Andrea Wittgens
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Andrea Wittgens

Seattle, Washington, United States | INDIE

Seattle, Washington, United States | INDIE
Band Alternative Singer/Songwriter

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Press


"Raves from a Grammy Winning Producer"

"Magnetic, compelling. People are just drawn to the sound of her voice. She's the real thing."
-- Bob Power, multi-platinum and Grammy-winning record mixer/producer Erykah Badu, Citizen Cope, Ozomatli, The Roots and others. - Bob Power


"Local Artist of the Month"

"[Andrea's songs] evoke memories of Carole King and of singer songwriter Erin McKeown, blending theatrical musical themes with bright pop tunes."

- KMTT, 103.7 The Mountain


"Exquisitely evocative..."

"Exquisitely evocative of the finest popmeisters of the past three decades. Music that is very new and fresh, unlike anything I've ever heard before. Andrea Wittgens [is] a vocalist capable of being both sultry and scorchy, writes with the sensibilities of a Harry Nilsson or an Emmit Rhodes." - Bill Fisher, Victory Review - Victory Review


"Accolades"

* made the shortlist of "Seattle up and coming bands", Seattle Magazine fall 2003.
* was the feature of a complete show on Seattle NPR station KUOW's program The Beat, fall 2003.
* featured band on Q13 TV's morning program, fall 2003.
* local band of the month, KMTT The Mountain, May 2003.


- Various


"Seattle Sound Magazine gives 4 1/2 Stars to "In The Skyline""

Strength can be commanding, but so can eloquence. Especially when a silver tongue rides a voice that flitters with the wonderful unpredictability of a butterfly and the laser precision of, well, a laser. Such is the case for Seattle's Andrea Wittgens, whose two greatest assets (her voice and her pen) both underline and elevate each other. Her poetry is thoughtful, genuine and, on many
occasions, as playful as a cabaret. Meanwhile, her pop ambitions are never too obvious; in fact, they're often obfuscated by chamber-sized orchestrations that oscillate between classically minded, grand strategies and flashy accoutrements. Beneath her penchant for torch songs and love songs is a tendency toward writing about unreal realms as diverse as Oz, Mordor and B-movies. This imaginative pop maestro's delivery and message are so delightfully refreshing that it's hard to remember she's working from the pop music playbook. SHAWN TELFORD.
Standout Tracks: "Cardboard Cutouts," "Blue-Eyed Fool"
****1/2 stars

- Seattle Sound Magazine Jan 09


Discography

2009 "In The Skyline." - Has been received well on AAA stations in the northwest as well as across Canada on CBC. This album just received a 4 1/2 review in Seattle Sound Magazine.

2006 "Alibi" - First release as a solo artist! "Alibi" was produced by studio legend Bob Power (Grammy winning, multi-platinum producer/engineer for The Roots, Erykah Badu, Citizen Cope, Ozomatli et al.) and has quickly made its way onto Seattle area radio--KMTT, KEXP, KUOW and more.

2003 "How do you Love, Aquamarine?" Full length release by Andrea's band, Sugartown. The track "Hey Love" was recently featured for the month of February 2009 on Lifetime TV.

2000 "Blue Eyed Fool" Sugartown's debut release.

Photos

Bio

A 4 1/2 star review of Andrea Wittgens "In The Skyline" in the Jan 2009 issue of Seattle Sound Magazine:

"Strength can be commanding, but so can eloquence. Especially when a silver tongue rides a voice that flitters with the wonderful unpredictability of a butterfly and the laser precision of, well, a laser. Such is the case for Seattle's Andrea Wittgens, whose two greatest assets (her voice and her pen) both underline and elevate each other. Her poetry is thoughtful, genuine and, on many occasions, as playful as a cabaret. Meanwhile, her pop ambitions are never too obvious; in fact, they're often obfuscated by chamber-sized orchestrations that oscillate between classically minded, grand strategies and flashy accoutrements. Beneath her penchant for torch songs and love songs is a tendency toward writing about unreal realms as diverse as Oz, Mordor and B-movies. This imaginative pop maestro's delivery and message are so delightfully refreshing that it's hard to remember she's working from the pop music playbook." SHAWN TELFORD (Seattle Sound Magazine)

Common wisdom in the entertainment business dictates if you can't describe it in two sentences, go back to the boards and refine your pitch. However, those experienced and well traveled in the business know that in truth, it's the ones that you can't describe easily that are the true and lasting artists.

Seattle based singer-songwriter Andrea Wittgens is the freshest original new voice on the scene in years. Combining sultry, engaging vocals (Rickie Lee Jones meets Fiona Apple) with clever yet disarmingly honest lyrics, she has been holding audiences in rapture throughout North America.

Originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Andrea moved to Seattle in the late 90’s and stirred up a wave of notice with her band Sugartown. 2 albums and 4 years later it was time for her to shine as a solo artist. Her 2006 EP Alibi (produced by Grammy Award winning producer/mixer Bob Power) garnered excited reviews in the northwest and also in New York City where she suddenly found herself with a notable buzz in the east coast music industry.

In October 2008 she will release a full-length album In The Skyline. An adventurous mix of instrumentation, this new collection of original songs (including “Comme tu veux” her first French recording) journeys from hypnotically intimate string quartet textures to raucous full band orchestrations. “In The Skyline” represents a convergence of the writing, singing and riveting stage presence that marks Andrea Wittgens' arrival as a singer-songwriter of the highest order.

Since coming to Seattle, WA, Andrea has generated a solid regional following. Her success includes airplay on several local radio stations including 103.7 "The Mountain" KMTT, KEXP, KUOW and more. She is a favorite at top Seattle area nightclubs like Nectar, The Tractor Tavern, The Crocodile Cafe, Sunset Tavern and ToST. She has played to packed houses in Manhattan at The Living Room, The Knitting Factory and Rockwood Music Hall and mesmerized crowds as she opened for Grammy-winning artist Shawn Colvin Seattle at Seattle's historic Moore Theater.

WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING ABOUT "In The Skyline"

"With musical compositions that combine the energy of early punk with the slickness of modern pop, she creates music that is perfect for now... Multiple time signatures, key changes and occasionally dense orchestrations make each song an aural journey rather than merely another pop ditty... It accomplishes something few contemporary albums achieve - a cohesive and unique musical statement that defies labels and simple descriptions." -- Vintage Guitar Magazine, August 2009

"A silver tongue rides a voice that flitters with the wonderful unpredictability of a butterfly and the laser precision of, well, a laser…this imaginative pop maestro’s delivery and message are so delightfully refreshing that it’s hard to remember she’s working from the pop music playbook." --Shawn Telford, Seattle Sound Magazine

“Forget all that compared to this and that stuff, Wittgens is her own voice and it’s one you’ll be glad to hear. Hot stuff from a newcomer that’s sure to be around for a while.” ---Chris Spector, Midwest Record

“With a tip of the hat to Brecht, Jellyfish and maybe even XTC, Wittgens’ music is a soundtrack for a waiting room in a bordello or perhaps a carnival. Throughout the dozen tracks, the ideas and creativity seem to flow effortlessly, from the rock edge to ‘Blue-Eyed Fool’ and the meticulously orchestrated ‘Everything Is Relative to You’. The Beatlesque ‘Beautiful You’ sounds precisely like its title: With a flanged, almost liquid guitar line, the songs ebbs and swells from nothing but Wittgens voice to a beautiful ensemble.” ---Michael Lipton, Charleston Gazette

"Incredible! Her songwriting sensibilities are the ilk of Edie Brickell, Carol Bayer Sager, and Joni Mitchell. And her voice just soars! You've got to invest your time to hear thi