Kendal Conrad – Bodyguard

By: Robert Warren

Q) Being an award-winning songwriter, you clearly know what you’re doing. When creating “Bodyguard,” your new single, what message did you want to get across to your listeners?

A) Don’t let anyone walk all over you — even if you love them.

Q) Having shared the stage with big names like Keith Urban, and Blake Shelton, what made you decide to make the crossover to country pop for your new single “Bodyguard?”

A) I’ve always been a country pop artist!  I love combining pop elements with country.  I love beats and synths, but I also love fiddles and a really raw lyric.

Q) When you sing “Bodyguard,” you talk about getting disappointed by someone you love. How do you advise people to come back from such a letdown?

A) I have personally been through this situation, and it hurts.  Really badly.  And just when you think you’re over it, you see a picture and the pain is ignited all over again.  So, my advice would be: don’t dwell on the pain and don’t look back.

Q) Drinking coffee at 11 o’clock at night, with flavors like the Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks, then reading frequently. What, if any, help may this do to your songwriting process and writing of “Bodyguard” if it did?

A) Interesting question!  “Bodyguard” is a very cinematic song, so my love of novels definitely aided in telling the story of the song, for sure.  I wanted to paint a dramatic picture of disappointment.  Drinking coffee always improves the songwriting process — I can’t think of a writing session I had in Nashville when one of us (the writers) wasn’t drinking a cup of joe!

Q) Listening to your song “Bodyguard,” listeners could easily see you have quite the range of vocals. How did you develop this amazing range of yours?

A) By imitation.  I remember singing along to Mariah and Celine and Whitney when I was in elementary school.  Still can’t do those crazy runs, Mimi.

Q) What is it about music that allows you to be so raw, and vulnerable?

A) For me, there’s a huge difference between sitting across from a stranger, looking them in the eye and telling them a very personal story than sitting down and singing that same personal story to them.  There’s something about dramatizing my own narratives that creates enough emotional distance for me to be comfortable sharing, I suppose.  I’m not even sure myself!

Q) What kind of fan feedback have you received to this new song?

A) People have been telling me that they love how big and bold the song is.  It’s also a ballad, which is something my fans haven’t heard from me before.  I think they were surprised!

Q) What would you say to other women who want to get into the music industry?

A) Be ready to work twice as hard as the men for half the recognition, but I promise you that the work itself is worth it.

Q) When people see the artwork for your new single “Bodyguard,” it screams, “Here I am! Look at this confident woman!” It’s sort of a message of woman empowerment. What was the message you were hoping listeners took away from this song and the single artwork?

A) The single artwork was originally in color, but I wanted to make it black and white.  I thought it perfectly captured that old-timey movie feel that I also hear in the song.  My favorite ’90’s divas all wore very classy gowns to sing their ballads, so it was also important for me to look the part in the single artwork as well.

Q) What can you tell us about “Bodyguard” that fans may not yet know? Are there any hidden messages in the lyrics or funny stories in the making of it?

A) Originally the writing session was just supposed to be me and Matt McVaney, the producer.  My mom was in Nashville that week to sit-in on some of the EP sessions.  Well, she wound up being a co-writer on the song!

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song and why?

A) I’ve been watching some of the “Songland” episodes and I think Shane McAnally is amazing.  I also think Max Martin and I would knock it out of the park.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and your music?

A) It’s been a long journey and I’m so thankful to my fans and friends for sticking with me.  I couldn’t do this without you.