New CD by Valley artist
1 Apr 11
Songwaves
It’s official, summer is over and the autumn crisp mornings are here along with foggy mornings.
Our wonderful magical valley is home to many artists and musicians and one musician in particular invokes the feel of lazy summer days.
You may have heard Andy Gordon playing at The Friendly Inn, a great favourite with locals playing much loved covers along with Jeremy Butterworth.
Andy is also a talented singer/songwriter and released his debut CD late in 2008 called “Life got in the way”. The easy bright melodies belie the lyrics with a twist capturing the pain and beauty of his life.
Recently Andy has been working with Ben Moore of Studio 313 on the Songwaves project. Ben and his team have produced a compilation CD of Shoalhaven’s best male singer songwriters called “Songwaves” which follows on from last years women’s CD “SongBirds”.
Andy started playing trumpet in Year 5 and by the end of school was playing in a band as a drummer. The band “Mistaken Identity” played up and down the South Coast in pubs and club.
Most of the band members were underage and had to be dropped off at gigs by Mums or Dads. It didn’t feel extraordinary being on stage so young, “it just felt right and we were having a blast”. Beaches Hotel in Thirroul was an old stomping ground for Andy.
Andy picked up a guitar in his last years at school and the guitar remains his preferred instrument.
Writing his own material seemed like a natural progression in his musical career.
“My first significant composition was composed for my HSC painting”. “I really enjoyed the process and it seemed to flow from there”
Andy says that he didn’t write songs for at least three years after he left school.
He felt that he waited until he had “lived a little and loved a little and had something to say” rather than just write about teenage angst.
Andy is passionate about the song writing process. He says “that to write some songs is really quick while some songs take ages.
His song “Perfect Afternoon” a clever, catchy and loving salute to his partner took as much time to write as it does to sing (four minutes) while another song has been gestating for 12 years.
Andy keeps all ideas, music and lyrics in a succession of journals that he continually refers to. Late night drives home from gigs are a good time for thinking and working on song ideas.
Andy enjoyed writing for the Songwaves project and recording with a band.
Normally you rehearse with a band and play some live shows with them before you head into the recording studio.
Andy met the drummer and bass player at Studio 313 for the first time before recording the song in five takes. He says “I found them really sympathetic and ready to listen to what I was trying to do with song”. “ They really added some energy and I loved this part of Songwaves”
Andy is also working on a new album so stay tuned.
Songwaves launching Friday May 27, 2011 at The Studio, Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Nowra.
Songwaves will wash over the stage at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre on Friday 27th May, to launch the CD which is rich with song writing magic from some of the newest and some of the most seasoned male performers of the area.
Not to be outdone by the amazing talent of the Songbird girls, the boys have brought a collection of clever, moving, foot stomping, heart breaking songs to the project
www.andygordon.com.au
www.skyedog.net.au
Photograph of Andy by Shelly Sernck