Kenzo Cregan grew up steeped in music history, the kind of kid whose parents casually spun Chuck Berry, Elvis, Bowie, and Prince as if they were household names—which, in his Los Angeles home, they were. The son of two professional musicians, Cregan didn’t just discover rock and roll; he inherited it. Now he’s carving out a lane of his own with a guitar-driven sound that feels both reverent and fresh—equal parts California sunshine and British grit.
His latest single, “Talk Tonight,” takes inspiration from a fleeting romance that faded too soon, and transforms it into something universal: the sting of unanswered calls, the ache of what could’ve been. Co-written with Cameron Olsen of Weathers and polished with the help of Etienne Bowler of MisterWives, the track pairs vulnerability with infectious melodies. Talking with Cregan, you get the sense of an artist caught between eras—classic influences anchoring him, but an ear firmly tuned to the present. And just when things get too heavy, he’ll lighten the mood with NBA trivia, delivered with the same passion he brings to music.
Please introduce yourself and give us the backstory on how you got started.
Kenzo Cregan: My name is Kenzo Cregan. I’m a singer/songwriter/musician from Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been playing music practically my whole life. I was introduced to classic rock by my parents, who showed me everything from the ’50s through the ’80s—Chuck Berry, Elvis, The Beatles, The Stones, Bowie, Pink Floyd, Prince. I was exposed to all the great music from those eras. I fell in love with it immediately, and I’ve been lucky to have two parents who played music professionally.
How would you describe your music?
Kenzo Cregan: I’d say my music is very inspired by many of the artists I grew up with. It’s very guitar-driven, while also having a modern flare that gives it a unique sound—something that expresses both my roots of being a SoCal kid, while having British roots as well.
Who are your biggest influences?
Kenzo Cregan: Probably The Beatles, The Stones, Bowie, and The Black Keys.
What was the inspiration behind your new single, “Talk Tonight,” and what was it like collaborating with Cameron Olsen of Weathers and Etienne Bowler of MisterWives?
Kenzo Cregan: I had recently met an incredible woman from another country. It was sort of a long-distance fling that, in a perfect world, wouldn’t have been the case. I wished we had had the chance to be more serious. It came to a point where she stopped answering my calls, and it made me sad. So I wrote a song about it with my good friend Cameron Olsen. He helped me channel the feelings I went through, and together we told the story through hooky melodies and simple lyrics that expressed my disappointment in the whole situation.
We recorded it with a lovely tracking engineer named Eddie Echelon over at The Village Studios in West L.A. We then decided to get Etienne to mix it, since he did such a lovely job with my previous single, “Love Again.” He crushed it once again, and the rest is history!
What would surprise people most about you?
Kenzo Cregan: I’m an obsessive NBA fan—especially when it comes to my home team, the Los Angeles Lakers. I might even know more facts about NBA basketball than I do about classic rock. And I know a lot about classic rock, lol.
Listen to ‘Talk Tonight’ by Kenzo Cregan
Interview by Shawn Alexander from #HAPPENS
#Happens Artist Discovery VIP Access