The Arts & Culture Journal

We first featured the fantastic music of singer/songwriter Andrew Howell back in May 2008 (article reproduced here). Since that time he’s been busily, beavering away in the studio and we’re delighted to be able to preview a new song here, called ‘Lady’. In the great tradition of Creative Impressions collaborations, the words come from Fallyrag’s very own editor, Rob Dickins. Words that Andrew has put beautifully to music and performs in his own tranquil and thought-provoking style. Treats.

Early Mornings with Andrew Howell
(Fallyrag feature from May 2008)

Music that has calmly swum forth from the hours before dawn has a special quality; it can resonate through morning and on through the day.

On Old Story Andrew Howell breaks out the wings and dusts off your mind as the old story of unrequited love is given a rolling drumbeat that breaks slickly over Andrew’s vocals and guitar. Everything about it points to a musician who’d shed his old skin and grown anew.

Andrew told Fallyrag when we spoke to him recently: “My songs are multi-layered particularly on ones like Shame, Old Story and the new ones I'm doing called One and Two (that’s two songs but called 1 & 2). I want the affect of when you’re listening again to always notice something else that wasn’t there before.”

“Even on Shut-Eye which should be a straight forward arrangement you have a weird high pitched synth come in on the second verse which moves it into the dreamy rather than the reality.”

It’s important to take the time with Andrew’s music. The soaring aesthetic on songs like Shame, which uses a Peruvian Bow to dramatize its melody, should not mask the instinctual, yet maturely-developed messages of personal angst, which Andrew delivers lyrically. They are the connection between the performer and his audience.

Empathy is a strong motivation within the music; eclipsing the sympathy that is demanded by so many other singer-songwriters. Personal understanding, in shared belief and experience, commands an important rhythm between a singer and his audience. It is a quality that Andrew has tapped into deeply.

For a singer/songwriter it’s necessary to be a master of two arts. For Andrew, a strong vocal range is accompanied by a distinct and provocative guitar style; both of which blend together sublimely. At times, during songs like Shut Eye, his voice drives at the heart of the rhythm whilst also easily leading freely on the brilliant Nameless Faceless. The distinctiveness is entwined with his music’s growing presence and quality.

It’s easy to see why he thinks it’s important to be individual when he talks about some of music’s recent offerings: “I hate the fact that fashion and looks undermines real talent. Back in the day you had to make your name with amazing songs before making the big time, now it seems you make the big time and then maybe make A good song..not an outstanding song...just a good one!”

Well hopefully Andrew can begin to carve out this new dimension in musical talent and eclipse some of the more purely, financially driven aesthetic in music .

Early Morning, his first release, is coming out imminently; but if you can’t wait, check him out at www.myspace.com/drewhowell.  A feast of information about up and coming gigs and some great tracks to kick off with; you’ll also be able to find information on MyTea Records.

Why is it called Early Morning? “You’re at your most emotive at four in the morning, which is when most the songs were made!”