Keeghan Nolan

By Robert Barry Francos

ANDY BILINSKI started out as a punker here in the New York area, and then became a successful singer-songwriter down in Wilmington, NC. His sophomore release is “The Meaning Behind Nothing is Everything” (myspace.com/andybilinski). In fact, <em>Jersey Beat</em> has included songs from this CD on the podcast (and <em>JB</em> has been thanked in the booklet). For me, Andy’s strong point (and I’m not the first to say this by a long shot) is his introspective lyrics. In strong songs like “Paper Airplane,” “Silver Gull Motel,” “Strange World,” and “Brooklyn,” Andy looks at his emo side by being poetic rather than melodramatic (From “Silver Gull Motel”: “I reach my hands out across the sand/I part the tide with a fine toothcomb”). Andy either uses a full band or does the self-played-multi-instruments to give a full sound, and this usually works (the rare exception is the overly electronic “Breathe”). While Andy’s voice is kind of “woody” and earthy, it fits the tone of the song, so it definitely achieves what he apparently sought. - JERSEY BEAT

The ambiguous title of Andy Bilinski’s CD The Meaning Behind Nothing Is Everything is as susceptible to interpretation as the songs it contains. The Wilmington, N.C.-based songwriter’s lyrics paint vivid pictures in the listeners’ minds while at the same time leaving the meaning open to personal interpretation. With phrases like, “You were born and raised by the shore in a one room efficiency motel,” “A wilted flower and a pen that bleeds too,” and “Blistered by the thorn of a rose you held too close,” there are certain pictures that come to mind differing from person to person depending upon what in his or her own imagination is added to the canvas.

The CD opens with the upbeat “Paper Airplane,” its country flavor offset by the organ flowing through the background. From there the songs take on a more somber tone, led by the steering thump of the heavy bass groove in “Silver Gull Motel,” “The Artist” and “Brooklyn.” The ebb and flow of the organ in “Rue De Varenne” and “My Little Girl” give those songs their essence while the steadier organ and the near-whispered vocals in “Breathe” give it a unique character. The honky tonk flavor in “Strange World” is enhanced by the addition of the harmonica, while the starkness of “Table For Two” is embellished by musical and vocal bursts.

While all singer/songwriter offerings feature introspective lyrics about relationships between people and places, it’s the diversity of how those experiences are viewed and expressed that makes each writer’s songs distinctive. Andy Bilinski has a very artistic way of crafting his songs that take them beyond the scope of the norm. (Self-released)

www.myspace.com/andybilinski - Performer magazine

" if you like slow, quiet acoustic pop songs. Definitely better than most of what we get here." - Gods of Music

bilinski andy


J'ai eu l'occasion de passer plusieurs jours avec Andrew et d'écouter son show à Lille avec en première partie un jeune chanteur de la région très talentueux également. http://www.myspace.com/likeadreamthroughmyhead
Ces quelques jours ont été très sympas, riches en instants amusants* entre Andrew et la Loburg une nouvelle histoire est née...
face à tant de gentillesse et de passion pour la musique nous n'avons pu nous sentir autres que désarmés...

Andrew Bilinski...so nice sensitive artist

Why do you play? What do you play ?
Qu'est ce qui te motive à jouer ? Et qu'exprimes-tu lorsque tu joues ?
When I first started to play, I played mostly Punk rock music, which I still love and like to play, but now I've been playing and writing mostly songs on my acoustic guitar. For me there's something very real and honest about playing acoustic music. It's striped down and I play from my heart. I tell it how it's and write about my place in life and of things that emotionally effect me. Besides that poetry and my friends keep me alive. I don't know, I'm searching for something, I 've yet to find. Some people say I sound like Nick Drake or Jeff Tweedy, That's amazing to me 'cause they 're amazing*smile* Their art 's priceless.
Quand j'ai commencé à jouer pour la première fois, je jouais beaucoup de Punk et de Rock, musiques que j'aime toujours et qu'il me plait toujours de jouer. Mais maintenant je joue plus et compose beaucoup de chansons avec ma guitare acoustique. Pour moi, il ya quelque chose de vrai et de très sincère dans la musique acoustique et elle vient du fond et je joue avec mon coeur.Je parle de ce qui est et j'écris sur ma place dans la vie et sur tous les sujets qui provoquent beaucoup d'émotions à l'intérieur de mon être.C'est sans compter la poésie et mes amis qui me gardent également en vie. Je ne sais pas, je suis en train de chercher quelque chose que je n'ai pas encore trouver. Certains disent que ma musique sonne comme celle de Nick Drake ou Jeff Tweedy, c'est amusant pour moi...

What song of someone else would you have liked to write ?
Quel titre qui n'est pas de toi aurais-tu aimé écrire ?
Hmmmmmmmm, I don't know... The first song that comes to mind 's Dance me to the end of love*Leonard Cohen. That song pulls me in everytime I heart it. The vibe of it and the words...
Je ne sais pas...La première chanson qui me vient à l'esprit est Dance me to the end of love de Leonard Cohen. Cette chanson me touche en plein coeur à chaque fois que je l'écoute, ses vibrations tout comme les mots...

Your influences ?
Tes influences ?
I would have to say Leonard Cohen, Gram Parson, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams to the Doors...some of my friends Ben Arnold, Jim Boggia, Cory Branan...this list could go on forever ! Besides music everything from Rainer Maria Rilke to the gas station down the street.
Je dirais Leonard Cohen, Gram Parson, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams jusqu'aux Doors...quelques uns de mes amis comme Ben Arnold, Jim Boggia, Cory Branan...cette liste pourrait s'étendre à l'infini, et c'est sans compter la musique qui réside dans l'oeuvre de Rainer Maria Rilke jusqu'a la music de la station d'essence en bas de la rue.

Your favourite new record today ?
Ton album coup de coeur ?
Spoon right now. Go get it !
Spoon allez tout de suite l'acheter!

What 's on your record your favourite song ? Why ?
Quelle est ta chanson favorite sur ton album ? pourquoi ?
Breathe. I don't play this song in live, I 've never. I wrote it, and recorded it, it the same time a special part of my life that just needs to be left alone. I don't want to play it to death. That way it's always fresh to me.
C'est Breathe*celle que je préfère*. Je ne joue pas cette chanson en live, je ne la jouerais jamais. Je l'ai écrite, enregistrée à un moment particulier de ma vie, à un moment où j'avais particulièrement besoin d'être seul. Je ne veux pas la jouer et ce jusqu'à ma mort. Ainsi elle restera toujours fraîche pour moi.

Tell me about your storie with France
Parle moi de ton histoire avec la France
This 's been my first time playing in France. I came over from the States not knowing what to expect with only a back pack and guitar. I didn't know what was going to happen. My shows in Paris*Pop-in* and Lille*Peek a boo* were great ! Everyone 's been very nice and welcoming. Here in France I found people very open to new music and into the underground(D.Y.I) scene. It's very different from playing in the states for example in the States I drive my car 100's miles from North Carolina to New York to Texas, the road is endless ! Here in France taking trains and metro...*smile*we don't use the trains so much back home...
Anyways, the shows here 've been fun and I 've enjoyed every minute of my time here. With my new record coming out early spring, I hope to come back and tour France more-untill tahn-
I thank all of you.
Ce n'est pas la première fois que je viens en France, je suis venu des Etat - rock-in-chair.com

Wilmington based singer/songwriter Andy Bilinski is perhaps one of the greatest talents in the city that remains an underground favorite. Playing just sporadically enough around Wilmington bars to add a touch of mystery to his persona, Bilinski has the ability to move and surprise audiences all in one show.

Known by his fans for the beauty and intensity of his lyrics, Bilinski seems to find the way his listeners approach his music odd. “People say my lyrics are really personal, but most people say they can relate to everything. That’s pretty strange when you think about it.”

Songs such as “Vegas Lauren Vegas” bring to mind the kind of flawed relationships many people have experienced at one time or another. But Bilinski’s idea of romance is far broader than relationships. “Picking up a guitar and playing it can be romantic. It all goes back to what you have a passion for. If it comes from inside, if you love it, then it’s romantic.”

What is perhaps most unusual about Bilinski is his disinterest in breaking into the mainstream. When attending one of his show’s, one can not help but to notice the sheer stage presence, the innocent smile ready made for the cover of magazines, and the lyricism tailored to those in need of an emotional ally.

Bilinski sees success in a very different way. “A lot of people get these huge butterfly eyes thinking they’re going to be rock stars, but it so much more than that,” Bilinski said. “Most of my music isn’t really too top forty. I’m not trying to climb these huge ladders or anything, I’m just playing. If people dig it, that’s awesome. It’s where my heart is, my passion.”

Like several other musicians these days, Bilinski comes from humble punk rock beginnings. While the transition was somewhat awkward at first, he seems to have made his way just fine.

“It was kind of hard for me to start out. I used to be in punk bands in New York, screaming my lungs out,” Bilinski said. “When you’re on stage in a punk rock band and start to talk, the audience screams ‘Shut up!’ Now I get up there and play my guitar and they say ‘Tell us a story!’”

While he has music circulating independently overseas and a demo available at his shows, the best way to get a feel for the true Bilinski is to attend a show and experience the magic in person. Listeners can also check him out at www.andybilinskimusic.com. Until then, audiences never know where they might see Bilinski next.

By LinnieSarah Helpern



- The Seahawk

Andy Bilinski est un jeune auteur/compositeur américain, qui cultive l’art de façonner de magnifiques morceaux folk rock sur fond d'indépendance artistique. Bilinski joue partout, tout le temps et pour tout le monde. Il a pour unique but de rencontrer des personnes et leurs faire partager toute la passion qui anime ses chansons. Ce soir c’est au tour du public de La Malterie d’avoir le plaisir de le rencontrer.
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TRANSLATION:
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Andy Bilinski is a young authorAmerican type-setter, who cultivates art to work splendid pieces folk rock'n'roll on artistic bottom of independence. Bilinski plays everywhere, all the time and for everyone. The purpose of it is single to meet people and their to make share all the passion which animates its songs. This evening is with the turn of the public of Malt factory to be pleased to meet it.
- Rock au Nord