Who Are The Bad Guys
Ken Newman
A haunting reflection on conflict, compassion, and the stories we tell ourselves about who's right and who's wrong.
🎙️Key Presenter Talk-Up Points
- •Ken Newman’s “Who Are The Bad Guys” was recorded at the legendary Hyde Street Studio A in San Francisco and blends intimate acoustic moments with fuller, cinematic arrangements.
- •The song began as guitar and voice and grew to include drums, piano, and flamenco-influenced guitar — its choruses tumble forward while the verses leave space to breathe.
- •It’s a reflective take on conflict and complicity: Newman deliberately avoids simple villains, asking listeners to examine how we participate in the systems we criticize.
- •Ken is an award-winning visual and musical artist — his 2022 work earned 25 international music video awards, and he was one of 13 artists invited to perform at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival in 2024.
- •Based between San Francisco and Zihuatanejo, Newman channels influences like Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen into songs that feel both intimate and cinematic.
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Artist is available for interviews
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Ken Newman
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Upcoming Tour Dates
Sun, 23 Aug 2026
Whale's Tail Music Festival
San Francisco
Track Story
“Who Are the Bad Guys” came from my frustration with how easily we reduce everything to slogans and sides while ignoring our own participation in the systems we criticize. I didn’t want to write a song about simple villains. The line between innocence and complicity felt much blurrier than that. Musically, it began as just acoustic guitar and voice, then grew into a fuller track with drums, piano, and flamenco-influenced guitar textures. The verses leave room to breathe, while the choruses tumble forward almost without pause. The goal was for the song to feel less like a political statement than an uncomfortable conversation we are all part of. It was recorded at Hyde Street Studio A in San Francisco on April 2, 2026.
About Ken Newman
Ken Newman is a songwriter, performer, and creative director whose work lives at the intersection of poetry, politics, and human vulnerability. Drawing inspiration from artists like Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and David Bowie, Newman writes songs that ask difficult questions without pretending to offer easy answers. His latest single, “Who Are the Bad Guys,” explores power, inequality, propaganda, and complicity through sharp imagery and emotionally charged storytelling, turning the lens as much toward ourselves as the systems around us. Rather than preaching, Newman’s writing leans into ambiguity, tension, and empathy, allowing listeners to arrive at their own conclusions. Originally from San Francisco and now based much of the year in Zihuatanejo, Newman brings decades of experience as both a musician and storyteller to his work. His songs move fluidly between intimate personal reflection and broader social commentary, often blending intimate acoustic textures with cinematic emotional weight. Whether performing solo with a single guitar or building layered studio arrangements, Newman’s focus remains the same: songs that feel lived in, emotionally honest, and unafraid to confront uncomfortable truths.
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3,018
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Awards & Recognition
🏆 Awards
Have won 25 international music video awards for films made from my 2022 release, "What Am I Afraid Of?"
🎤 Notable Performances
Performed at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival in 2024. I was one of 13 artists selected from entries around the world.
Press Assets
For Radio & Media
Radio Intro
Up next is Ken Newman’s new single “Who Are The Bad Guys,” a haunting, radio-friendly reflection on conflict, compassion, and our own complicity. Recorded at Hyde Street Studio A in San Francisco, the track blends intimate acoustic moments with cinematic flourishes — here’s Ken Newman.
Press Blurb
Ken Newman is a songwriter, performer, and creative director whose work sits at the crossroads of poetry, politics, and human vulnerability. Drawing on influences from Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen to the narrative force of Jesse Welles, Newman crafts songs that ask difficult questions without offering easy answers. His latest single, “Who Are The Bad Guys,” began as a spare guitar-and-voice meditation and evolved into a layered studio piece featuring drums, piano, and flamenco-tinged guitar textures. Recorded at Hyde Street Studio A in San Francisco on April 2, 2026, the song probes how quickly we reduce complex conflicts to slogans and sides, inviting listeners into an uncomfortable but necessary conversation about innocence, complicity, and storytelling. A seasoned performer with international recognition — including 25 music video awards tied to his 2022 release “What Am I Afraid Of?” and a 2024 appearance at the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival — Newman balances cinematic scope with intimate honesty, offering music that feels lived-in, emotionally charged, and thought-provoking.
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