The Rise of Kenni Falls
And why "hating yourself isn't romantic anymore."
They say to enjoy the journey, but that’s not always easy—especially in the face of trauma. Iowa singer-songwriter Kenni Falls is no stranger to tough times, but the talented artist is experiencing a powerful personal renaissance, impressing audiences across the Hawkeye State. I recently had the chance to chat about life and music with Kenni inside the comfy confines of Board and Batten in Dallas Center.
FROM CALIFORNIA to CAROLINA
Born in Ventura, California, to a seventeen-year-old mother, Kenni refers to her upbringing as “dysfunctional” and “abusive.” Her mom, Bobbi (“all the girls in my family have boy names” she tells me), met Danny Falls when she was a lifeguard. He was loitering at the swimming pool and she fell for him hard. One of their first “dates” was Bobbi bailing Danny out of jail. Bobbi died when Kenni was 21; Danny was last known to be living in the rough streets of Reno.
After her childhood in California, Kenni moved across the country to Charlotte, North Carolina with her mother, sister Chase, and brother Koleton. During her time in the Tar Heel State, she began to develop a love for live music and performing. She’d play at open mics and her first band was a ska rock outfit. Kenni loved punk and the Crown City scene was full of all genres. More than once, she found herself taking in a show behind the unmistakable lanky frame of Seth Avett, casually enjoying the scene.
“I was a quiet, scary punk kid,” Kenni laughed.
Kenni’s Mom became saved and sober during their time in North Carolina, then passed away shortly thereafter in 2011. Not long after her mom’s death, Kenni was meditating near a river when she heard a voice tell her “You’re not a victim. Stop waiting for permission.” A gigging bartender at the time, Kenni ridded herself of unnecessary baggage and possessions, packed very little around her guitar, and left North Carolina with her brother.
“We just drove until we ran out of gas,” she said. Destination unknown, the pair embarked upon an adventure that crisscrossed the continental United States, letting the kindness of strangers guide them. “People would just give us money and things would work out.”
Along the way, she spent time in the Boston area, around Arizona, and in a Buddhist commune in Ojai, California—just to name a few places. “I was afraid of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Kenni explained. She just kept moving.
TEXAS TRAGEDY
After her Mom’s passing, Kenni became acquainted with some previously unknown family members. Gary and Christine Jackson, her aunt and uncle, lived in Texas. They kept in touch with Kenni and made sure she knew she was welcome in their home. Kenni eventually moved to Texas and when she was 26, the kind couple officially adopted her. When asked by the judge why they wanted to adopt an adult, Gary touchingly told the courtroom, “I don’t know why anyone would have left her in the first place.”
Kenni’s spirituality grew stronger in Texas, and she was a member of a congregation with some strict views. Kenni’s beautiful voice was a featured mainstay in services, but something about the judgmental nature of the flock felt off to her. She struggled with the role of religion in her life and remembers asking God to remove religion from her life.
Two short weeks later, on February 5, 2021, Kenni had a life-altering automobile accident. Since that fateful day, she has had nine reconstructive surgeries; the crisis became another monumental turning point in her life.
When Kenni woke up from the accident in pain, disfigured and unable to speak, she began to sign with her left hand. Her right arm had been crushed and was unusable, but she knew how to spell in ASL. “Am I ugly?” she asked the care team. She wouldn’t actually see herself for weeks. As she came to terms with the severity of her injuries, she asked God to please give her healing tones with her new voice.
Before the accident, Kenni admitted she often dealt with depression and thoughts of suicide. “I struggled with my role in the universe with lots of self-harm and pain, suicide was always on my mind. I had to figure out a new way to love myself. After the accident, I was ‘unlovable’ to so many because of my disfigurement, but it took the opposite for me to truly figure out just how to love myself.”
“Hating yourself isn’t romantic anymore. All that self-loathing energy is just so bad,” she says. “I’m different in a good way” these days.
Kenni admits facing the world after her accident was hard at first. “You can really see people’s hearts pretty quickly when you’re disfigured” she explains. “Kids are mostly just curious, but there are definitely superficial adults that will literally just stare at you. These days I’ve stopped wearing my prosthetic eye and more kids ask questions, which I’m happy to answer.”
IOWA NICE
Kenni moved to Perry, Iowa in 2024, looking for a fresh start and a chance to share her music. “I have never seen people more receptive than here in Iowa. The musicians up here are so helpful” and the people so kind.
“I think we’re here to channel the universe around us that is always releasing words, sounds and colors. It’s in the atmosphere. It’s up to us to articulate what is going on past the thinking part and into the feeling part of our body. And when you really feel something, you get to release it.”
Kenni is extremely spiritual and believes that musicians can “charge hearts” and share tremendous inspiration through their goodness with the world.
“When I was a teenager, I discovered Led Zeppelin. At that time, I often thought about suicide but decided that if something as cool as Led Zeppelin could exist, then I gotta stay alive to see what else is out there.”
Kenni’s next move? She wants to form a band. “This girl was made to rock” she says with a smile.
Kenni Falls performs at 6:30pm this Thursday, November 13 in Board and Batten’s Basement Speakeasy in Dallas Center. Her story is a powerful one of hope, resilience and beauty. If you can use some of that in your life, I’d recommend snagging yourself a seat at one of the white linen high-top tables for her show and a high five or hug afterwards.
To find more stories and insights across the state of Iowa, please consider following and supporting the many talented journalists and storytellers of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative of which I’m a proud member. The IWC Holiday Party will be Wednesday, December 17 at the Harkin Institute in Des Moines at 7pm. It’s FREE for any paid subscriber to any IWC writer column, including this one, or $35 the night of the event. The award-winning duo Weary Ramblers will be performing and IWC authors will be on hand for socialization and goodwill. Please RSVP here.
Please also mark Sunday, November 23 on your calendar for our FREE Musical Feast at xBk in Des Moines supporting the Des Moines Community Radio Foundation and KFMG Radio. We’ve got a robust group of Iowa singer-songwriters coming together and the highly acclaimed Get Off My Lawn ready to rock.
NOTE: All annual paid subscribers to Chip Happens will now receive a copy of my 2025 CD compilation, Twenty-Five, that includes 25 original songs. To those of you that have already upgraded and purchased the CD, my sincerest of thanks! You are a critical component of making Chip Happens! You can upgrade your subscription here and receive a copy for your physical music collection. If you are only in the market for the CD, it is available here for $25. CD art and design were completed by my amazing and talented wife, Jen Albright.
I’m glad I took the time to read this. Kenni has a real story to tell.
Love this! Cheers to Kenni!