Andrea Nixon
Edmonton, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
Singer-songwriter Andrea Nixon has opened up her soul to give voice to a unique point of view rarely heard from in modern music.
“I wanted to represent universal stories, but distinctly from the perspective of a housewife, and a proud housewife,” said Nixon, a musician and mother of three. “The stock character of a poor housewife is not necessarily true.”
Nixon – twice nominated for the Female Artist of the Year by the Alberta Country Music Awards in 2015 and 2016 – brings her “twang and croon” sound to the Royal Canadian Legion on April 21.
Influenced by Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and other strong women, the energetic Edmontonian used her own experiences as a wife and mom to craft emotional and intimate lyrics for her debut album, Diary of a Housewife.
“The perspective of a housewife is often muted, because you’re sort of cloaked in your home. Everyday people have stories – and it’s important those stories get representation,” she said. “That’s my motivation for songwriting … (for people) to hear some truth in it and feel a little less alone in their experience.”
On the EP, Nixon belts out tunes like Nothing Lies, which describes a woman “being trapped in the wrong love” and The Song Without a Name, more light-hearted fare about “letting go of those things that wear you down: Am I good enough? Am I hot enough …?”
Nixon also draws on her time as an inner city schoolteacher for the song Waiting for Sirens, written from the perspective of a child who has witnessed domestic violence.
“There’s a really powerful message there,” she said.
Earlier this year, Nixon had a chance to preview her new songs on a VIA Rail train to Toronto, where she performed three times each day until reaching Union Station as part of a program that sees the railway give train tickets to artists for free – in exchange for performing for its travellers along the way.
“There’s no pretense … (just) hair back, in a T-shirt, two days from a shower,” she recalled. “I heard the life stories of people I’d just met. It was quite an amazing experience.”
Cochranites can hear Nixon’s nuanced country Canadiana – along with classics from the most powerful female crooners – starting at 7 p.m. on April 21 as part of the Live at the Legion concert series.
Diary of a Housewife is slated for release on Sept. 2 – which happens to also be Nixon’s wedding anniversary. - Cochrane Eagle
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In a world that seems to get more complicated each day, Andrea Nixon’s music provides a refreshing remedy through its honest simplicity. The title of her debut album, Diary Of A Housewife, suggests only part of the story though. Yes, the 11-song collection documents Nixon’s rise as a critically acclaimed independent singer/songwriter, while balancing the demands of managing a family at the same time. But the universally relatable stories that provide the foundation of Diary Of A Housewife leave no stone unturned in exploring the landscape of heartache, angst, joy and humour with eyes wide open and heart in hand.
In many respects, Nixon is following in the footsteps of trailblazing female artists like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton by bravely revealing herself through her music. In other respects, Diary Of A Housewife is strikingly modern, seamlessly combining traditional country elements with, at key moments, rough-edged pop and rock. Tying it all together is Nixon’s irresistible, unaffected voice, capable of raging at an ex-lover on “You Didn’t Make Me” and expressing deep sorrow on “Waiting For Sirens,” while exuding pure charm on “Million Miles Away” and conveying an audible wink on the playful “Song Without A Name,” her latest radio single.
The track’s underlying message is to find the courage to be exactly who you are, something Nixon has never shied away from as a self-described “sensitive scrapper” with a tireless work ethic. Along with recently earning an Edmonton Music Award nomination as an Artist To Watch, she is also a 2017 finalist in the Project Wild Artist Development Program, a partnership between Alberta Music and Calgary’s Peak 95.3 aimed at launching the careers of Alberta’s next generation of country stars.
Yet, Nixon’s career achievements to date haven’t been limited to her home province. In early 2017 she participated in VIA Rail’s Artists On Board program that helped bring her to prestigious venues across Canada, including Toronto’s Dakota Tavern. Her previous single “Innerglow” (one of Diary Of A Housewife’s standout tracks) also received significant support from 35 terrestrial radio stations, as well as from CBC and SiriusXM. Her fan base likewise expanded in the wake of “You Didn’t Make Me” winning Storyhive’s 2015 Music Video Award, which led to Air Canada picking it up.
Still, Nixon’s bonds to communities across Alberta remain strong. As an extension of “Waiting For Sirens,” she has launched an awareness campaign on behalf of families affected by violence. Visiting and performing in shelters around the province, she is gathering the stories of frontline workers and survivors as part of a video series aimed at raising funds to buy gifts for families living in the shelters.
Andrea Nixon is a rare artist who believes that one’s life and one’s music are inseparable. She has proven that with Diary Of A Housewife, and with her commitment to affect positive change in the world. It’s more than a lot of people could handle, but for Nixon it’s all part of her ultimate goal to spend her life connecting to others in that magical space found only under the cover of a song.
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