Andy Livingston

Andy Livingston wrote his first song in response to an acquaintance’s challenge: “I bet you can’t write a song.” Bizarre, out-of-context bravado aside, Andy took the bet and wrote his first song (a forgettable instrumental number), and the songs haven’t stopped coming since. At first, Livingston stayed in the instrumental genre and eventually moved towards composing for his high school orchestra. But then, after many years of compulsory piano lessons plunking out the works of dead composers, he drew inspiration from musicians such as Tori Amos, Elton John, Pink Floyd, and even Enya. It was then that he realized music’s capacity to explain the ineffable, and transcend language to communicate emotion and passion in a way that the shy, little boy he was never would have been able to with words alone.
Deciding to pursue his newfound self-expression through music, Livingston auditioned with a university in Utah with dismal results. “They laughed at me,” he recalls. Literally. When the professor of music called to inform him that his rejection letter was on the way, he took the time to chuckle while saying, “Your piano scores weren’t very high.” Feeling defeated, Livingston decided to push on through college focusing on a different degree, but not completely giving up on music. After not having touched the piano for six months, songs started coming as what Livingston feels was their way of saying “Don’t give up on us.” A CD of orchestral instrumentals entitled “Exodus” followed.
Soon after, Livingston joined some college friends in a short-lived band. They recorded a CD together, but shortly after parted ways with the lead singer getting married and moving out of state, and the other members of the band not fully dedicated to making music. Livingston, however, was not deterred. Having whetted his appetite with the local music scene, Livingston recorded his first full-length album of lyrical songs entitled “Waltz.” in 2007.
It was a couple of years later, after attending a symposium where Anderson Cooper (another idol) exhorted the audience to “follow [their] bliss” that Livingston decided to re-focus his musical efforts and head back to the studio. 2009’s “Indigo” was the result. Recorded with Trevor Price, Indigo was a challenging album to create because of its intensely personal nature. Themes such as the marriage of spirituality and sexuality, exploding the definitions of masculinity, and the emptiness of lust and love lost pervade the collection of 12 songs. Livingston admits that it is a heavy listen, but insists that it is equally cathartic.
Livingston has performed largely around the Salt Lake and Provo area. His past performances include independent student radio shows, coffee shops, the Sego Arts Festival, fundraising events for Equality Utah and other LGBT programs, as well as CD release shows at Muse Music and Club JAM; he most recently played for Salt Lake City’s Pride festival and at a fundraiser helping Salt Lake’s slam poetry team get to Slam Nationals. He is greatly inspired by Tori Amos, and often credits her with teaching him how to perform. He is a passionate performer, and, although he records with a band, typically plays solo, acoustic shows. He hopes to contribute something meaningful to the musical conversation that has preceded him; he says that music is what helped him find the voice that had often been silenced by shame, and he hopes to be able to share that voice with anyone who would listen.

You can find “Indigo” on iTunes, and learn more about Andy and his past/future performances at his website: www.andylivingstonmusic.com.

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