Australian singer/songwriter sings like an angel. He's a lyrical anomaly, and a phenomenal poet. He has just released a new full length album called "Revisited", an eclectic collection of inspiration. He defies genre bounties and has a fan for each song...

I shared questions with Andy regarding his music, his sensitivity and his compassionate way of creating music. The album is compelling and captivating and nearly addicting...

You are very poetic, do you write your songs from "life" experiences?

I guess most Artists are modern day Sponge Bobs (Haha, yes I have a 4 yr old daughter ! ) in that  they absorb and reflect what is going on in their personal lives and what is going on around them. I am very sensitive  and intuitive to that  and  am also very spiritual, although probably not in a strict religious sense. I get inspiration from words that seem simple but convey enormous power, and I try to convey that compassion and hope in my songs. Everyone remembers these sayings :"Some men see the world as it is and say 'Why?' I see the world as it could
be and say, 'Why not?" 'We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope" These words were said over 40 years  ago and are still timeless, but do they have any  less  power and relevance today ? I think not!

Who were your musical influences growing up?

My mother was my inspiration and I remember her playing Cat Stevens to me when I was like, 5 years old and I was thinking wow, that’s awesome! At high school everyone was listening to Queen, Deep Purple  or  AC/DC and
when it was my turn, I put on Neil Young or Leonard Cohen, or someone else with cool lyrics, and my friends would say "What the **** was that !". So many Artists have  deservedly  become famous for their lyrics and others for their melodies, it’s the ones that have the exceptional gift for both, like the Beatles, that become immortal legends.

Do you plan on touring in support of your new album?

When I finish and release my next album, yes definitely. I have so much wonderful new material that I am restless and impatient to get it "off my chest". I would rather tour with 25 or 30 great songs that people know and love rather than just a dozen. If I did that the show would be over in a hour!

You sing like an angel, or at least the way I'd picture an angel singing....do you have a favorite song on "Revisited" that your most proud of it that you love performing live?

I am proud of all of them and I think it was radio station in Canada that said, "there’s a song  on there (Revisited ) for every age and genre." I write from my heart and my soul and I think most listeners pick that up straight away.

"Lucretia's Eylandt" is special as it is based on a true story (the wreck of the Dutch East Indies Ship "Batavia" and the resulting massacre of over 300 people, including women and children, over 350 years ago. Although kept as concubine ,Lucretia was one of the very few survivors and the song is about her). It has everything, unspeakable Horror, love, lust, heroism etc and  is just a classic good vs evil story. It will be a major international film blockbuster one day and I just hope I will still be around to see it! 

"Will there be Love" still gives me goosebumps when I perform it, it's avery moving and reflective song.

If you could have your ultimate stage fantasy what would have to happen?   

Just having someone come to see you perform is already the ultimate fantasy come true. Honestly, what more could a performer want ? Anyone that cares to give up their time  for you are already special. They may come from all walks of life, or maybe they are busy and  going through their own personal issues and emotions, but they have still come to see you, because there is something in your music that they connect to. The stage fantasy is when you hope  there is a little part of you that they take away, but it gets deeper than that.

I got an email from a woman recently whose daughter had been tragically murdered and she said  listening to "Angel" finally gave her closure and some peace  after so many  years of grief. That’s when it’s not fantasy anymore, it’s a soulful and emotional experience.

What inspired you to become a part of the music industry? 

I was born and brought up in a remote rural area of Western Australia, where you had to create your own fun and entertainment. My mother sang and played guitar, and every Sunday after the ritual local footy was finished, everyone would stay and be enthralled by her singing and her playing guitar by the camp fire. It was probably only her only respite from raising seven kids in brutal and harsh conditions. I remember thinking then how much music can change peoples' lives and whether you were a footballer, a burly local farmer, a housewife, a local school teacher, or a farm labourer, music was the ONE common factor that brought them all together at ONE time. My mum never stopped encouraging me from the first time I picked up a guitar, and although she has now passed , her wonderful legacy will stay with me forever.

What advice would you give the younger Andy?

Just be yourself. I know that’s a cliché but its true. We were ALL born into this world as blessed, talented and unique individuals. Our purpose in life is simply to find AND  be yourself. We are not here  to please someone else's ego or conform to their expectations, however well meaning they might be. Just Follow your dreams, that's why we have them!

Youtube Videos
https://youtu.be/aI311P67fMw    Where are you Now
https://youtu.be/NZbJ3n-FPko    Angel
https://youtu.be/9EZp4gEhi_g     Just Because You Love Someone
https://youtu.be/6JrTkbXJAU0     White Lies
https://youtu.be/FI_0GBAEqUM   I just Want to be the One