John Andrews (& The John Andrews Band)

 “Our musical taste is varied from Rock, hip-hop, jazz, punk, pop, soul, folk and more. Each of our songs tend to vary quite a bit in style borrowing and blending elements from each.”

Up n’ Comin is happy to introduce this weeks artist, John Andrews. “I write songs, have released 2 EPs solo, formed a band and have released 4 singles to date (with accompanying music videos) under The John Andrews Band.”

John has always been surrounded by music. “I enjoyed singing from going to church at a young age where my mother played the organ. As I grew up I loved Elvis and Johnny Cash from my dad playing them, and Bonjovi, Bryan Adams and the Kinks from my 3 older brothers. The first song I recorded from radio onto cassette tape when I was 8 or 9 was Hazard by Richard Marx.”

Growing up with so many interests in different styles of music, it is no surprise that John’s List of inspirations is huge. It ranges from Nirvana to Leonard Cohen, Pink Floyd to Bob Dylan, Van Morrison to The Clash.

Describing what inspires and catches his attention, John  says, “I'm the songwriter in the band, so for me it's very much about the words, melody, story and delivery. I have always admired Eminem, for example; His ability to show a range of raw emotion with vulnerability and authenticity. I try to do the same with the songs I write.”

In late 2018, the John Andrews band was formed. The band consists of John Andrews (songwriter, vocals, rhythm guitar), Joel Irvine (lead guitarist), Shea McCrea (drums) and Matt Nolan (bass).

“Write for yourself first and foremost. Write without the audience in mind.”

Songwriting is a process that everyone interacts with slightly differently. For John, “the process varies each time. It depends if the lyric comes first or the beat or the melody. I usually start with one or two lines thought of while half day-dreaming. Then I'll sit down to write it once I have enough of these thoughts. Many of our songs tend to be story driven.”

The band, like many others, don’t want to put themselves in a box when it comes to songwriting and genres. They try to constantly “borrow and blend elements from each” when creating their own unique sound.

As said before, John is the songwriter for the band, and he claims to prefer writing alone. “This is because the songs tend to be of a personal nature. After it has been written and chords decided, I bring the basic song to the band and just see what it becomes with them.” Allowing yourself to be open and vulnerable alone is often where musicians find their most open and honest lyrics and narratives.

In fact, a lot of John’s written and released music takes on an autobiographical stance. These were pieces written while John was going through traumatic experiences. Music for him was able to act as a release from the pain he felt during this time.

“What makes us different from other bands is how we blend and mix our style, energy, lyrics and genres.”

The band try to gig every fortnight. By gigging so consistently, they have been able to develop their sound together, creating a more cohesive and unique sound. In fact, when asked what their favourite gig to date was, the answer was, "It is hard to say, we have played a lot of really great gigs!”

There is something so special about releasing vulnerable, relatable music. It draws audiences into your own experiences as well as occasionally vocalising other peoples experiences, when they can’t do it for themselves. “Creating original pieces of work, being able to perform them and hearing from the people who related to them is by far our proudest achievement.”

 

So, what’s next for John Andrews and the John Andrews Band?

“We are about to record our debut album in the coming months entitled "The Blessing and the Curse". We will also be playing our own headline show in The American Bar, Belfast on Saturday 24th August. Hope to see you there.”  

Follow them and keep up to date with all their songs, events and gigs: 

Spotify: The John Andrews Band

Instagram: johnnywasni

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YouTube: The John Andrews Band

iTunes: The John Andrews Band

Amazon Music: The John Andrews Band