Ardara singer JP Kennedy releases new single ‘The Grass Widow’

Folk-rock artist JP Kennedy has just released his latest single, ‘The Grass Widow’, from his upcoming 2026 album Road to Jerome.

Inspired by a song written in Irish by his late grandfather, “Wee” Paddy McGill, Kennedy reimagines a song about the death of a local young man as a tale of the emigration of a loved one to America in the late 19th century.

Leaving behind Inishkeel Island and the lights of Tory in the distance, the emigrant climbs aboard The Grass Widow for a new life on the American frontier.

The Grass Widow

JP says, “I was only a year and a half when my grandfather passed away, so I was too young to remember him. He was a local schoolteacher, historian, folklorist, and songwriter in my hometown of Ardara in Co Donegal.

“He didn’t specifically have a song about emigration, but his son, my uncle Lochlann McGill, introduced me to one of his songs entitled ‘Bás Chonaill Mhic a Ghoill’, meaning ‘The Death of Conall McGill’. I swapped the meaning of death in this case into what was referred to as the American Wake, a departure which was often a one-way trip with no guarantee of return. I revised the melody to suit what then becomes an upbeat song about the emigrant’s new life in America.”

JP's late grandfather, “Wee” Paddy McGill

Taken from the upcoming album Road to Jerome, ‘The Grass Widow’ is a melodic, acoustic guitar-and fiddle-based earworm. Its friendly folk vibe and upbeat pace give it a natural radio and playlist-friendly quality.

The song is produced by fellow Irish artist Aisling Jarvis, a member of electronic brother-sister duo BANYAH. Aisling is a touring member of Celtic music legends Clannad and the daughter of lead singer Moya Brennan.

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The upcoming video was shot on a freezing winter’s morning on Narin Beach by Ciaran Dorrian, with Inishkeel Island prominent in the background. The overall feel of the song and video alike is in keeping with JP Kennedy’s charismatic live performances that mix a rock sensibility with Celtic storytelling. His playful rebel persona has proven a hit with wide-ranging audiences, including supporting Australian Celtic rockers The Rumjacks and Canadian Celts The Mahones on tour dates.

Listen to the song here

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