MUSIC // ANDY SHAUF

Andy Shauf is like that kid from high school that somehow managed to be friends with everybody. In this case though, the "somehow" is really easy to pin point. A soft spoken master storyteller with a genuine prairie raised personality, and an awkward yet hilarious sense of humor, it's absolutely impossible to not be a fan within a few minutes of meeting him. Andy was introduced to us a couple of years ago by his band mate and manager Josh Daignault. Since then we have been sitting high on the Andy bandwagon singing his praises for all to hear. His bio says it best, "Known for honest, self-reflective songs as well as captivating lyrical works of fiction and an intimate live show, Andy Shauf is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing emerging songwriters around".

 

We reached out to Andy a couple weeks back for a little Q & A. He had recently returned from a European tour and this is what we were able to find out—

 

Where are you right now? 

Right now I'm in Brooklyn, NY laying on a couch.

 

How's your European trip been so far?  

The trip went well. It was really nice to see Europe for the first time and play in some new places.

 

I heard you're recording a new album in Germany - care to elaborate?

We recorded for two weeks at a studio in a castle just outside of Dresden, Germany. The studio had a lot of old pre-war German gear, a big Neve desk, and a hundred year old Bosendorfer grand piano. It was cool. Lots of gear that you wouldn't find in a studio in Canada.

 

What does a regular day in the life of Andy look like?

When I'm at home I usually wake up around ten and drink way too much coffee. Then I go to my basement and sit at the piano for a few hours until I write something, or get frustrated and start watching whatever terrible show I'm watching on Netflix at the time.

 

What embarrassing songs would we find in your iPod?

Lana Del Rey's album is on there... That's potentially embarrassing

 

You're a fugitive from the law and need to escape into the woods. You can only bring 3 things. Go.

- Hatchet

- Flint and steel

- Knife

 

Describe the worst camping trip you have ever been on.

I went to Jasper once in April and it rained the whole time. The firewood was all wet and we couldn't get a fire going, which made morale low and we just ended up being cranky the whole time. It was not very fun...

 

Know any good jokes?

nope

 

What is something awesome to do in/around Regina that most people wouldn't know about?

There's a great comedy/improv scene in Regina. There's a variety show called Red Hot Riot hosted by Jayden Pfeifer that's really well done and happens monthly at the Artesian. It's a good time!

 

Next Tuesday (Feb 25th) Andy Shauf plays the Festival Hall in Inglewood Calgary AB. TIckets are available online (you can buy them by clicking here), or at The Uncommons which is also in Inglewood. There will be limited tickets at the door as well if you want to push your luck.

 

If you're not gonna be in Calgary make sure to check out andyshauf.com for tour dates and new releases.

 

Also check out the short film shot by the incredibly talented Brock Davis Mitchell:

 

SHOT AT THE DARK PRESENTS ANDY SHAUF from Shot at The Dark on Vimeo.