Kyle Andrews

Nashville native Kyle Andrews expels a candor about his life in a way that's unusual to hear if you haven't known him forever; he's enthusiastically matter-of-fact, honest and persuasive. He articulates a thorough understanding of the recording process and takes as much pride in writing a song that is used in a Holiday Inn commercial ("You Always Make Me Smile") as he does orchestrating the business side of things. "To give you an idea of how I work, the decision to create Kangaroo came about three months ago. The rest happened that quickly." Andrews contemplates, "I'd be terrified to be signed with somebody big. I know artists on big labels that have taken well over a year to release something. It's important to recognize that nobody cares more about your music than you do. That's the reality." Makes you wish everyone would go DIY.

August 2010 was a big month for Andrews. He released a wildly entertaining and popular music video for his latest single, the buoyant and infectious "You Always Make Me Smile." The video involved coordinating thousands of people to participate in the Guinness World Record setting water balloon fight. Then he released Kangaroo, a stripped-down, folk-injected bedroom electro-pop EP brimming with conversational melodies and anthemic vocals. He's also producing and managing his and other artists' upcoming releases, running his own label (Elephant Lady Records) and performing gigs around the nation.

The endless responsibilities associated with being purely DIY don't dull Andrews' certain optimism, "I'm 100% responsible for how this goes," he says, referring to his career. "At the end of the day, I'm used to having total control during recording, so controlling how the albums are released and the way money is spent makes sense for me." Working with his latest project, Elephant Lady Records, also offers an opportunity to help his friends, "I'm producing a record from a Chicago band called Horse In The Sea and if the label develops into an opportunity for them, then I love the idea," says Andrews. "I think most people should start off by releasing their first records themselves, you know - working a day job and saving up money. Take the time to really make that first impression. It's not wise to go after getting signed too soon, it can negatively affect your songwriting."

Listening to an Andrews record, it's hard to imagine all the time he invests: he not only engineers them, but also proficiently plays all the instruments (keyboards, guitar, bass, synths, drums, etc.) and sings. "They say that the best songs are the ones you can sit down and play on an acoustic guitar and have it be great nakedly, but for me the other instruments and melody parts are the other half of the lyrics," says Andrews. His lone songwriting style does have its luxuries, which he's the first to acknowledge, "I don't have a guitarist, bassist, or keyboardist, so if the part's not working I skip it and try something else. It doesn't hurt my feelings when I cut a guitar part that doesn't work. It keeps the workflow pretty fast-paced. No egos involved." He illustrates his point with the first two songs on Kangaroo, "From concept to recording a first draft took about four-hours each. And that's pretty fast. It's one of those times where the idea of the song was evident; elements fell into place immediately. It's definitely a benefit to having a home studio to translate those ideas into a recording without worrying about booking studio time or teaching parts to other musicians."

Live shows offer a collaborative oasis, "I have a great group of musicians I tour with and that's when I get the mutual element." He adds, "You gain perspective taking a song that is pretty much 100% you, then having other people change things. It's when I get to hear the dynamics of the individual parts working together. It's cool because the other musicians offer ways to improve a part when I maybe felt the song was done. I love that aspect."

Kangaroo, released two years after his critically praised dance-centric full-length, Real Blasty, has maintained "conversational lyrics and lots of melody focus," says Andrews. "Although it's not something I like to be consciously aware of, I tend to know how I want my next record to sound. For my next album, while I'm young and can get away with it, I want to be even more danceable. One that takes the rock energy from 'Tennessee Torture Dreams' and blends it with the beat-heavy sound on 'Sushi.' Something really accessible and listenable." Andrews can't say exactly when he'll release his next LP, but one thing is for sure: we can expect it to be catchy, danceable and 100% himself.
- Performer