Andrew F
Calgary, Alberta, Canada | INDIE
Music
Press
Pink, Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Pussycat Dolls, Coldplay. None of those names would be particularly surprising to find at the top of a music chart, but the one who comes right after them on the Canadian iTunes “Top Songs” might surprise a few. The name is Andrew F, the Calgarian whose debut album, Reckless Abandon, has recently blown up in a big way, leaving him rubbing elbows on the Canadian iTunes, eMusic and Billboard charts with the likes of M.I.A., Madonna and the Jonas Brothers. Not bad for a 17-year-old on an independent label he runs with his brother.
“One day, my parents called me up and were like, ‘Wow, you’re on iTunes,” Franks says of his sudden success. “I was just excited to be on iTunes. The
second day I looked and I was in the Top 20. I was shocked. I was very excited.”
While Andrew might have been shocked to see himself among some of the music industry’s biggest stars (his album and single each reached No. 4 on iTunes), the melodic pop-punk of Reckless Abandon has clearly caught on with Canadian listeners. Rather than rely on music industry money to promote his songs, though, Andrew has been doing things the old-fashioned way.
“I just need to thank my fans,” he says humbly. “I played at a lot of little shows and house parties, getting my name out there. I worked up a little fan base, and once they found out that I was recording my album, they just kind of followed.”
Obviously, “little” is an understatement. Word of mouth and fan loyalty has given Andrew the kind of chart position usually reserved for international celebrities. In an effort to capitalize on this success, Andrew has quickly assembled a band and will soon move onto much larger venues than the house parties he cut his teeth on.
“It’s going really good,” the singer and guitarist says of his new band. “We looked [for people] out of KLM [Rock School] because I wanted kids my age, and they’re all really talented guys. We interviewed a whole bunch of people and they were just the ones. We’ve been working on our live show and getting everything going. It’s all coming together really fast. We’ve even started writing some new tunes.”
Those new songs might take awhile to surface on a followup to Reckless Abandon, as Andrew is understandably busy with other things like honing his live show and outselling Metallica. While that last bit might be hard for some to wrap their heads around, Andrew hasn’t let success go to his. Despite the out-of-the-blue nature of his chart climb, Andrew isn’t afraid of a
similarly sudden disappearance, and his reasons have nothing to do with ego.
“It’s a pretty vicious industry, and I would hope that that would never happen, but I’ve got a pretty good fan base going on,” he says. “I have faith in the fans to keep me up there.” - Garth Paulson in Music Previews , Fast Foward Weekly
If you haven't heard of Andrew F yet, listen up.
At just 17, he's well on his way to becoming one of the most downloaded, Googled, YouTubed and radio-requested local musicians of the decade.
He's been No. 1 on the Canadian Billboards Emerging Artists Chart for the past five weeks and assumed a comfortable spot in the Top 10 list of iTunes downloads for the past six weeks. He's just finished filming the videos for his first two singles 'The End' and 'Crash and Burn' and is catching the attention of music industry insiders and execs like crazy.
On top of it all, Andrew F is an affable high school kid from Calgary with an overdeveloped interest in helping those around him.
Together with his bandmates Dennis Hann, Sean Abercrombie and Matt Boutin, Andrew Franks will be lighting up the MacEwan Hall Ballroom Friday night, in one of those shows that you'll surely be bragging about seeing years down the road when they make it big. Special guests Calm Asa Coma and Crystal Kid will be opening.
riday night's concert also marks the cd release party for his debut album, 'Reckless Abandon,' and for every ticket sold to the show, Andrew will be donating $5 to the Calgary Food Bank. Considering the tickets are only $22 to begin with, it's an offer that tops the generosity of many older, supposedly wiser philanthropist types.
With a capacity of 1,000 people, this rising teenage rocker could very well raise $5,000 for the Food Bank without breaking a sweat. And did we mention all who attend the show get his new cd for free? You don't even have to hear his music to like this kid. Rock on, Andrew F. - Kelly Doody, Calgary Sun
Discography
Andrew F - Reckless Abandon
Andrew F - The End
Photos
Bio
Andrew F is a 21 year old who started making music at the age of 14. In the spirit of Dave Groal of The Foo Fighters Andrew decided that, instead of staying in the background, he was destined to be in the Spotlight, in the eyes and ears of all his followers. By the time he was 17 he was Canadas Number one emerging artist on the BILLBOARD Charts for 9 weeks straight! He has also gained Top10 status on BILLBOARDS HOT 100, competing with some of the biggest names in the industry like: Pink, Rihanna and Coldplay. Since the release of his debut Album Reckless Abandon this ambitious young singer songwriter has garnered attention from some of the most influential people in the Music Industry. This diverse collection of songs, which range from the intimate acoustic track Just friends to the powerful Pop-punk lead out single The End, showed the songwriting maturity and thought-provoking prowess of a teenager with experience beyond his years. This promising talented solo artist captivates and draws in every crowd! With his unique pop punk sound and high-energy live show, he rocks every stage at Every Venue. Upon arrival to Toronto, he rocked 2 showcases at Canadian Music Week in less than 24 hours, that caught the ears of Radio Programmers, Publishers and labels with his aggressive guitar hooks and catchy melody lines. With Much Music on board, adding his first Music Video for his Breakout single The End Andrew F showed no signs of slowing down. He has relocated himself and his band to Toronto, Originally hailing from Calgary, to focus on the live show and summer touring. His success has allowed him to assemble a crack team, S.L. Feldman for booking, DMD for radio tracking, and the aggressive support by the Independent record label, Newboy Productions. The sky is the limit for this 21 year old with the desire and drives to reach his goals.
With release comes success and reception, His Debut single The End had gone platinum in Canada and downloaded globally. His Fan base has been gradually getting larger and larger during his time in Toronto. Keeping busy playing shows, writing new songs and recording new demos, Andrew found his sound and songwriting maturing over time. With new influences and life experiences comes a new but still familiar sound. Ready to make another impact on the Canadian music industry, Andrew is ready to head into the studio again to record his second album The Sophomore this time with stronger vocals, high energy, depth and hooks at every corner. With supercharged, high energy songs such as Stand and Fight and the instant party classic Weekend Heroes to a new depth in songwriting with songs such as I see you get ready for a new Andrew F in 2012!
Gearing up for the new release of the new album, music videos and nation wide radio play, Andrew F is ready to take over the world, starting with Canada, then globally. It seems nothing can stop this young Canadian artist.
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