Andrew Allen

Andrew’s acoustic pop-rock is peppered with southern, even Jamaican sounds that fit his smokey voice so neatly.

I never thought that you might leave me behind
And I’m hoping that I get one more try
I shoulda kissed you but I missed
Am I out of time

Quick facts

Started in: 2008

Hometown: Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Released albums: Living Room Sessions (2008), Andrew Allen EP (2009), The Mix Tape (2012) Are We Cool? (2013)

Best song in our opinion: You & I

Talking to Andrew

You’re working on new songs at the moment. What do you prefer: playing live or writing songs?

I’m always conflicted on this… I need to write the songs in order to have something to perform live lol! I’d probably have to say that I prefer performing though… but when it comes time to write, I do love the opportunity to get what I’m thinking out in the way of a song…

As much as most musicians enjoy playing live, touring can be tough. What’s the best/hardest thing about being a musician for you?

I LOVE being on the road… it’s always fun meeting new people, seeing new cities and experiencing new things… If I had to go with the best part of being a musician, it would definitely be the connection to people. Performing immediately breaks down a wall of awkwardness and allows conversations to just happen, I love the relationships that come out of those conversations:) The hardest part of being a musician is the anxiety of not knowing what’s around the next bend: one day you’re on top of the world, the next it feels like no one cares what you have to say. So that side can be challenging.

What is the weirdest thing you always take with you on your travels? (I personally take a small pillow. It’s my security blanket lol)

Weirdest thing hey? Maybe oatmeal packages? I love having ’em handy in case I’m hungry on a plane or in a hotel and can’t get food anywhere else… I make ’em in the coffee maker in hotels, and flight attendants are usually pretty good about bringing a cup of boiling water lol!

 

Who’s your biggest cheerleader who never lets you stop believing in yourself?

Julia, Julia, Julia… she’s my biggest cheerleader and kicks me in the butt when I’m feeling discouraged, even if she’s feeling discouraged… she’s my most honest sounding board, and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to songwriting, live performances or anything else for that matter, but she’s the first one to tell me how good a job I’ve done as well, and I always trust her judgement… she’s seriously incredible… being married to a creative touring musician isn’t always the easiest life:)

Your wife, Julia is in one of your videos, I want you, isn’t that right? The song sounds like a big apology after letting things go south, were the two of you not worried that it would reflect on your personal lives?

You bet that’s Julia! I didn’t write the song in the way of an apology really… it was sort of based around the early days of our dating life, and there was a moment where Julia was considering moving to a different city to pursue schooling, not that it would have ended us, but the decision was made to make sure we were always together… so essentially the song is saying ‘I Want You’ and I don’t wanna make the mistake of not telling you that…

What’s your favourite song you’ve ever written?

My favorite song seems to constantly change lol! I think my tune ‘Love Life’ is one of my faves… and possibly my newest single ‘What You Wanted’… of course I love ‘Loving You Tonight’ too… there’s a lot that I kinda dig:)

What have you been listening to recently?

Been listening to the Bahamas a lot… cool vibe, and keeps the house nice and chill;)

 

I worked in Canada for a couple weeks in 2013, north of Calgary and I absolutely love the country. Do you still live there or was it necessary for your career to move to the US?

We moved to LA for 3 years… it was a good move, and I’m glad we did it… there was lots of great opportunities to work with some killer songwriters and producers… but at the end of the day, we decided that coming back to Canada was a better fit… for now:) Plus, my biggest successes have come from writing with people in Canada, and the world of radio here in Canada have been incredibly supportive, along with the fans… and afterall, as a musician, you need to tour, so it really doesn’t matter where you live, you’re rarely there anyhow lol!

In April I’m featuring musicians who have toured or worked with The Script and you supported them in 2011 on some of the dates of their American tour. A big fan of the band myself, a lot of my readers love them, too. What was it like to tour with them? Any memories that stand out?

The Script was definitely a band that I was a huge fan of… so when we got the opportunity to tour with them, I was ecstatic!!! The guys are super fun, light hearted, and hard working… they’re also super real. One memory that stood out for me was when me and my band were crammed into our tiny dressing room at the Warfield in San Francisco, and Danny came in and told us we didn’t need to stay in there and that we could come hang in the main room… saying we can help ourselves to anything we like, except their girlfriends lol! After the show, he came downstairs to the greenroom, with a uke in tow, and he and I jammed ‘boys of summer’… super cool guys… would LOVE to tour with them again…

 

Apart from The Script, who would you love to go on tour with next?

John Mayer… only ’cause I’d wanna watch his show every night!

You’re involved in a school project in Ethiopia, I think it’s great to see how music can help. Can you tell us about how this came to happen and what you’re doing?

Ethiopia was seriously incredible… I was invited by a Canadian organization called ‘Canadian Humanitarian’ to offer a ‘fan’ trip to Ethiopia, where 2 fans could win the chance to travel to Ethiopia with me and the organization, and spend time working with the children that attend the after school programs that CH started 20 years ago…

In addition to just spending time with these kids, I was encouraged to write a song that we would teach the students, and at the end of the trip, perform for the city…

There were 5 main schools we worked with, with roughly 50-70 students in each one, so at the end of our time there, the concert had 250 children singing a song about working together to do amazing things… it was honestly the most moving expression of music I’ve ever been a part of! Canadian Humanitarian has done an unreal job of eradicating poverty in Ethiopia by giving these kids the tools, and the opportunities they need to move forward in life, and therefore changing a generation, who will in turn, help the next and the next…

20 years at it, and now they can boast a 95% job success rate from the students, which is amazing! I’m heading back again this October… and I cannot wait!

If you’d like to help Andrew in supporting Canadian Humanitarian, check out their website or buy You & I for less than a dollar as all proceeds are donated to them.

Big thanks to Andrew for taking the time to answer our questions, and we hope to catch him soon either live or on the radio waves.

What’s coming next?

Andrew’s brand new single ‘What You Wanted’ just dropped to Canadian radio last month. “It’s a song that I’m super proud of, and it’s been held by Maroon 5, Jesse McCartney and Cody Simpson, so I’m excited that it’s back in my hands and it’s finally coming out! Hopefully it goes huge, and makes its way around the world!” he told us. Check it out on YouTube for now.

Keep in touch with Andrew’s news:

Website – andrewallenlive.com

Twitter/facebook – @AndrewAllenLive

Soundcloud – andrewallenlive

YouTube – andrewallenlive

Have you heard Andrew’s songs yet? Which one is your favourite?

Hop over to The Windy Days of an English Teacher to check out today’s post! It’s still music-related and it’s fun 🙂

Today’s featured blogger: the founding father of the A to Z blogging challenge, Arlee Bird. Check what he’s up to.

About Miss Andi

Learning to be unapologetically me but healthier. Shamelessly personifying my dog, Mia, who is my soulmate, though doesn't let me read as much as I used to. One day I'll finish a novel that will not save the world - but might make it smile.

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