Andy Shauf: 2015

Canadian singer and songwriter Andy Shauf (rhymes with “off”) began as a drummer, first in church and then in punk bands, before he picked up a guitar and became a songwriter. From there, the songs flowed and he inked a record deal. Shauf released a debut EP in 2012 and had a ton of other songs he was eager to record. But with sales lagging, the label was not in any hurry to release something new. Broke but determined, Shauf returned to his parents’ house and sequestered himself in their basement for a year. He had an arsenal of instruments he taught himself to play, including piano, guitar, drums, and clarinet. There, he recorded the haunting songs of his debut album, The Bearer of Bad News.

Two years later, that album has just been re-released by an American label. That good news brings Andy and his band to New York and FUV's Studio A. Hear him showcase his quietly powerful songs and, in his soft-spoken way, discuss working alone, the five albums that he listens to on repeat, and the “prairie people” of his native Saskatchewan.

[recorded: 3/9/15]