Meet Kendall Allen of KNDL in Missouri City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Allen.

Kendall, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Music is the blood of the soul. It is the bond between strangers and the bond between language barriers. A world without it would be mundane and without color, so having this gift of creating it is something very special to me. I would not be doing my part if I kept it all to myself, so I am eager to share my craft with the world.

I am KNDL, a singer/songwriter from the supreme suburb outside of Houston; Missouri City, TX. I began singing and dancing as a child in front of family and friends, but I did not take my craft seriously until I was about 11 when I was forced to participate in a middle school talent show that I had previously told my mom I wanted to be perform in but tried to chicken out of at the last minute.

I pretty much knew nothing of what it meant to be a singer/artist, but after the talent show I knew I wanted to be one and began paying closer attention to music and crafting my skills as a singer. Joining the worship team at my church and enrolling in choir in high school all helped in aiding that process.

For as long as I can remember, I had always been pretty mediocre at writing in school when it came to papers and essays. For some reason, I was never able to articulate myself on paper, so I don’t know what possessed me into thinking I should start writing music. But I’m so glad that I did. At around 15, I picked up the pen for the first time and attempted to write some lyrics and was surprisingly impressed with what I came up with and how I was able to express myself, being as though I had struggled my whole life with this very same task. Something about putting lyrics to music tricked my brain and allowed me to produce a piece of work that I was somewhat proud of and made me feel encouraged enough to do it more. I wrote my first song for a friend the very next year and developed a love for a talent I never knew I had. Handcrafting melodies and lyrics for others in turn inspired me to start writing my own songs and release them online.

Fast forward to today, I released an EP with a group of my close friends that landed us the opportunity to perform at the Houston Super Bowl Live events at Discovery Green. And I also have released a few singles as a solo artist along with a few music videos and covers.

This year I have been really focused on creating a solid bulk of songs that I can roll out every few weeks to build some steam. I’ve also been meeting and connecting with A&Rs, other writers, and producers to share my work with them in hopes to land songwriting placements with other artists. I’m looking forward to the near future and the many possibilities it has to offer. So stay tuned for the journey, and allow me to share with you the gift of my music.

Has it been a smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth. I grew up in a family that knew about music, a lot of them sang, but none of them really got into artistry or knew much about how to maneuver through the music industry. So my brothers and I had to figure things out on our own. Researching how to build a studio, write, record, shoot videos, and properly release the content online. We had to learn about the music business, and build relationships with people who could help steer us in the right direction in order to be successful.

I also struggled with self discouragement at times, feeling like my craft was not good enough. Which put me in a place of stagnancy for a while where I wasn’t finishing songs I started and was not releasing anything for anyone to hear. I remember having to take a step back and realize that if I continue to stay in this mindset, that I would never be able to do what I know I was called to do on this Earth.

So getting out of my own way was the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of my creativity. Self-acceptance and positive affirmations got me back on the track to fulfill my purpose.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I don’t personally like to use the phrase “Jack of all trades” but I do pride myself in having a lot of different talents and being able to do them well. I am an artist that expresses himself as a singer/songwriter/producer mainly but I also work in graphic design, photography, videography, and acting. Most things in the spectrum of art I tend to find an interest in.

With music, I fully enjoy so many different genres that I also like to translate it into my own music. So on Monday you might hear some “R&B” or “Hip Hop” from me, then turn around a throw a “rock” song at you. Pun intended.

Living in such a diverse city is most likely the reason I enjoy jumping around genres. There are so many different cultures here that it’d be a shame not to dabble in something other than what you grew up on.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I absolutely love Houston, I think it is one of the best cities in the U.S. Like I said earlier there are plenty cultures in this city, but there is also just a Houston culture that is like no other city. From the food to the environment I don’t know if there is a better city to live in.

I do however believe that we are lacking a proper music industry here. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of places where people are able to share their musical craft in Houston, but a lot of people seem to outsource to other cities that are seen as the more prominent cities for music & arts like Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, etc.. We have some of the most talented people here in Houston that frequently go unnoticed. I think that just simply collaborating with each other more often would help alleviate that issue and really put Houston on another level. There is no reason we should not be mentioned among those other cities, especially while being the 4th largest city in the U.S.