Andi Toppins

Andi Toppins blew the doors off the indie music scene with the release of her first track “Little Secret,” a rip-rock confessional with powerhouse vocals. Virtually unknown prior to her forthcoming debut album, insiders are now feverishly whispering her name in inner circles, this girl from down south with the mature voice and coveted rock and pop combination: “How did she go unnoticed this long?” She’s the Cory Kennedy of the music industry. Many people suspect that Toppins is years past her actual age when they hear her sing. When they’re told that she writes and plays her own music as well, they assume it. It’s always enjoyable to watch someone’s reaction when they’re first told that she’s only eighteen-years-old. She possesses the vocal mastery of Christina Aguilera; she can dip into her throat and spit grit into the mic like Kelly Clarkson; she can write fun songs that appeal to younger demographics - but yet her vocal sophistication and her music’s enduring complexities and wit endear her to generations older than her own. Such a quality nearly renders an artist immortal. Her beginning belies her trajectory. Born a country girl in the middle of southern Missouri, Toppins grew up in a family of country musicians. Her grandfather commandeered the church choir. Following in the footsteps of Gwen Stefani, Toppins got a keyboard and an eight-track and holed up in her bedroom, writing and recording music instead of keeping a diary. She came by her precocious interest in music honestly, nearly unheard of in an industry famous for spending millions manufacturing what Toppins possesses naturally. She plays a variety of instruments, including piano, saxophone, drums, and bass. She cut her teeth performing in plays, musicals, church, talent competitions, and during school halftime shows. Toppins became a celebrity in her small Missouri town. As chance would have it, one of those bedroom demos she poured her heart into found its way into the hands of Shock City Records’ Chris Loesch. Loesch and his business partner, former Gravity Kills bassist and keyboardist Doug Firley, called her after hearing just two tracks and offered her a deal. Toppins disappeared into the studio and emerged with the heavily-lauded album “VIOLETS AND VIOLENCE.” She’s preparing to take the stage singing her own music. All we can do is watch and wait. The story’s just begun.