Andrew Handrick

The Riviera is excellent for networking and meeting new people. Special thanks go to AngloInfo for putting me in touch with Andrew Handrick who comes from Dublin Ireland. He is a singer/songwriter now living in Cinque Terre, Italy. Having being in the music industry for nearly 17 years, it doesn't take much to draw me back to the scene. Andrew takes time out and shares a little time with me...

1) What kind of music do you like to perform and what music category do you fall into?

I perform solo acoustic gigs these days so it tends to be mainly singer-songwriter, folk music, though I do have the odd heavier song I throw in, kind of an edgy folk/rock feel if you will. My music category..hmm..well I suppose I fall into the singer-songwriter genre as I have been compared to Simon and Garfunkel, Damien Rice, Eliott Smit and Donavan amongst others.

I did have band for a year back in Ireland and we played folk/rock or soft rock as someone called it... we played pretty much the songs that are on my album "The True Riches Of Life" which you can get on i-Tunes or at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/andrewhandrick

 
2) You were born in Dublin, what brings you to Italy, where and why there?

Yes, good aul Dublin, great music city, I think its because it rains a lot there...people stay indoors and play music...haha..
What brings me to Italy is what brings any man away from his native land...a story as old as the hills....a woman...lol...
I'm living in La Spezia, but spend a lot of my time just down the road...or should I say train tracks, in Vernazza. My other half, Eva runs a little craft shop there, so it's nice to spend time there.

 
3) Have you performed for the Italians, and how did you get on?

I have not actually played any gigs in Italy as I am currently concentrating on getting my second cd together. La Spezia is a real punk rock city, which I have to say I did not realise before moving here...haha... but I have a bit of attitude so I am sure I'll find my musical way here....  I have performed for many nationalities over the years and sold my cd's to people from all over the world.. I find if you play honest music from the heart, people can connect with you no matter what language or place they hail from..

 
4) Who inspires the music you produce?

I presume you're asking about my influences? well they are many and varied starting off when I was a kid with Elvis and Dean Martin ( I kid you not).. then I got into The Who and The Jam from my brothers collection and onto artists such as REM, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground.. but I've also always had a things for the more mellow sideo as well like Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel and eventually, though I got there rather late, Bob Dylan. Plenty more..listening to a lot of Bob Marley lately...so who knows whats next.. I just like good music...

 
5) Besides being a musician, do you have any other interests?

Where do I begin...lol...I like creating and designing..so I make enamel pendants, some of which you can see at http://enamelboydesigns.etsy.com, I also like to work with metal and wood and I have just recently taken up Chi-Gung. I also like to get on my bicycle and go for a ride...its kind of a meditation for me...though I do meditation as well...haha...I have also recently began teaching songwriting/guitar online at http://edufire.com/ahandricksongwriting I guess you could say I keep myself busy....lol

 
6) Do you come from a creative/artistic family?

not really to be honest...my dad would sing old songs around the house when I was a kid, other than that both my brothers took up playing instruments, but I am the only one keeps the music alive, so to speak...

 
7) If you could play with any other performer dead or alive, who would it be and why?

wow...good question...let's see...that's tough to pick just one... I did write a song with Bob Dylan once...but unfortunately it was in a dream...haha... so ok...I guess for today I'd have to say...The Rolling Stones in their heyday.... I guess rock'n'roll still has it's hooks in me..haha

 
8) Do you ever do cover tracks and what kind of tracks are you likely to do?

Yeah, I play covers, kinda had to learn some as I did a lot of 2-3 hour gigs when I played in San Francisco, busking for tips on Fishermans Wharf..
so I play songslike  Bob Dylan - She Belongs to Me, Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done, Heart of Gold, Simon and Garfunkel - The Only Livin' Boy in New York, and Beck - Lost Cause, Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire, Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl, Fire and Rain by James Taylor, These Boots are Made for Walkin - Nancy Sinatra... I think that covers it..if you'll pardon the pun...

 
9) With baby on the way, would you encourage he/she to go into music?

Well I would not push them into music that for sure..haha.. but if it was what they wanted to do, well I'd support them in their decision.. I think there are easier paths to take in life to be honest...depends on the person though... sometimes you just have to do what your instincts tell you...

 
10) If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would that be?

Well Neil Young holds a benefit concert every year in the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, had the pleasure of seeing one of those gigs and it was pretty amazing, so to be involved in something worthwhile like that would be cool..

Other than that I guess a hometown gig at Croke Park in front of 80,000 people would be kinda cool...haha...
 

You can listen to this wonderful track called: Learning Curve

 and see this You Tube clip...

Stolen by Andrew Handrick

Andrew Handrick in Concert

His music links are:
www.andrewhandrick.com
www.myspace.com/andrewhandrick
www.cdbaby.com/cd/andrewhandrick