Andy Shauf

Andy Shauf is really cute, but that’s not what makes him such a captivating performer. The Regina, Saskatchewan singer-songwriter is blunt and sharp, and his latest record, The Bearer Of Bad News, contains the perfect balance of artistic uncertainty and absolute spirituality. Though Shauf’s one-man material is minimal, it’s anything but boring. Think of him as Canada’s modern answer to Nick Drake—this week, at least. - The A.V. Club

Andy Shauf is really cute, but that’s not what makes him such a captivating performer. The Regina, Saskatchewan singer-songwriter is blunt and sharp, and his latest record, The Bearer Of Bad News, contains the perfect balance of artistic uncertainty and absolute spirituality. Though Shauf’s one-man material is minimal, it’s anything but boring. Think of him as Canada’s modern answer to Nick Drake—this week, at least. - The A.V. Club

When I interviewed Andy Shauf, we were talking in his Regina home. He moved into the Cathedral neighbourhood house from his parents’ place in rural Saskatchewan, where he had recorded most of his new album, The Bearer of Bad News.

There, he had a big, empty room to set himself up in. Here in Regina, his studio and practice space is the basement of a shared house.

Shauf practices and records here, as do his bands, Foxwarren and College Kids. His bandmate (and the guy who actually owns the house), Darryl Kissick, is records his own solo work down there, too.

It’s a more crowded experience for Shauf.

“When I was at my parents’, they were gone all day so I could just sit around, figure it out. Now I never know when people are going to be walking around upstairs.”

(Later in our talk, someone in the house takes a big, echoey pee — clearly audible in the recording space — that leaves no question as to whether the person was standing up. Another fact of life with roommates.)

Weird circumstances for someone College Kids and Library Voices member Carl Johnson calls “the Paul Simon of Regina, of Saskatchewan, of Western Canada.” But Shauf’s dealt with weirder.

After signing with an American label who released his 2007 album, Darker Days, he was pitched into music industry limbo for years.

“I was supposed to release a record in 2009 on Hopeless Records, and they just kept stringing me along and had me touring the States, trying to promote my other album that wasn’t selling at all,” says Shauf. “Eventually, they let me go. I asked to be let go because nothing was happening.

“I had 150 songs or something from over those years, waiting to release a new album, so I narrowed it all down.”

I ask, and Shauf says 150 songs isn’t hyperbole. If it wasn’t that many, it was close.

“I went through a phase where I would write so many songs. I don’t really do that anymore. There were a lot of really bad songs.”

What was the worst? “There were a lot of worsts.”

Shauf continued to tour and play locally in the intervening years, building a reputation across Canada for a compelling voice both literally and lyrically and an uncompromising dedication to songwriting.

Johnson remembers when he first experienced Shauf’s music.

“He, or someone putting on the show, asked me to play the Buffalo Lounge; the only time I’ve been in there. I remember just watching him play and it just blew my mind. I remember he played an acoustic song by himself for the encore. He stood in the middle of all these kids. I was just as in awe as any of the teenagers there that night.”

Shauf moved back in with parents following the release of Darker Days, beginning demos for whatever release would come next.

“When I moved there initially, my dad was like ‘Okay, this time you can pay rent,’ and I was like ‘Okay.’ And he was like ‘$300 a month’, which is totally reasonable.

“That lasted three months. I ran out of money.”

Luckily, his parents were fine with him sticking. (They really do seem like game people, having sung harmonies at a show of his at least once that I’m aware of.)

Once Shauf escaped his contract with Hopeless Records, he started work on a follow-up. Originally, he thought of doing a double album since he had such a backlog of songs and hadn’t released any recorded material for so long.

Eventually, he winnowed that down to a tight 11 songs — what is now The Bearer of Bad News.

He played virtually everything on the album, apart from the drums on one song done by Avery Kissick. That means vocals, piano, bass, violin, clarinet, drums, guitar –– all recorded and performed by Shauf.

“Everything changes a million times until it feels like it’s right,” he says.

The trial-and-error process was complicated by the fact that he was working with a home studio of his own design. “I’m not super good at recording, so mostly I’d set up stuff close to my desk so I could hit Space and walk over quickly.”

The cumulative picture –– a young man working on an independent release by himself in his parents’ home in rural Saskatchewan –– is surprising, especially when you look at the finished product. Full bands would have to work damn hard to produce something so purposeful.

Johnson obviously envies the ability.

“I’ve never seen anyone play that many things that well that naturally, but he still keeps the song as the centre point,” he says. “Nothing conflicts with that. It’s always one thing in the centre and everything he does serves that purpose.”

Still, Shauf was dispirited during some of the process for Bearer.

“There were a lot of nights where I was like ‘Am I ever going to finish this?’ I worked on it for a year but some days, I would just sit there, trying one piano thing and being like ‘This is the worst thing ever.’ Then just playing Wii Tennis or something.

“I can be pretty lazy sometimes. There were a lot of nights where I was wondering if it would ever come out or if I’d finish i - Prairie Dog Mag

When I interviewed Andy Shauf, we were talking in his Regina home. He moved into the Cathedral neighbourhood house from his parents’ place in rural Saskatchewan, where he had recorded most of his new album, The Bearer of Bad News.

There, he had a big, empty room to set himself up in. Here in Regina, his studio and practice space is the basement of a shared house.

Shauf practices and records here, as do his bands, Foxwarren and College Kids. His bandmate (and the guy who actually owns the house), Darryl Kissick, is records his own solo work down there, too.

It’s a more crowded experience for Shauf.

“When I was at my parents’, they were gone all day so I could just sit around, figure it out. Now I never know when people are going to be walking around upstairs.”

(Later in our talk, someone in the house takes a big, echoey pee — clearly audible in the recording space — that leaves no question as to whether the person was standing up. Another fact of life with roommates.)

Weird circumstances for someone College Kids and Library Voices member Carl Johnson calls “the Paul Simon of Regina, of Saskatchewan, of Western Canada.” But Shauf’s dealt with weirder.

After signing with an American label who released his 2007 album, Darker Days, he was pitched into music industry limbo for years.

“I was supposed to release a record in 2009 on Hopeless Records, and they just kept stringing me along and had me touring the States, trying to promote my other album that wasn’t selling at all,” says Shauf. “Eventually, they let me go. I asked to be let go because nothing was happening.

“I had 150 songs or something from over those years, waiting to release a new album, so I narrowed it all down.”

I ask, and Shauf says 150 songs isn’t hyperbole. If it wasn’t that many, it was close.

“I went through a phase where I would write so many songs. I don’t really do that anymore. There were a lot of really bad songs.”

What was the worst? “There were a lot of worsts.”

Shauf continued to tour and play locally in the intervening years, building a reputation across Canada for a compelling voice both literally and lyrically and an uncompromising dedication to songwriting.

Johnson remembers when he first experienced Shauf’s music.

“He, or someone putting on the show, asked me to play the Buffalo Lounge; the only time I’ve been in there. I remember just watching him play and it just blew my mind. I remember he played an acoustic song by himself for the encore. He stood in the middle of all these kids. I was just as in awe as any of the teenagers there that night.”

Shauf moved back in with parents following the release of Darker Days, beginning demos for whatever release would come next.

“When I moved there initially, my dad was like ‘Okay, this time you can pay rent,’ and I was like ‘Okay.’ And he was like ‘$300 a month’, which is totally reasonable.

“That lasted three months. I ran out of money.”

Luckily, his parents were fine with him sticking. (They really do seem like game people, having sung harmonies at a show of his at least once that I’m aware of.)

Once Shauf escaped his contract with Hopeless Records, he started work on a follow-up. Originally, he thought of doing a double album since he had such a backlog of songs and hadn’t released any recorded material for so long.

Eventually, he winnowed that down to a tight 11 songs — what is now The Bearer of Bad News.

He played virtually everything on the album, apart from the drums on one song done by Avery Kissick. That means vocals, piano, bass, violin, clarinet, drums, guitar –– all recorded and performed by Shauf.

“Everything changes a million times until it feels like it’s right,” he says.

The trial-and-error process was complicated by the fact that he was working with a home studio of his own design. “I’m not super good at recording, so mostly I’d set up stuff close to my desk so I could hit Space and walk over quickly.”

The cumulative picture –– a young man working on an independent release by himself in his parents’ home in rural Saskatchewan –– is surprising, especially when you look at the finished product. Full bands would have to work damn hard to produce something so purposeful.

Johnson obviously envies the ability.

“I’ve never seen anyone play that many things that well that naturally, but he still keeps the song as the centre point,” he says. “Nothing conflicts with that. It’s always one thing in the centre and everything he does serves that purpose.”

Still, Shauf was dispirited during some of the process for Bearer.

“There were a lot of nights where I was like ‘Am I ever going to finish this?’ I worked on it for a year but some days, I would just sit there, trying one piano thing and being like ‘This is the worst thing ever.’ Then just playing Wii Tennis or something.

“I can be pretty lazy sometimes. There were a lot of nights where I was wondering if it would ever come out or if I’d finish i - Prairie Dog Mag

It’s not often that a voice like Andy Shauf’s shows up unexpectedly in your inbox. I’ve somehow remained in the dark to the magnificence that is this Prairie boy, but I immediately allowed him to take me by the hand and eagerly followed him into the melancholy abyss he has created on his latest effort The Bearer of Bad News.

Shauf does it all on this release. With poetic lyricism, he plays the role of storyteller, each song a fictional story that plays out like personal memoirs set to music. Combining themes of death, dying, and loneliness, there is a sombre darkness to the tales Shauf weaves, though he executes them gracefully and beautifully. Possessing such a unique lilt to his voice and an old soul quality to his delivery, you feel as if you’ve been transported to another era. From the first opening bars of “Hometown Hero,” you are presented with an array of bewitching instrumentals including guitar, piano, strings, drums and even clarinet. The texture provided by the full-bodied trill of the clarinet is perhaps best displayed on “Drink My Rivers” and “I’m Not Falling Asleep.”

An obvious standout track on the record is the eight-minute marathon of a song “Wendell Walker.” On the surface it passed me by as an average account of the bitter cold of winter. However, digging deeper, past the slight mumble on some of Shauf’s delivery into the depth of the lyrics reveals a treacherous story of a secret affair that ends in death and suicide. Backed by simple instrumentals throughout much of it, as the song nears the 7:15 mark, the strings come in – just briefly – to really set the terrifying scene. This seemingly simple addition builds knuckle-clenching anticipation as you wait with bated breath to learn the final resolution of the narrative.

“The Man On Stage” and “Lick Your Wounds” are rare beams of light on the album. “Light” of course being a relative term, as their more upbeat melodies can’t fully mask the still-despondent lyrics. The album ends with “My Dear Helen.” In this letter or one-sided dialogue to the deceased woman, Shauf’s character is an old man left with only a dog to keep him company. The twist in the story emerges when he becomes an accidental killer and is forced to spend the rest of his days pondering his ultimate fate. Wherever he is drawing inspiration from – real or imagined – this recurring sense of morbidness reveals an unexpected profoundness beyond Shauf’s young years. Shauf may proclaim that “I am not a poet, I’m a broken heart” on “The Man On Stage,” but everything about this record is pure and utter poetry.

Shauf is currently finishing up a tour of Western Canada. Until he makes his way to Ontario, I’ll be catching up on the rest of his past records as well. - Buying Shots For Bands

It’s not often that a voice like Andy Shauf’s shows up unexpectedly in your inbox. I’ve somehow remained in the dark to the magnificence that is this Prairie boy, but I immediately allowed him to take me by the hand and eagerly followed him into the melancholy abyss he has created on his latest effort The Bearer of Bad News.

Shauf does it all on this release. With poetic lyricism, he plays the role of storyteller, each song a fictional story that plays out like personal memoirs set to music. Combining themes of death, dying, and loneliness, there is a sombre darkness to the tales Shauf weaves, though he executes them gracefully and beautifully. Possessing such a unique lilt to his voice and an old soul quality to his delivery, you feel as if you’ve been transported to another era. From the first opening bars of “Hometown Hero,” you are presented with an array of bewitching instrumentals including guitar, piano, strings, drums and even clarinet. The texture provided by the full-bodied trill of the clarinet is perhaps best displayed on “Drink My Rivers” and “I’m Not Falling Asleep.”

An obvious standout track on the record is the eight-minute marathon of a song “Wendell Walker.” On the surface it passed me by as an average account of the bitter cold of winter. However, digging deeper, past the slight mumble on some of Shauf’s delivery into the depth of the lyrics reveals a treacherous story of a secret affair that ends in death and suicide. Backed by simple instrumentals throughout much of it, as the song nears the 7:15 mark, the strings come in – just briefly – to really set the terrifying scene. This seemingly simple addition builds knuckle-clenching anticipation as you wait with bated breath to learn the final resolution of the narrative.

“The Man On Stage” and “Lick Your Wounds” are rare beams of light on the album. “Light” of course being a relative term, as their more upbeat melodies can’t fully mask the still-despondent lyrics. The album ends with “My Dear Helen.” In this letter or one-sided dialogue to the deceased woman, Shauf’s character is an old man left with only a dog to keep him company. The twist in the story emerges when he becomes an accidental killer and is forced to spend the rest of his days pondering his ultimate fate. Wherever he is drawing inspiration from – real or imagined – this recurring sense of morbidness reveals an unexpected profoundness beyond Shauf’s young years. Shauf may proclaim that “I am not a poet, I’m a broken heart” on “The Man On Stage,” but everything about this record is pure and utter poetry.

Shauf is currently finishing up a tour of Western Canada. Until he makes his way to Ontario, I’ll be catching up on the rest of his past records as well. - Buying Shots For Bands

As a big advocate of the power of strong songwriting, I cannot stress the importance it is to have a beautifully written song over a big time catchy beat. The compelling writing voice of Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Andy Shauf is a perfect example of modern Canadian songwriters still holding onto this importance as well.

Earlier this year, Shauf’s EP Sam Jones Feeds His Demons gave listeners an ultimate preview of a refreshed sound for the musician. With a fuller band sound, most of the additional instruments are actually played by Shauf himself, and the already mentioned gifted storytelling, Shauf’s latest full-length record The Bearer of Bad News is a captivating one.

A solid mixture of sad personal songwriting and character based songs, with every new listen of The Bearer of Bad News, a phrase or verse captures your attention, continuing your recognition of the vivid creativity that Shauf has put forth with the new record.

The ambitious eight plus minute “Wendell Walker” is the biggest example of Shauf’s strong creativity and these story like characters he is able to put into song. With an ominous instrumentation section, Shauf writes of a love triangle between friends turned deadly, “He reloaded his gun, and he put it in his mouth. And I stood in the room that I’d created.” Like “Wendell Walker,” in a simple piano driven song, the closer “My Dear Helen” has a similar captivating narrative which ultimately will close the record in an unforgettable way.

Continuing the striking lyrical output from Shauf, “Jesus, She’s A Good Girl” is a more instrumentally limited song but the scattered delicate touch of the keyboards plus the vulnerability that Shauf brings across, “Jesus, she’s a good girl I don’t want to hurt her,” sings Shauf, makes for a standout song.

As mentioned, instrumentally The Bearer of Bad News branches off, beautifully including a clarinet (the poppy-sounding opener “Hometown Hero” and the following “Drink My Rivers” are some of the best examples) and a piano (“Lick Your Wounds” is another great one that features piano) among other instruments all add yet another fantastic element to an already sound record.

In a press release somewhere, Shauf is described as having a “cult following” – an extremely accurate descriptions of Andy Shauf’s legion of fans – but it’s really not enough for this talented songwriter and storyteller. So go tell all your friends of the talented Andy Shauf. - Grayowl Point

As a big advocate of the power of strong songwriting, I cannot stress the importance it is to have a beautifully written song over a big time catchy beat. The compelling writing voice of Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Andy Shauf is a perfect example of modern Canadian songwriters still holding onto this importance as well.

Earlier this year, Shauf’s EP Sam Jones Feeds His Demons gave listeners an ultimate preview of a refreshed sound for the musician. With a fuller band sound, most of the additional instruments are actually played by Shauf himself, and the already mentioned gifted storytelling, Shauf’s latest full-length record The Bearer of Bad News is a captivating one.

A solid mixture of sad personal songwriting and character based songs, with every new listen of The Bearer of Bad News, a phrase or verse captures your attention, continuing your recognition of the vivid creativity that Shauf has put forth with the new record.

The ambitious eight plus minute “Wendell Walker” is the biggest example of Shauf’s strong creativity and these story like characters he is able to put into song. With an ominous instrumentation section, Shauf writes of a love triangle between friends turned deadly, “He reloaded his gun, and he put it in his mouth. And I stood in the room that I’d created.” Like “Wendell Walker,” in a simple piano driven song, the closer “My Dear Helen” has a similar captivating narrative which ultimately will close the record in an unforgettable way.

Continuing the striking lyrical output from Shauf, “Jesus, She’s A Good Girl” is a more instrumentally limited song but the scattered delicate touch of the keyboards plus the vulnerability that Shauf brings across, “Jesus, she’s a good girl I don’t want to hurt her,” sings Shauf, makes for a standout song.

As mentioned, instrumentally The Bearer of Bad News branches off, beautifully including a clarinet (the poppy-sounding opener “Hometown Hero” and the following “Drink My Rivers” are some of the best examples) and a piano (“Lick Your Wounds” is another great one that features piano) among other instruments all add yet another fantastic element to an already sound record.

In a press release somewhere, Shauf is described as having a “cult following” – an extremely accurate descriptions of Andy Shauf’s legion of fans – but it’s really not enough for this talented songwriter and storyteller. So go tell all your friends of the talented Andy Shauf. - Grayowl Point

When you first hit “play” for the opening track of The Bearer Of Bad News, you might think about how the classic, lighthearted character who is being sung into existence must be real and possibly even someone Andy Shauf knows intimately, but if you’ve listened to the greater body of Shauf’s other work (like his preceding EP, Sam Jones Feeds His Demons), you’ll find that The Bearer Of Bad News is a product of Shauf’s dark imagination. Although most of the stories herein are fictional, there is a simple truth underneath. Amidst brilliant clarinet, strings, and piano arrangements, you’ll find the honest words of a young songwriter, beyond his years.
The first three songs introduce the featured instruments and almost walk hand in hand with the story. Shauf seems to hesitate on the road in which he leads the listener. “Is it as bad as it seems?” he asks, “When will I ever be safe from myself, if the danger all lies between heaven and hell?” There is no clear answer to these questions, but we agree to stay a while and humor him some more. It seems as if this deep forest of thought might have a clearing ahead, but almost in an instant you feel as if Shauf has fallen into a trance, predicting his own future: “I will die a poor man, covered in dust, dreaming of you…” With that, Shauf is then baptized into the chief role of The Bearer Of Bad News.
With his budding mind, Shauf paves the way into the sonic space of the long-awaited “Wendell Walker.” It doesn’t need much instrumentation to paint the picture of an affair, doomed from the start. The music embraces the lyrics and merely creates a backdrop to honor the story. It is with this song that Shauf associates himself even more strongly with “the bearer,” and we don’t know whether to listen as an audience or find ourselves a part of “the room [he has] created.”
Tracks 7, 8, and 9 act as a brief movement away from the heavy theme of the previous song; they’re easier to digest, even though they’re equally as somber. “The Man On Stage” paints a bittersweet picture of a young man pouring his heart out for others. Musically, it makes its way out of the whirling suspense and into something a bit more reminiscent of Shauf’s first full-length record, Darker Days. The next song, “Jesus, She’s A Good Girl,” recalls some of the uncertainty found in Shauf’s older work. His words “Why you always call me a liar, when I’m trying to tell the truth?” sound less like a question and more like a comment. Perhaps this is how many of us feel when we are tired of our hearts being broken by those who we trust.
The ninth track, “Lick Your Wounds,” is almost like a refrain for the doubting mind of the narrator, an opportunity for the storyteller to just let go and say what’s on his mind. However, his words are proclaimed in an incoherent way, much like someone venting to a psycho-therapist, so that what you hear are a bunch of thoughts that can only nudge at their meanings. The song inspires images of Shauf sitting in an empty room, melodically ranting to himself in his self-prescribed loneliness until he is once again rehabilitated.
The album’s final track, ”My Dear Helen,” is possibly the saddest story Shauf has to tell, but it’s told with a freedom that allows the listener to depart from the heavier themes. The shaky, ghostlike vocals full of doubt and despair lead you to believe that this is just another tale, clever but fleeting. That is, until you realize the significance of the tale…the most dreadful twist you can imagine. It takes a couple listens to “get” what the song is about. Hint: The connection lies between the last two tracks…
The Bearer Of Bad News is the official declaration by Shauf that he is not only the skinny framed and charming songster from the prairie (Regina, Canada), but he is also a heavyweight storyteller who is capable of narrating. Woven in between the tales are the honest feelings of one who is burdened by the due subsequence of a modern raconteur.
Andy Shauf is releasing The Bearer Of Bad News on November 6. - The Bomber Jacket

The other day, I found myself in a discussion about art and how it is made and received. Ultimately, there are artists – be them actors or painters or musicians – that treat their art like a job. They have schedules, deadlines and deliverables. Each time out they get better at what they do, but ultimately (like the corporate equivalent), risks and rewards take a back seat to consistent, reliable output.

Fewer and fewer artists are looking for a dare to be great sitaution (kickboxing, sport of the future), but Andy Shauf is not simply hoping to get paid for writing songs. He’s determined to create something lasting and meaningful. The Bearer of Bad News consumed over four years of his life; timelines became a foreign concept as work was put in often with little to no output and it continued until the songs were complete not just finished.

I last saw Andy play in Halifax, a solitary man hunched over his guitar. His words were whispered. They haunted and lingered in the quiet Carleton air just like the spirits and distant memories he sings of, but The Bearer of Bad News is a different beast altogether.

Piano, strings, clarinet and acoustic give Shauf’s words a polish and depth you wouldn’t expect from the soft spoken strummer, but it’s still the stories not the sounds that defines Shauf’s work. With careful wording, Shauf develops characters with the attention most song writers prepare choruses. Moments are expanded and presented with honest passion, not cheapened or rushed through quickly to get back to the hook. Bearer of Bad News is patient and pain filled, and it’s something that sticks with you long after the two week press cycles grinds to a stop. - Herohill

Not too long ago, a high-school age Andy Shauf was recording melodies in his bedroom, not even letting his closest friends in on his craft. These days, he plays those once-secret demos for everyone, making his full-length debut with the alt-country confessions of Darker Days. Citing influences like Elliott Smith and Pedro the Lion, the Canadian-bred singer-songwriter combines somber acoustic intimacy with the warmth of twanging banjo, male-female harmonies and hand-claps — plus a little electric jolt, for good measure. Through these understated songs of love and loss, 21-year-old Shauf strides out of the awkwardness of adolescence and into quarter-life quandary. Looks like he’ll be right at home. — Julia Askenase - Paste Magazine

Not too long ago, a high-school age Andy Shauf was recording melodies in his bedroom, not even letting his closest friends in on his craft. These days, he plays those once-secret demos for everyone, making his full-length debut with the alt-country confessions of Darker Days. Citing influences like Elliott Smith and Pedro the Lion, the Canadian-bred singer-songwriter combines somber acoustic intimacy with the warmth of twanging banjo, male-female harmonies and hand-claps — plus a little electric jolt, for good measure. Through these understated songs of love and loss, 21-year-old Shauf strides out of the awkwardness of adolescence and into quarter-life quandary. Looks like he’ll be right at home. — Julia Askenase - Paste Magazine

Evocative and decidedly old-soul in disposition, Andy Shauf’s voice is equal parts Sam Beam and Elliott Smith. The songwriting wunderkind started playing in bands at 14 and had released three EPs before the age of 20. Waiting for the Sun to Leave is his defining statement, and a glorious sign of things to come.

Worried about sound quality? Don't be. These MP3s are encoded at 320kbps, the highest quality allowed by the MP3 standard. - Paste Magazine

Evocative and decidedly old-soul in disposition, Andy Shauf’s voice is equal parts Sam Beam and Elliott Smith. The songwriting wunderkind started playing in bands at 14 and had released three EPs before the age of 20. Waiting for the Sun to Leave is his defining statement, and a glorious sign of things to come.

Worried about sound quality? Don't be. These MP3s are encoded at 320kbps, the highest quality allowed by the MP3 standard. - Paste Magazine

In every Andy Shauf review, reviewers always seem to want to bring up Elliott Smith but I just don’t hear the comparison. I saw Elliott Smith perform just once – when he opened for DC hometown heroes Tsumani – and I thought it was just “sad old b*stard music”. After repeated listens, I still don’t come away from Andy’s music with the weighty sense of melancholia that I do after listening to Elliott Smith so I would suggest that better points of comparison are Jeff Buckley or Nick Drake.

When I originally reviewed Shauf’s Darker Days, I didn’t realize that the disc had been available in some form for the past four years. Andy’s latest EP, “Waiting for the Sun to Leave”, is an 8-track, 25 minute basement recording of songs that Andy has been playing live for the last few years. Each of the songs prominently features Andy’s soulful vocals and he accompanies himself on acoustic guitar. There are light backing vocals and additional instrumentation on some of tracks but the connection point for most listeners is likely to be Andy’s mini-vignettes/narrative lyrics.

Similar to Darker Days, the lyrics for “Waiting for the Sun to Leave” are reflective and introspective. The songs capture snapshots of people, moments in time and changing relationships. As the eight tracks are all stylistically similar, Andy’s latest video for the song “Open” should provide a good sense for the sound of this album. - Brooklyn Rocks

A choir, handclaps and banjo are ubiquitous on an indie folk record. Buttery smooth vocals vaguely reminiscent of Paul Simon are not.
Andy Shauf, please take one step forward from the pack.

Hailing from the great white north affectionately referred to as Canada, Shauf grew up a preacher’s kid in Saskatchewan. Instead of lighting bags of fecal matter on deacons’ and elders’ doorsteps, Shauf was writing songs from the age of fourteen. He just didn’t tell anyone about it. “I hid my songs,” Shauf says. “I didn’t share my musical side with my friends until the twelfth grade. I was just kind of embarrassed.” And so it went. For years, demos stacked up as documents of time, feelings, and moments, never existing outside that creative space built for himself.

It’s hard to imagine a teenager hiding his musical talent like this. In your average high school, at lunch, a sea of guitars appear in hands as if it were some sort of appropriate measurement of virility. Strains of Death Cab for Cutie and John Mayer waft about. Blonde and brunette coiffed girls gather, giggling and secretly hating each other for cutting the odds that each will be asked to the prom; they stand by any one of the boys who has a disproportionate flock surrounding him to his relative charm, wit, and handsomeness.

Andy Shauf lacks this narcissistic tendency. Hedged bets and ear-to-the-Pitchfork musical manipulations don’t exist on Darker Days, his debut album. Those years of singing alone in his bedroom have produced an uncommon voice that doesn’t have to fumble for tricks such as whispering or singing off key in the current fashion. Darker Days neither tries to hide the flourishes of pop sewn through nearly every song and verse; yet the instrumentation remains sparse to give Shauf’s voice its proper place.

At twenty-one, the singer isn’t removed from those teenage demos, and in fact, Darker Days represents a hand picked crop of those demos rerecorded. When Shauf sings of his cold feet (“I never got too far from hoping for your heart”), imagining the pains of declaring young love can transport even the crotchetiest old raisin to memories of sweaty palms and dry mouth. Such simple and unencumbered tales of relationship have to come without pretense. Shauf fits the bill. On “You Remind Me”, Shauf swings into notes with hints of vibrato here and there and understatement, thus confirming the Paul Simon comparison (see: “Under African Skies”). One-two, one-two picking, a simple bass line, and occasional banjo accompany.

Songs on relationship wear thin on some listeners. One on love? Fine. A whole album? Arms start to fold and lethargy ensues, and large numbers head for the punk section of iTunes. That’s the give and take of love songs. Andy Shauf plays with fire by stuffing them into Darker Days. Shauf’s stories are never complex though not always completely clear. He tends towards “Will they? Won’t they?” relationships teetering on the brink of break-up. Eye rolling and sighs may be a side effect for the more jaded listeners once the fourth or fifth of these rolls around. Folks on the other side of the fence, those who revel in heartbreak or redemption via a significant other, will eat the songs up.

Looking down the road, however, it’s not hard to place bets on other ponies besides Shauf. Wading in the waters of folk in 2009 is not unlike drinking from Stanley Spadowski’s fire hose. There are other flashier, shinier folk records out there, and your next door neighbor has a folk record he’s peddling at a garage sale too. These are the days of hype and glitz and also bedroom demos as blogs; listen to self-produced thoughts from common people that should never see the light of day beside record label backed…thoughts from common people that should never see the light of day. Most of us aren’t clever or talented, but with just the right PR team talent isn’t necessary.

In the closing song, “Give Me Words”, Shauf beseeches the rain to, “give [him] words to sing”. If that was his muse, thank the stormy days, the darker days, because they delivered. Let’s hope that muse also delivers the listening ear of the record going public to Darker Days. - Consequence of Sound

A choir, handclaps and banjo are ubiquitous on an indie folk record. Buttery smooth vocals vaguely reminiscent of Paul Simon are not.
Andy Shauf, please take one step forward from the pack.

Hailing from the great white north affectionately referred to as Canada, Shauf grew up a preacher’s kid in Saskatchewan. Instead of lighting bags of fecal matter on deacons’ and elders’ doorsteps, Shauf was writing songs from the age of fourteen. He just didn’t tell anyone about it. “I hid my songs,” Shauf says. “I didn’t share my musical side with my friends until the twelfth grade. I was just kind of embarrassed.” And so it went. For years, demos stacked up as documents of time, feelings, and moments, never existing outside that creative space built for himself.

It’s hard to imagine a teenager hiding his musical talent like this. In your average high school, at lunch, a sea of guitars appear in hands as if it were some sort of appropriate measurement of virility. Strains of Death Cab for Cutie and John Mayer waft about. Blonde and brunette coiffed girls gather, giggling and secretly hating each other for cutting the odds that each will be asked to the prom; they stand by any one of the boys who has a disproportionate flock surrounding him to his relative charm, wit, and handsomeness.

Andy Shauf lacks this narcissistic tendency. Hedged bets and ear-to-the-Pitchfork musical manipulations don’t exist on Darker Days, his debut album. Those years of singing alone in his bedroom have produced an uncommon voice that doesn’t have to fumble for tricks such as whispering or singing off key in the current fashion. Darker Days neither tries to hide the flourishes of pop sewn through nearly every song and verse; yet the instrumentation remains sparse to give Shauf’s voice its proper place.

At twenty-one, the singer isn’t removed from those teenage demos, and in fact, Darker Days represents a hand picked crop of those demos rerecorded. When Shauf sings of his cold feet (“I never got too far from hoping for your heart”), imagining the pains of declaring young love can transport even the crotchetiest old raisin to memories of sweaty palms and dry mouth. Such simple and unencumbered tales of relationship have to come without pretense. Shauf fits the bill. On “You Remind Me”, Shauf swings into notes with hints of vibrato here and there and understatement, thus confirming the Paul Simon comparison (see: “Under African Skies”). One-two, one-two picking, a simple bass line, and occasional banjo accompany.

Songs on relationship wear thin on some listeners. One on love? Fine. A whole album? Arms start to fold and lethargy ensues, and large numbers head for the punk section of iTunes. That’s the give and take of love songs. Andy Shauf plays with fire by stuffing them into Darker Days. Shauf’s stories are never complex though not always completely clear. He tends towards “Will they? Won’t they?” relationships teetering on the brink of break-up. Eye rolling and sighs may be a side effect for the more jaded listeners once the fourth or fifth of these rolls around. Folks on the other side of the fence, those who revel in heartbreak or redemption via a significant other, will eat the songs up.

Looking down the road, however, it’s not hard to place bets on other ponies besides Shauf. Wading in the waters of folk in 2009 is not unlike drinking from Stanley Spadowski’s fire hose. There are other flashier, shinier folk records out there, and your next door neighbor has a folk record he’s peddling at a garage sale too. These are the days of hype and glitz and also bedroom demos as blogs; listen to self-produced thoughts from common people that should never see the light of day beside record label backed…thoughts from common people that should never see the light of day. Most of us aren’t clever or talented, but with just the right PR team talent isn’t necessary.

In the closing song, “Give Me Words”, Shauf beseeches the rain to, “give [him] words to sing”. If that was his muse, thank the stormy days, the darker days, because they delivered. Let’s hope that muse also delivers the listening ear of the record going public to Darker Days. - Consequence of Sound

Most of this review was written a few months ago after seeing Andy Shauf, a short man with an epic moustache, sit on a stool at the Carlton and play some wonderful and attention grabbing tunes on his guitar. We decided to post the review today since Andy is selling it through bandcamp to raise money to master his new album. Give it a listen. If you like what you hear, buy it, then we’ll all be closer to hearing new music from Andy.

Sam Jones Feeds His Demons is a collection of four songs about Sam Jones and his relationship with a girl named Victoria. Although, really, it’s hard to believe that the character’s name actually is Sam Jones. It’s more of a given name, somebody who wants to be left alone but will tell you his name if he absolutely has to.

Shauf’s vocals carry a certain weight that gives that evokes a sadness for this desolate character who seems to only be comforted by his personal demons. The instrumentation on opening track “Sam Jones” is simple, taking a backseat to Shauf’s vocals and lyrics.

“Sweet Victoria” is built around piano that makes the song sound a little less sad. Hearing about Victoria, the girl Sam marries also brings the song up lyrically. The shy character continues to be revealed in “Two Little Clouds”, stating that “I’ve never been a man who’s wealthy in words/but I can speak when I really need”. It feels like Sam doesn’t really feel comfortable talking despite seemingly having so much to say.

This slight amount of shyness and calls attention to the lyrics of the EP. You almost feel like listening closely is the polite thing to do as tales of broken hearts are told. Passively listening to Sam tell his tale comes across as rude. The EP is uncomfortable and beautiful. The type of tale that you want to hear over and over again. - The Broken Speaker

It was the winter of 2008 when I first heard Andy Shauf. I remember it because his album Darker Days was the first album I ever purchased on iTunes. That album carried me through a confusing season in Florida and since then I’ll put it on infrequently when I remember it. There’s something about Andy, and maybe it’s that element of nostalgia I carry from my days down South but I love the sound of his voice, and I just think his songs are fantastic.

I just noticed that he is on tour with another favorite (relatively new) artist named Jordan Klassen and they’ll be playing a string of dates this week at CMW. Better yet – he’s got a new EP out that I have been playing on repeat for most of the day. It’s called “Sam Jones Feeds His Demons” and it’s such a beautiful growth from the summery pop love songs of Darker Days. There’s more of that contemplative Elliot Smith to it. I highly recommend you give this EP a listen, because it is worthy of some attention. I think I’ll always be a fan of Shauf’s music – there’s something familiar about it, the way he pronounces his words, the harmonies, the simplicity of it all. Be sure to listen to Victoria below. - Friends With Both Arms

It was the winter of 2008 when I first heard Andy Shauf. I remember it because his album Darker Days was the first album I ever purchased on iTunes. That album carried me through a confusing season in Florida and since then I’ll put it on infrequently when I remember it. There’s something about Andy, and maybe it’s that element of nostalgia I carry from my days down South but I love the sound of his voice, and I just think his songs are fantastic.

I just noticed that he is on tour with another favorite (relatively new) artist named Jordan Klassen and they’ll be playing a string of dates this week at CMW. Better yet – he’s got a new EP out that I have been playing on repeat for most of the day. It’s called “Sam Jones Feeds His Demons” and it’s such a beautiful growth from the summery pop love songs of Darker Days. There’s more of that contemplative Elliot Smith to it. I highly recommend you give this EP a listen, because it is worthy of some attention. I think I’ll always be a fan of Shauf’s music – there’s something familiar about it, the way he pronounces his words, the harmonies, the simplicity of it all. Be sure to listen to Victoria below. - Friends With Both Arms

Andy Shauf is a relatively new musical discovery for me but I feel like I might be alone in just discovering the folk sounds of Mr. Shauf. While the intelligent and personal songwriting of Shauf is enough, the endearing quality to his voice is also bound to charm you, as it has to many already.

In his new EP, Sam Jones Feeds His Demons, Shauf holds true to his stripped-down folk style but expands his use of different instruments for a very welcoming sound and at times, a sound that even borders on folk-pop.

Some of the tags on his Bandcamp page for the new EP include, “sad” and “bastard.” In four songs, Shauf creates a simple story between a girl, Victoria, and Sam Jones, the guy. The EP opener, “Sam Jones,” carries this line, “Sam Jones how’d you get so sad,” making those two tags very relevant.

Despite this obvious melancholy in “Sam Jones,” the song turns out to be very melodious while the inclusion of the clarinet, which also has a beautiful part to play in “Two Little Clouds,” sounds very friendly.

“Sweet Victoria” embraces a bluesy piano riff as its core that makes it appealing but it’s also the lyrics that make this song a standout on the EP. Hauntingly descriptive, Shauf includes in-depth details to his song, telling how Sam Jones turned to the drink.

The EP closes on an extra gloomy note in “Feed My Demons.” A lulling percussion and the addition of a harmonica and banjo caters to the lyrics that share the deadly ending for Victoria and Sam.

Andy Shauf’s Sam Jones Feeds His Demons has hints of an instrumental development, which is nice, but what the EP continues to show is that Shauf’s spirited songwriting and emotionally charged music continues to be strong.

Sam Jones Feeds His Demons is available on Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Sam Jones,” “Sweet Victoria”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Grayowl Point

Andy Shauf is a relatively new musical discovery for me but I feel like I might be alone in just discovering the folk sounds of Mr. Shauf. While the intelligent and personal songwriting of Shauf is enough, the endearing quality to his voice is also bound to charm you, as it has to many already.

In his new EP, Sam Jones Feeds His Demons, Shauf holds true to his stripped-down folk style but expands his use of different instruments for a very welcoming sound and at times, a sound that even borders on folk-pop.

Some of the tags on his Bandcamp page for the new EP include, “sad” and “bastard.” In four songs, Shauf creates a simple story between a girl, Victoria, and Sam Jones, the guy. The EP opener, “Sam Jones,” carries this line, “Sam Jones how’d you get so sad,” making those two tags very relevant.

Despite this obvious melancholy in “Sam Jones,” the song turns out to be very melodious while the inclusion of the clarinet, which also has a beautiful part to play in “Two Little Clouds,” sounds very friendly.

“Sweet Victoria” embraces a bluesy piano riff as its core that makes it appealing but it’s also the lyrics that make this song a standout on the EP. Hauntingly descriptive, Shauf includes in-depth details to his song, telling how Sam Jones turned to the drink.

The EP closes on an extra gloomy note in “Feed My Demons.” A lulling percussion and the addition of a harmonica and banjo caters to the lyrics that share the deadly ending for Victoria and Sam.

Andy Shauf’s Sam Jones Feeds His Demons has hints of an instrumental development, which is nice, but what the EP continues to show is that Shauf’s spirited songwriting and emotionally charged music continues to be strong.

Sam Jones Feeds His Demons is available on Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Sam Jones,” “Sweet Victoria”

Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) - Grayowl Point

Copy/Paste link to hear online interview, March 2007

http://www.esnips.com/doc/2a0a678b-8df0-421e-8043-8b14a45441af/Andy-Shauf-Interview - esnips.com