Leoni Jane Kennedy Announces New Single ‘Closer’ & April 2025 UK Dates with Solstice

News

30 Mar

UK-based multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Leoni Jane Kennedy has announced her second single release ‘Closer’ for 2025 alongside April 2025 UK live dates with Solstice

London— Wednesday 12th March 2025 — Leoni Jane Kennedy Announces New Single ‘Closer’ & April 2025 UK Dates with Solstice

Leoni Jane Kennedy hit the ground running in 2025, she was voted #4 in PROG Magazine’s 2025 Readers Poll in the ‘Best New Artist Category’ and released her first single of the year ‘Different Kind of Woman’ which received radio airplay from the likes of MNPR Magazine Radio as well as interviews with Rock The Joint Magazine, Full Pelt Magazine and Overtone Magazine to name a few.

Leoni Jane Kennedy is a multi-award-winning singer songwriter, often described as 'haunting' by her audiences. With intricate guitar riffs alongside powerful, soulful vocals, Leoni is a musical polymath creating a new wave of rock with progressive influence in her rhythmic and melodic structures, offering lyrics that surpass her years. With a touch of a young Bonnie Raitt in her, Leoni performs her songs with a delivery second to none and is described by The New York Times as "a welcomed portal to something passionate and powerful".

Winning her first title as the UK’s number 1 under 19’s singer songwriter award in 2014, thirteen year old Leoni performed live at the Houses of Parliament in London which led to a Yamaha sponsorship and an endorsement from Orange Amplification. Leoni would go on to win further songwriting awards and in 2018, 'Queen's’ Brian May and Roger Taylor chose her from hundreds of applicants to receive the 'Freddie Mercury' Scholarship, financing her entire university tuition fees. Leoni graduated with First Class Honours and then moved to North London where she is currently studying a Masters Degree in Songwriting. For the majority of her work, Leoni uses PRS Guitars, and her talents were again recognised when she was chosen as a ‘PRS Guitars Pulse Artist’ for 2023/2024, representing the brand as an artist in her own right and in late 2024 she was promoted to FULL PRS GUITARS artist endorsee after impressing the company with her dedication to live shows and social media presence.

Leoni’s latest album ‘New World Woman’ was independently recorded and released by her in 2023 as an acoustic compilation of reinterpreted tracks, originally penned by the Canadian prog rock legends ‘Rush’. After raising a whopping £5.8K via a Kickstarter’ campaign, Leoni then had the funding to create a huge merchandise range with products. ‘New World Woman’ has been a great success, completely selling out of CD’s with only 20 vinyl remaining! Leoni is touring all over the UK to promote this album which has gained worldwide praise and the hearts of many.

Her latest single “Closer” is the second of 7 single tracks being released from her debut originals album “Synthetic”.

Described as a ‘force of nature’, Leoni Jane Kennedy is recognised by most in the UK industry as one to watch out for.

Discussing the new track, Leoni Jane Kennedy explains: “’Closer’ is a track which talks about the distance and detachment from the outside world I felt during the pandemic as I desperately tried to get ‘Closer’ to some sense of reality.

It’s an immersive production which spirals into insanity represented by the music and arrangement – each time I listen to it, I’m reminded of how emotionally vulnerable I felt to come out of a cocoon of madness and back into the world feeling a million steps behind, on a path dispersed by restrictions.”

"When I judged ‘Rock the House Under 19’s National competition in London in 2014, 13-year-old Leoni blew me away with her talent. Fast forward two years and a video of Leoni covering a prog rock song by Rush got 17,000 hits in 48 hours via Planet Rock’s website. Acoustic or electric, solo or with a band, Leoni definitely has a bright future!" - Paul Anthony (Planet Rock Radio)

"I’m so impressed with how far Leoni has come. There is a bit of the young Bonnie Raitt in her. There is a wisdom and a touch of the blues in her voice and songs that would fit with a woman twice her age. If she gets the chance and the support to play in front of thousands of people, travel, experience what life throws at her, I believe what I believed seven years ago, that LJK will become an accomplished, internationally recognised musician and songwriter with an enduring career.

My company just released Laura Marling’s seventh album and Laura just turned 30 this year. I predict a similar trajectory for Leoni.

I would encourage you to support this gifted and dedicated artist." - Robin Millar CBE - Chairman, Blue Raincoat Chrysalis Group (Sade, Eric Clapton, Big Country, Randy Crawford)

In respect of Leoni's performance at Prog The Forest December 2024, Jerry Ewing said "Leoni Jane Kennedy continues to impress Prog, even though her intention to appear with a full band doesn't happen this year. Performing solo with acoustic guitar, she kicks off with a take on Rush's Kid Gloves, hardly the easiest of tracks to play, and later delights the crowd with New World Man and a poignant Tears, while her own material is equally awe- inspiring. No wonder The Anchoress, with whom she plays live, holds her in such high esteem." – Latest Issue of PROG Magazine

Leoni Jane Kennedy’s new single ‘Closer will be released at midnight on Saturday 29th March 2025.

Pre-Save Here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/leonijanekennedy/closer

Leoni Jane Kennedy will support Prog band Solstice on the following April 2025 UK dates of their Clann tour:

Apr 5: Oundle Queen Victoria Hall

Apr 9: Southampton The 1865

Apr 10: Cardiff Earl Haig Club

Apr 11: Nottingham The Old Cold Store

Apr 12: Huddersfield The Parish

Apr 13: Sheffield The Corporation

Tickets are available via the tour page of Leoni Jane Kennedy’s official website here: https://www.leonijanekennedy.com/

Please credit all photographs to Rob Blackham/Blackham Images

Blackham Images Website: https://blackhamimages.com/