final demo, Fred sent me the instrumental stack, allowing me to mix everything and make the necessary adjustments to fully fit my vision.
My friend Eli has also been an amazing music friend/producer/engineer, as they’ve always helped me with literally anything I need, especially because I produce in GarageBand on my iPad, so they help a lot when it comes to more technical stuff that I don’t have access to.
What are you most excited to bring to your fans next?
I’m excited first of all to HAVE fans hahaha - but nonetheless I’m excited for my supporters to feel that their support paid off. I would be nothing without people encouraging me to keep going when I feel like it’s all pointless. I can’t wait to hug my loved ones and thank them for believing in me.
What are your goals for this upcoming year?
My goal is to establish a long-term career and actually gain access to the materials that will enhance the quality of my art. I would also love to find some financial stability and comfort in this crazy dream of mine.
How can your fans and our readers best support you right now?
Follow my socials, share my work, stream my music. I keep my Instagram pretty updated, so just showing love in any way you can is appreciated - big or small.
Stream Kennedi’s latest single, "U PMO," on our W.O.T.R.I playlist! 👇
Follow Kennedi Seals:
Causes That Matter to Kennedi
I think it’s very important when given any sort of platform to speak on things less spoken. I’ve been trying to make a conscious effort to replace my morning doom scroll with petition scrolling instead. I found an awesome resource highlighting active climate petitions, and I'd love to share the link with anyone reading this! This website does an awesome job at communicating petition urgency and providing more ways you can get involved. https://earthjustice.org/action/alerts