New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Jullian Records and actress/singer-songwriter Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead, Showtime's Masters of Sex, ABC's Ten Days In The Valley) are excited to present the brand new music video for "Fifteen Minutes," the first single to be lifted from the Friday, April 9 release of Kinney's brand new full-length album titled The Supporting Character (pre-order). Directed by
David Schlussel and featuring a stunning performance by ballet dancer Sydney Moss with choreography by Ashlynn Malia, "Fifteen Minutes" was born out of an idea Kinney had of the song being performed as a ballet dance and how, metaphorically, her personal fears are represented within her own impending performance.
"I love being a performer and actor but I can also be extremely shy, introverted and awkward," Kinney says. "And having the experiences of success, fame and being on a hit TV show have definitely forced me to come right up against those uncomfortable aspects of my personality that maybe aren't as well suited for certain parts of the entertainment industry. Making this video was one of the best, most fun days I've had in the last year." Watch the music video for "Fifteen Minutes" on YouTube.
Additionally, Kinney will celebrate the release of The Supporting Character with a live performance and stream from The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Providing a first look and listen to these songs she's been living with for the past year, Kinney will perform tracks from the new album along with fan favorites from her catalog. Tickets for the livestream are on sale now via ViDDD and The Hotel Café.
Staying busy this past year, Kinney took advantage of 2020's endless days of social distancing and time at home to finish up one of her most personal albums to date. Produced by
Benjamin Greenspan, The Supporting Character touches on themes of heartbreak, loss, family history, creativity and personal growth, and finds Kinney tackling difficult subjects with her trademark lyrical honesty.
While fans may still know her best from her TV and stage work, Emily Kinney's career as a musician has always run parallel to her career as an actress. When listening to her expansive discography, from early releases such as Blue Toothbrush to 2018's Oh Jonathan, Kinney's growth as a songwriter and artist is clearly evident. Her forthcoming album, The Supporting Character, continues in this vein, highlighting her maturity as a musician while also shining a light on the aspects of her life that she is still learning to navigate.
Living in LA, for example, has always come with its own set of challenges. "It's tempting to compare my progress to others, especially in a city like LA where so many people are doing so many cool things," she says. "When the Midnight Fireworks Start" delves into this tendency to compare and sees Kinney evaluate her own creative practice as well. "That song really explores the fact that I know that I work and develop slowly," she continues. "I tend to chip away at things bit by bit, but I still have a feeling that I'm on the right path and something special is going to happen with my creative endeavours in the future."
Other noteworthy songs on The Supporting Character include "Omaha Hotel," the album's title track and "Genetic Makeup," a trio of songs that touch on family history and the importance of maintaining a strong connection to the people who know her best. "'The Supporting Character', for example, was written after a weekend with my dad in San Diego, pre-COVID," she says. "I drove home on the 5 and remembered thinking that I was a part of something much bigger than myself. Life is really magical and goes by so fast and I realized that I want to spend more time with my family and friends and less time chasing my career."
In addition to songs related to family ties and grief, Kinney also includes a brutally honest track about her struggle with body image and the pressure that women-especially women in the public eye-face to be thin. "Obviously being an actor, I'm constantly aware of my size and how I look and some days I regret the amount of time I spend thinking about it," she says of the song "Skinny." "The chorus talks about how I used to think that when you're smaller you're doing better, but I've realized that I'm my skinniest when I'm doing the worst, emotionally."
With several albums under her belt and with more songs always on the way, Kinney is a prolific writer and an unstoppable force. Her heartfelt lyrics and arresting melodies are on full display on The Supporting Character-a captivating album from an artist who shows no signs of slowing down.
