Andrew Cushin

20-year-old newcomer Andrew Cushin is quickly building a reputation in an old school, word-of-mouth style. A strong following in his hometown of Newcastle saw him sell out The Cluny before officially releasing any music, while his debut single ‘It’s Gonna Get Better’ introduced his talents to a wider audience.

Now Andrew shares his new single ‘Waiting For the Rain’. Raising the bar from that compelling debut, the track proves that Andrew has a rare talent for channelling personal anguish into cathartic songwriting with a maturity beyond his young age.

Here’s what Andrew had to say when we got a chance to ask him some questions.

Who were your musical influences growing up?

“I was heavily brought up on Oasis, The Stone Roses and Paul Weller. As I got a little bit older I started listening to a lot of The Beatles and artists such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Donovan. I’m also a big Damien Rice fan”.

What has been your best gig?

“The most special gig would be my hometown show at the Cluny. It was a sell out and destined to be great from the minute tickets went on sale. It was originally supposed to be in the smaller room ‘Cluny2’ as at the time we announced the gig I had no music out and was praying we’d sell even 50 tickets! The gig sold out in 6 days so we decided to upgrade to the main room at the Cluny … that also sold out within a day. By the time the gig came about my debut single had been released and the place was absolutely bouncing. My performance wasn’t the best but I put that down to being overwhelmed by the support of everyone there. Was such a special night”.

Can you tell us a bit about your music?

“My first two singles have been very acoustic with every added instrument being played solely to benefit my voice and the guitar. My 3rd single however was recorded with a full band and is defiantly a step away from what my first two singles are. Taking nothing away from It’s Gonna Get Better and Waiting For The Rain but my third single is of an immensely larger sound”.

Can you describe your music in 3 words?

“Heartfelt, Emotional & Powerful”.

What makes your music stand out?

“I think when I play a live gig my persona helps my music stand out, I’m just a daft geordie inside and out so I try to be myself on stage and have a laugh. In terms of my records standing out, every song I release has a story which can ‘hopefully’ be picked up quite easily after a few listens/plays”.

What are your plans for the rest of 2020?

“I’ve wrote a lot of songs this year, recorded my 3rd single and am hoping to squeeze another studio session in soon. I was concerned that after the lockdown began my year would virtually be over with, which was devastating considering we had 30+ festivals booked, but I’ve been very constructive with the time I’ve had in the house, making demos and planning exciting things hopefully to remain booked before the end of the year”.

If your band had to be remembered for one thing apart from your music what would you want it to be?

“Trainers and jackets, 100%”.

Do you have any gig’s coming up?

“Like I mentioned earlier we’ve lost a lot of festivals (BIG FESTIVALS) and a lot of gigs aswell … we still have one headline gig pencilled in before the end of the year so hopefully that one doesn’t get pulled. Other than that, everything’s been postponed”.

By Siân Parker