Bap Kennedy

Martin Kennedy was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on June 17, 1962. A child who grew up amidst "The Troubles," Bap, as he was later to be known, developed into a songwriter of haunting intensity as well as a fearless performer. During the '80s he toured and recorded with the band Energy Orchard. Popular in the United Kingdom as well as in the U.S. and Canada, Kennedy recorded five projects with them. The first two, Energy Orchard and Stop the Machine, were on the MCA label. Later, Energy Orchard signed with Transatlantic and released Shinola, Pain Killer and finally their only live album, Orchardville. Soon, Kennedy was making a name for himself outside the band. He opened shows for the mercurial Van Morrison and even shared the stage with the moody Irish bard. While touring he also met and became friendly with rock & roll redneck Steve Earle, a relationship that would come to fruition with the release of 1998's Domestic Blues on Earle's own label, E Squared. Hillbilly Squared followed in 1999, and the following spring Kennedy returned with Lonely Street. Rare Live & Bladdered was issued in fall 2000. After a couple of EPs, Kennedy issued The Big Picture in 2005. Howl On appeared in 2009 on Kennedy's own label, Lonely Street. The Mark Knopfler-produced The Sailor's Revenge arrived in 2012. ~ Jana Pendragon, Rovi