Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
April/May 2005
Tasteful, melodic songwriting full of poppy sweetness. The album's complex arrangements and inventive melodies never distract from the heart of Wesley's art - unswerving honesty and a fierce desire for illumination.
-Jason Killingsworth - Paste Magazine
Jan/Feb 2005
Cool and fresh alt rock. This project from the former Aunt Bettys' guitarist is smart, dreamy, and oh so catchy. Alert enough for college rock yet melodic enough for the radio. Outstanding.
-Doug Van Pelt - HM Magazine
Jan 2005
The debut solo album from Huntington Beach native and veteran Orange County musician andrewesley is a heartfelt tribute to the ocean, the environment, and a spiritual path that leads to enlightenment. Andrewesley is a dyed-in-the-wool surfer and uses every opportunity to push involvement in the very worthy H.B.-based Surfrider Foundation. His sound is soft, soothing, and not quite as hippie-like as that of his surfing colleague Jack Johnson. This is a pleasant album that leaves the listener floating in an ocean, the great ocean of life.
-Dug - Skratch Magazine
Jan 2005
Who'd have figured some guy from the back woods of Canada would scoop the first copy of this gem ? Nicely produced, and wonderfully executed. If you were a fan of Aunt Bettys and liked what you heard on Kevin Clay's Watch Me Fall - this is what Andrew Carter sounds like when he's in front of the microphone. Also features Jeff Elbel on bass.
-Jevon Bano - Banophernalia
Dec 24, 2004
As difficult as it was sitting down and spending the past several weeks revisiting the countless new releases I received in 2004, it only speaks to a wonderful and thriving O.C. music scene. Selecting the best releases of the year was just short of impossible.
andrewesley, "Strength" (Marathon Records) - Shining guitar work, emotive vocals and strong songwriting are used in combination to paint an intelligent and provoking release from one-time Goforth guitarist Andrewesley on his solo debut. Information: www.marathonrecords.com
-Robert Kinsler - Orange County Register
Nov/Dec 2004
andrewesley gives it's listeners contemporary adult pop with great guitar hooks. The harmonies are tender and accent the music and the lead vocals well. If you like strong musicianship and addictive catchy lyrics then Strength is a CD you'll want to hear. Some of the good songs on here are History, Black Waterfall, Strength, One Step Closer, and From Within. Strength is a powerful debut release for andrewesley.
-Jonathan D. Wright - Highwire Daze
Nov 10 2004
(exerpt)
Strength features distinctive, guitar-friendly songs and soulful vocals, spanning the gamut of rich musical influences. andrewesley lives by his own values to create music that is both honest and comes from the heart.
-Lana Vadiyants - Campus Circle
Nov 5 2004
(exerpt)
A quick play through Strength invokes memories of the late Jeff Buckley or British rockers Oasis, but their similarities act as influences rather than selling points. For all the complex scoring and unusual arrangements, Strength is really a journey of one - a reflection into an artist's soul and an opportunity to see how other people react.
-Dave Brooks - Huntington Beach Independent
Oct 15 2004
(exerpt)
Following the blueprint of George Harrison and Eric Clapton, andrewesley is a singer-guitarist whose solo career is earning the acclaim given his ensemble work. The range of musical influences is rich, with the artist's wonderful guitar work sharing time with strong vocals and artful arrangements.
-Robert Kinsler - Orange County Register
Aug 14 2004
(exerpt)
andrewesley is one of those acts I ended up catching by accident at Cornerstone this year. I was in between shows, hanging out and talking to some folks at the Gallery Stage, and decided to stick around. It was one of the best decisions I made all week. Simply put, this (strength) is one of the best albums I have heard this year.
-Brian A. Smith - The Phantom Tollbooth
Discography
"All I Want To Say" andrewesley - CD Single
(2004, Marathon Records)
"Strength" andrewesley - CD full-length
(2004, Marathon Records)
Other Releases Featuring andrewesley (a.k.a. Andrew Carter):
"Eleventh Hour Songbook" Jeff Elbel + Ping
(2004, Marathon Records)
"Things I've Done, Things To Come" Mike Knott
(2000, Marathon Records)
"Grace And Dire Circumstance" Farewell To Juliet
(1998, Marathon Records)
"Ford Supersonic" Aunt Bettys
(1998, Marathon Records)
"Dogfish Jones" L.S.U.
(1998, Light Records)
"Bring It Down Now" L.S.U.
(1997, )
"Bloomshine" Sunny Day Roses
(1997, Marathon Records)
"Aunt Bettys" Aunt Bettys
(1996, Elektra Ent. Group)
"Real" Amee Chapman
(1995, Goin' Home To Mamma Records)
"Fluid" Mike Knott
(1994, Alarma Records)
"Grace Shaker" L.S.U.
(1994, Alarma Records)
"The Finish Line" Amee Chapman
(1993, Goin' Home To Mamma Records)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The heart of Bob Dylan and the soul of Stevie Wonder...
andrewesley's reputation as a powerful musical presence began when he was the lead guitarist for celebrated Elektra recording artist Aunt Bettys. His searing leads and ultra melodic riffs were ear candy to anyone lucky enough to catch the punk-tinged quartet on stage. Before disbanding, the group released two full-length albums, were a featured artist back to back years at the South By Southwest music conference, and even made a splash on the Billboard charts with the single "Jesus". After two years pursuing a formal music education, andrewesley joined seminal O.C. power pop group Goforth. The band worked with producer Michael Vail Blum (Suicidal Tendencies, New Radicals) and was nominated for best pop/rock group two years in a row at the Orange County Music Awards. andrewesley has also enjoyed sharing the stage as a sideman with The Donavon Frankenreiter Band and The Strung Gurus, which featured the late Dennis Dennel of Social Distortion.
Today andrewesley is calling the shots as a bandleader in his own right, with a musical style comparable to such contemporaries as Jason Mraz, Duncan Sheik, John Mayer, and the late Jeff Buckley. His debut full-length album "strength" was just released on Marathon Records and has won praise from many in the music press. Robert Kinsler of the Orange County Register has hailed "strength" as one of the ten best releases of the year (2004) ! The record focuses on themes about spiritual enlightenment, personal relationships, and the environment.
andrewesley is a seasoned and well travelled performer with a plethora of live experiences under his belt. He has shared the stage with artists like Fastball, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, The Alarm, Susanna Hoffs, Placebo, and Stan Ridgway. Venues of note include House of Blues-Hollywood, Mercury Lounge-New York, SXSW-Austin, The Viper Room-Hollywood, ESPN Games-Phoenix, Foundations Forum-Los Angeles, SFO3-San Francisco, The Casbah-San Diego.
andrewesley is a lover of the ocean and a member of the Surfrider Foundation (www.surfrider.org).
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