Interview with andy shea
When did you first start writing music?
I first started “writing” as soon as I started playing as a freshman in high school. I was a huge “Weird Al” fan, so my first “songs” were parodies. Sometimes they were for school projects and sometimes just for fun. I definitely used comedy as an outlet.
It changed towards the end of my sophomore year of high school when I began writing “serious” songs. They were usually about religion, relationships, or even movies/shows I liked. I remember “Frodo’s Song” being one of the first that I wrote and felt like it was something shareable (spoiler: it wasn’t.)
What do you usually write about?
I write much less than I’d like to now, but usually songs have always come as reactions to situations. I focus a lot still on relationships as well as my family and spirituality. My ideal is to move back into songwriting in a less personal way, as odd as that may sound. Songwriters, or at least myself, can at times depend too much on a personal experience as the fuel to write a song. A good songwriter should not have to go through a break-up, fall in love, or experience some shift in philosophy in order to actually write. The best songwriters can take on perspectives or tell stories that aren’t necessarily their own, mix in their own experiences, and then produce a song that is more accessible to an audience.
TL;DR: I write about family, friends, relationships, spirituality, and experiences. I wish I was better at not writing “reactionary” songs and had more control over initiating the process.
Describe your songwriting process/what inspires your lyrics.
Addressed a lot of this in the prior answer, but usually I’ll write like lightening in a bottle. A hook for a chorus or a starting lyric will come to mind and then the rest of the song takes shape after that. Rarely does a song start with the chords themselves, except on the rare occasion. I used to be much better at just picking up a guitar and coming up with a compelling chord change to base songs off of, but that hasn’t happened in a while.
There was a day back in 2009 when I wrote what I call the “Katie Album” in a 24 hour period. I was trying to emulate Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and wrote a song called “Oreo” around 12:30. Went to bed, woke up the next day to record a scratch demo of it, and received some compliments. I kept messing around and wound up writing other songs about the same fictional relationships – one between Katie and Forest. I was motivated to write a full album in 24 hours, so I dropped everything and locked myself in a room. I took some old songs that never made it anywhere and adapted them, but also wrote about 9 new songs in that time span. It was easily one of my greatest songwriting accomplishments.
Other times songs get started and then change with performances, recordings, and time. My song “Traffic Lights,” for example, was another “lightening in a bottle” experience. I had written the opening change and first chorus of the song and then went to Tim Taylor's house (a friend of mine) for the afternoon. I showed him the part that I had written and then decided to keep improvising. I wound up singing what became the entire song, just on the spot. He said he liked it and I said, “Quick! Get some paper I need to play it again so that I can remember the lyrics!” I sang what I remembered to be the lyrics and the song was essentially done. The “My baby’s gonna take me back home,” section existed as “the end,” but I had no idea how the song would actually wind up. A couple of nights later I was performing at an open mic night, and I decided to play “TL” despite the fact that I wasn’t sure how to end it. I got to the last part and, as fate would have it, dropped my pick. I decided to just keep singing the “my baby’s gonna…” section without guitar for a time through, and then brought it back with the “yelling” vocals. That was all coincidence and fate; I never thought about it, but that is how the ending came to be.
How do you think your style of writing is unique?
I don’t know if my style of writing is unique. I think I hurt myself by not having a “focus,” because I like so many styles of music and don’t perform in one way. I don’t think there is an “Andy Shea” brand because sometimes my songs are high energy and get the crowd into it while other times they are these introspective droners or soft finger-picking pieces. I guess, if anything, my consistency lies in my vocals and lyrics. The rest of it reflects whatever music I’m into at the moment.
What do you value most about the songwriting process?
As I shared in some of the prior answers, I think that the best part of the “process” is watching songs adapt and change. I find that the best songs are the ones that sounds equally compelling regardless of whether or not there is a full band performing them or of there is just one person with a guitar. The song should be at the center, not the sounds or textures that define them. I think that’s the issue with a lot of indie musicians or songwriters that become “popular.” Their songs are catchy and they have cool sounds, but my skeptical self thinks that sometimes the “fluff” hides what is really lacking at the center. I’m all about songs that can be performed in various mediums and settings. Take almost any Radiohead song, even the craziest electronic ones, and Thom Yorke can play an equally haunting or powerful acoustic version. That is songwriting.
Who are your influences?
My biggest influences are the solo singer-songwriters who can write songs that stand alone or become new entities when accompanied by a full band. My biggest influences are David Bazan, Rivers Cuomo, Ben Kweller, Kevin Devine, Thom Yorke, and Elliott Smith. Of all these, I think my music sounds most like David Bazan or Ben Kweller.
Bazan’s first solo EP, “Fewer Moving Parts,” is one of my favorites because it highlights his ability to write “songs that stand alone.” The first 5 tracks are beautifully arranged, full band compositions chockfull of harmonies, synthesizers, electric guitars, and unique but simple rhythm tracks. The last 5 are the same five songs but entirely stripped down. It sounds like he recorded them through an old toaster. The quality is super lo-fi, but the songs and performances are just as strong and engaging. That, in my mind, is the mark of a good song.
When you write, do you find that you are telling stories about yourself, about other people, or about circumstantial events? Or do you find you are not telling stories at all?
My songwriting is less narrative driven than I’d like. Usually it explores some idea or skips around the edges of what could be a “story.” The songs off of my most recent EP, “braver,” primarily skip around the edges of songs that are rooted in personal experiences but get told from an outside perspective. They are all pretty personal. “Trees,” was about leaving Fordham when I decided to transfer and take away a leave of absence. I didn’t tell many people until it was just a few days before I was going and it was a hard transition to leave my friends. I remember writing it towards the end of my time there with my roommate, one of the few people who knew, in the room after one of our school socials. “Braver” is heavily about my family and spirituality. I was inspired to write it after reading “Paradise Lost,” which focuses on the story of the Garden of Eden but highlights Satan as the main character (some would even argue the hero). That inspired the first lines, to make “the Devil” a character in the song, but then it transferred into a personal expression of my love for my family using lots of religious imagery. “Wolf in the Woods,” is definitely a song about my fluctuating and challenged spirituality, but I wanted to avoid any actual religious imagery. Finally, “Time Has Said It All” started with the “hook” of the song (“As soon as I’ve got it/ I no longer want it. / I guess I never had you,/ or did I never want to.”) as something that popped into my mind while walking back to my dorm. I started writing the rest of the song right away and it came together pretty quickly. It is another one of those “relationship” songs, but I don’t know how much of it actually reflects my personal experience.
All of those songs float around ideas or emotions I was feeling at the time, but none of them truly have a story component, at least not in my opinion. Of course, in contrast, the “Katie Album,” is one 12-song story. No song really stands alone. It’s 100% concept album.
What in your opinion is the importance of songwriting?
People are musical creatures. We naturally gravitate toward melody and rhythm. Songs are ways to capture human experiences and share them with others, regardless of differences in culture, social status, race, and so on. Good songs have the power to inspire change or challenge ideologies for positive change. They capture our humanity and allow people to understand the world in 3 minute 30 second packages that can be revisited and change over time. More often than not I’ve written a song without fully realizing what it was I was trying to express. It has even taken years at times to realize, “Oh yeah, that is what this song is about!” Sometimes those meanings even change over time or elucidate new parts of myself as time has passed. Sometimes I listen to my old songs and can’t believe I would ever put those words on a piece of paper, but I guess that is an important part of learning more about yourself in time.
Songs are important because they give us a chance to listen to others and think of ourselves, making us more self-aware, competent, and hopefully compassionate creatures. (Is that epic enough for you?)
I first started “writing” as soon as I started playing as a freshman in high school. I was a huge “Weird Al” fan, so my first “songs” were parodies. Sometimes they were for school projects and sometimes just for fun. I definitely used comedy as an outlet.
It changed towards the end of my sophomore year of high school when I began writing “serious” songs. They were usually about religion, relationships, or even movies/shows I liked. I remember “Frodo’s Song” being one of the first that I wrote and felt like it was something shareable (spoiler: it wasn’t.)
What do you usually write about?
I write much less than I’d like to now, but usually songs have always come as reactions to situations. I focus a lot still on relationships as well as my family and spirituality. My ideal is to move back into songwriting in a less personal way, as odd as that may sound. Songwriters, or at least myself, can at times depend too much on a personal experience as the fuel to write a song. A good songwriter should not have to go through a break-up, fall in love, or experience some shift in philosophy in order to actually write. The best songwriters can take on perspectives or tell stories that aren’t necessarily their own, mix in their own experiences, and then produce a song that is more accessible to an audience.
TL;DR: I write about family, friends, relationships, spirituality, and experiences. I wish I was better at not writing “reactionary” songs and had more control over initiating the process.
Describe your songwriting process/what inspires your lyrics.
Addressed a lot of this in the prior answer, but usually I’ll write like lightening in a bottle. A hook for a chorus or a starting lyric will come to mind and then the rest of the song takes shape after that. Rarely does a song start with the chords themselves, except on the rare occasion. I used to be much better at just picking up a guitar and coming up with a compelling chord change to base songs off of, but that hasn’t happened in a while.
There was a day back in 2009 when I wrote what I call the “Katie Album” in a 24 hour period. I was trying to emulate Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and wrote a song called “Oreo” around 12:30. Went to bed, woke up the next day to record a scratch demo of it, and received some compliments. I kept messing around and wound up writing other songs about the same fictional relationships – one between Katie and Forest. I was motivated to write a full album in 24 hours, so I dropped everything and locked myself in a room. I took some old songs that never made it anywhere and adapted them, but also wrote about 9 new songs in that time span. It was easily one of my greatest songwriting accomplishments.
Other times songs get started and then change with performances, recordings, and time. My song “Traffic Lights,” for example, was another “lightening in a bottle” experience. I had written the opening change and first chorus of the song and then went to Tim Taylor's house (a friend of mine) for the afternoon. I showed him the part that I had written and then decided to keep improvising. I wound up singing what became the entire song, just on the spot. He said he liked it and I said, “Quick! Get some paper I need to play it again so that I can remember the lyrics!” I sang what I remembered to be the lyrics and the song was essentially done. The “My baby’s gonna take me back home,” section existed as “the end,” but I had no idea how the song would actually wind up. A couple of nights later I was performing at an open mic night, and I decided to play “TL” despite the fact that I wasn’t sure how to end it. I got to the last part and, as fate would have it, dropped my pick. I decided to just keep singing the “my baby’s gonna…” section without guitar for a time through, and then brought it back with the “yelling” vocals. That was all coincidence and fate; I never thought about it, but that is how the ending came to be.
How do you think your style of writing is unique?
I don’t know if my style of writing is unique. I think I hurt myself by not having a “focus,” because I like so many styles of music and don’t perform in one way. I don’t think there is an “Andy Shea” brand because sometimes my songs are high energy and get the crowd into it while other times they are these introspective droners or soft finger-picking pieces. I guess, if anything, my consistency lies in my vocals and lyrics. The rest of it reflects whatever music I’m into at the moment.
What do you value most about the songwriting process?
As I shared in some of the prior answers, I think that the best part of the “process” is watching songs adapt and change. I find that the best songs are the ones that sounds equally compelling regardless of whether or not there is a full band performing them or of there is just one person with a guitar. The song should be at the center, not the sounds or textures that define them. I think that’s the issue with a lot of indie musicians or songwriters that become “popular.” Their songs are catchy and they have cool sounds, but my skeptical self thinks that sometimes the “fluff” hides what is really lacking at the center. I’m all about songs that can be performed in various mediums and settings. Take almost any Radiohead song, even the craziest electronic ones, and Thom Yorke can play an equally haunting or powerful acoustic version. That is songwriting.
Who are your influences?
My biggest influences are the solo singer-songwriters who can write songs that stand alone or become new entities when accompanied by a full band. My biggest influences are David Bazan, Rivers Cuomo, Ben Kweller, Kevin Devine, Thom Yorke, and Elliott Smith. Of all these, I think my music sounds most like David Bazan or Ben Kweller.
Bazan’s first solo EP, “Fewer Moving Parts,” is one of my favorites because it highlights his ability to write “songs that stand alone.” The first 5 tracks are beautifully arranged, full band compositions chockfull of harmonies, synthesizers, electric guitars, and unique but simple rhythm tracks. The last 5 are the same five songs but entirely stripped down. It sounds like he recorded them through an old toaster. The quality is super lo-fi, but the songs and performances are just as strong and engaging. That, in my mind, is the mark of a good song.
When you write, do you find that you are telling stories about yourself, about other people, or about circumstantial events? Or do you find you are not telling stories at all?
My songwriting is less narrative driven than I’d like. Usually it explores some idea or skips around the edges of what could be a “story.” The songs off of my most recent EP, “braver,” primarily skip around the edges of songs that are rooted in personal experiences but get told from an outside perspective. They are all pretty personal. “Trees,” was about leaving Fordham when I decided to transfer and take away a leave of absence. I didn’t tell many people until it was just a few days before I was going and it was a hard transition to leave my friends. I remember writing it towards the end of my time there with my roommate, one of the few people who knew, in the room after one of our school socials. “Braver” is heavily about my family and spirituality. I was inspired to write it after reading “Paradise Lost,” which focuses on the story of the Garden of Eden but highlights Satan as the main character (some would even argue the hero). That inspired the first lines, to make “the Devil” a character in the song, but then it transferred into a personal expression of my love for my family using lots of religious imagery. “Wolf in the Woods,” is definitely a song about my fluctuating and challenged spirituality, but I wanted to avoid any actual religious imagery. Finally, “Time Has Said It All” started with the “hook” of the song (“As soon as I’ve got it/ I no longer want it. / I guess I never had you,/ or did I never want to.”) as something that popped into my mind while walking back to my dorm. I started writing the rest of the song right away and it came together pretty quickly. It is another one of those “relationship” songs, but I don’t know how much of it actually reflects my personal experience.
All of those songs float around ideas or emotions I was feeling at the time, but none of them truly have a story component, at least not in my opinion. Of course, in contrast, the “Katie Album,” is one 12-song story. No song really stands alone. It’s 100% concept album.
What in your opinion is the importance of songwriting?
People are musical creatures. We naturally gravitate toward melody and rhythm. Songs are ways to capture human experiences and share them with others, regardless of differences in culture, social status, race, and so on. Good songs have the power to inspire change or challenge ideologies for positive change. They capture our humanity and allow people to understand the world in 3 minute 30 second packages that can be revisited and change over time. More often than not I’ve written a song without fully realizing what it was I was trying to express. It has even taken years at times to realize, “Oh yeah, that is what this song is about!” Sometimes those meanings even change over time or elucidate new parts of myself as time has passed. Sometimes I listen to my old songs and can’t believe I would ever put those words on a piece of paper, but I guess that is an important part of learning more about yourself in time.
Songs are important because they give us a chance to listen to others and think of ourselves, making us more self-aware, competent, and hopefully compassionate creatures. (Is that epic enough for you?)