Newport, South Wales alternative rock and punk band James Kennedy And The Underdogs are gearing up for the release of their sophomore album, Rebel, due out in November 2026 on Konic Records. Ahead of that they’ve been showcasing tracks from it as singles, and their third such release is ‘Shadows’.
The song sees the band take a different direction from the punky, metal energy of the previous singles, showcasing their more melodic, mid-tempo groove, complete with an anthemic sing-along chorus and a soaring guitar solo from Jack Davies.
Of the lyrics, James Kennedy says: “The whole album is about rebelling against the evils and injustices of our times but ‘Shadows’ is about rebelling against our enemy within, our own personal, internal demons (in my case, depression and a busted nervous system). And just as we might throw a Molotov cocktail at tyrants, that same fire within can bring light to the darkest corners of a soul blackened by shadows.”
You can watch the video for ‘Shadows’ below.
The band were formed in 2023 by singer, author, podcaster and former Kyshera frontman James Kennedy. The lineup includes Jack Davies on guitar, Elliot Blake on bass and Aggy Nowicka on drums, all former and current members of Kane’d, Catalysts and Ravenbreed.
In their mere three years as a band they have already earned a reputation for their anarchic, high-energy live shows and released their first album, Make Anger Great Again, on Konic Records.
In June they issued ‘Revolution’ as a single, featuring guest vocals from Skindred‘s Benji Webbe and the first new release to feature him since Skindred’s recent Number One triumph in the UK Official Albums Chart for their latest album, You Got This. Taking a different tone to their earlier bouncy, punky first single *’Us and Them’*, ‘Revolution’ is darker and heavier, bringing the growl back out of Webbe. The song is a play on words, alternating between Kennedy’s disdain for the revolving nature of our social struggles going round and round in revolution and Webbe’s brutal call to arms for a literal revolution.
It’s not the first time the two singers have shared a microphone. Kennedy has previously joined Skindred onstage at the Beautiful Days festival, covering the Jacoby Shaddix vocal part of their classic song ‘Warning’. However, this fresh collaboration cooks up a whole new melting pot of styles, mixing alt-rock and nu-metal with Webbe’s trademark ragga rock stylings.
“To sit and watch Benji do his thing in the studio was an absolute privilege,” said Kennedy. “The man’s talent is mountainous. Everything you hear on the song was one-take, no rehearsal, no preparation. He just pressed record and went for it. Then he made us tea. To witness such an avalanche of talent at work was a real honour.”
Webbe himself declared: “James Kennedy And The Underdogs are the dog’s bollocks and I was totally down to get involved and spit some venom on this uncompromising groove, powerful piece of music and a call to unite. No, we will not lose to them! You’re goddamn right!”
Rebel will be available on all streaming platforms with vinyl and CD editions available here.
