Kennedy Shaw Is Pulling Out of Here To Win
- Josh Kitchen
- Jul 31
- 6 min read
By: Josh Kitchen / July 31, 2025
Fifty years ago - next month, Bruce Springsteen released Born to Run, and in its iconic opening track, “Thunder Road,” he famously declared that "this was a town full of losers and he was pulling out of there to win." Musicians have been lamenting and fleeing New Jersey for generations—and half a century later, as up-and-coming NJ raised singer-songwriter Kennedy Shaw prepares to release her new EP With Love, From NJ, not much has changed.
Having released music on and off for the past decade under various names and projects, Shaw has found her voice here in the five standout songs that make up With Love, From NJ. Preceded by the excellent singles “Cowboy Killer” and “Lightswitch,” the EP is a meditation on coming to terms with where you’re from—how your hometown shapes you, for better or worse, and how beauty can be found in the very roots you once tried to escape.
Laced with ‘90s-inspired soundscapes and a soft rage on tracks like “Doll” and the title track “From NJ,” Shaw sings with the confidence and depth of someone well beyond her years. The EP nods to her home state and its musical legacy—Springsteen’s shadow looms large, and the title feels like a loving riff on his own debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. I caught up with Kennedy to talk about the inspirations behind the songs, growing up in the Garden State, Springsteen's influence, and what is the most New Jersey thing about her.
You have your new EP coming out on the first of August. It’s called With Love, From NJ. I’ve heard it, and I think it’s great. To start, can you walk me through these five songs?
I wrote these songs over almost five years. I’m calling it my debut, but really, I’ve released a lot of stuff that I’ve taken down. I wrote and released my first EP when I was 15, so I know the game of putting stuff out that you end up not liking in the long run. I really wanted to take my time with this, and I’m glad I did.
The EP has five tracks: “You’ve Been On My Mind,” “Lightswitch” (which I released as a single), “Cowboy Killer” (also a single), a song called “Doll,” and the closing track, “From NJ,” which is kind of the title track.
“Cowboy Killer” and “Lightswitch” have been out and are fantastic. I’m especially excited for people to hear “Doll.” That song builds in such a heavy way. Your lyrics are relatable, and your music has this cool blend of dreamy melodies and soft rage. “Doll” is a perfect example of that—it explodes.
Thank you. I was nervous about putting that one on there. I wrote songs under the moniker Makeup Girl a few years ago, and those songs were heavy. I worked with Angie Boylan, who drums for Sleater-Kinney now, and Marissa [Paternoster] from Screaming Females. They came to the studio and played on some of my songs, and after that, I got addicted to playing with heavier sounds—even though I mostly listen to folk music.
You can definitely hear those influences. Even a track like “Cowboy Killer,” which isn’t sonically heavy, reminds me of something like Mazzy Star— emotionally intense with that 90's flavor. Where is your head at right now with your influences and what you're listening to?
Right now it's a lot of folk, but my influences overall are super broad. Mitski is a big one. Tori Amos is my god—I started out playing piano. And of course, I’ve listened to every Radiohead song ever released. I went to school for music and had a big Nirvana phase- I think we all did.
This EP feels very confessional—like it draws from your life. Can you walk me through some of the stories behind songs like “Cowboy Killer” or “Doll”?
The recurring theme of this EP is grappling with where you come from and what you want to carry forward. “Doll” is the classic I’m-in-love-with-my-best-friend story— it can be gut-wrenching when you’re watching them love someone who’s nothing like you.
“Cowboy Killer” is more complicated. It came from my first really awful breakup—the kind where you don’t want to get out of bed. That was a first for me. It was years ago now, but at the time, it hit hard. I come from a family—well, part of my family—that’s kind of cowboy, white-trash, tough, dirt-bike-riding types. Some of the older ones are drunks, don’t give a f***, and make their own rules. That’s what I tapped into for that song. I could be the cowboy. That helped me get through it.
It seems like that breakup really shaped your direction and your art.
Yeah, it wasn’t until I wrote “Cowboy Killer” that I really knew what I wanted to do with the EP. I had all these songs and had just been dropped from an indie label, so I didn’t know what was next. Then I wrote “Cowboy Killer” with my friend James Sleeman—he produced it - he’s a genius. He’s in a band called Teen Idol. That collaboration was so special, and then a month later I wrote “With Love From New Jersey.”
Why do so many people (yourself included) write about wanting to leave New Jersey?
Good question. I’m not a New Jersey advocate or anything. I think this EP was my attempt to make peace with New Jersey. “With Love From New Jersey” was written as an experiment—what would it be like to break up with my home state? Like, “f*** you, I’m leaving.” But then I realized that would make me too sad. So I moved back home.
That happens to the best of us. Even if someone’s hometown kind of sucks, you miss it. You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.
Exactly. The city is always there. You’re never planted in one place forever—unless you want to be.
You’re playing a show on release day in Atlantic City at the Anchor Rock Club.
My friend Sarah from Molly Ringworm put it together. The lineup is awesome. Great Oblivion opens, then I play, then Teen Idol, then Molly Ringworm closes it out. I’m also doing a Britney Spears cover.
Which one?
“...Baby One More Time.”
Iconic. Switching gears, what are you reading right now?
I’m in the middle of All Fours by Miranda July. I’m into literary fiction, and I just finished Stag Dance: A Novel & Stories by Tori Peters, which imagines a trans apocalypse where nobody has hormones and everyone’s fighting for them. It’s a collection of short stories—kind of dark, but really good.
What’s the most New Jersey thing about you?
I don’t pump gas. Never have. I only go to places where they do it for you. It’s a job creator, and I’m fine with that.
Your EP title made me think of Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. by Bruce Springsteen. I imagine you're a Bruce fan? [On Setlist Kitchen, we are on a first name basis in this parasocial relationship with The Boss.]
I didn’t even think of that, but yeah—he’s everywhere. I lived in a Springsteen household. He was a god. His “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” cover was the only thing playing on the radio at Christmas. Everyone in my family can do every line and vocal cadence in his version. I went to Asbury Park a lot during COVID for songwriting—it’s where his spirit lives.
It’s such a legendary spot. So much grew out of that music scene—Southside Johnny, E Street, that whole bar band sound.
Everyone’s covered “Dancing in the Dark.” When I first heard “I’m On Fire,” it felt like I wasn’t supposed to be listening to it. “Jersey Girl” is the song you play on the way to the beach. I had a dream once where Bruce was looking for me on a snowy boardwalk. My best friend sent me Angel Olsen’s cover of “Tougher Than the Rest,” and it meant a lot to me. He can write a song in any genre. It’s amazing. Maybe one day I’ll see him - he's always around Asbury Park.
Where do you want to be in five years?
I’ve had to redefine success. It’s not about followers—it’s about feeling loved and secure. And maybe having a lot of new clothes. I just want to be happy and stay true to what I believe in.
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