Andy D

Two years ago a then-little-known artist named Grampall Jookabox performed a solo set at The Brass Rail. It was an unpredictable 30 minutes full of hip-hop beats, dancing, singing, laughing and pop hooks. By the end of the set, Jookabox had a dozen or more new fans. He now tours the world with a proper band, releasing albums on major indie labels and recording songs for major indie compilations. He returns to Fort Wayne whenever he can, even playing in town just last weekend.

This Friday, July 30, the Bloomington-based Andy D, known regionally for his topical brand of humor-filled electro-pop, will come to the Rail for his second Fort Wayne show. After talking to the man (and after doing some Internet research), I’m feel comfortable predicting that, like that first Jookabox Rail performance, Andy D will leave town with some new fans. And, if Andy’s online video clips are any indication, we’ll hear rapping, see dancing, laugh until we’re blue, learn some new hooks and, most importantly, party.

“I’m from Greenwood originally, right near Indy,” Andy explained to me in a recent interview. “I went to college in New York, so I lived there for about eight years. I met my now girlfriend in Brooklyn, where we were for a while. We moved back to Indiana for her schooling. So now we’re here.”

Andy began his career as “Andy D” while still in New York, writing what would become his solo debut, Choose Your Perversion, before moving back to Indiana.

“I’ve been touring behind that record for a while now. I’ve done a good share of weekend tours and things like that. Regional stuff, plus shows in New York,” Andy explained.

Making a big impression everywhere he goes, no doubt.

Armed with endless dance moves, a rat tail, hilarious stage banter, goofy outfits an a peculiar mustache, Andy turns heads not just when he hit’s the stage, but pretty much everywhere he goes.

“Andy D isn’t really a character. It’s me becoming the person I want to be. It’s true that I might be a little more explosive on stage, but when you see me on stage, those are the clothes I wear to work. It’s not like I put on the Andy D face,” he explained when questioned about the genuineness of his stage presence.

So, basically, imagine if Andrew WK play electro-pop, loved to dance, rapped, wore cut-off white jeans and was a character in Coen Brothers movie. That, in a nutshell, describes Andy D.

Sounds extreme, right?

“Well, the music comes first and foremost. I consider myself a songwriter,” Andy said when asked about the balance of personality and craft. “I love to write songs, produce them and figure them out, but the reason I make the songs - the reason the songs are the way they are - is because I want to get people to dance. I’ve never seen someone have a bad time while dancing, you know. So when I get on stage, it’s me being what the songs are about. I use humor and absurdity, and I’m really self aware of what I’m doing.

“What you see on stage is a collection of things I’ve thought were awesome for a really long time. The live show is my strong point. I know that, and I don’t think what I do on stage would really work if the songs weren’t also strong. So hopefully people will come to the show and have a good time, but I’m also hoping people will go away from the show and listen to the music.”

What you get with Andy, more than anything else, is a performance. And while his music is the key ingredient, his use of humor must be noted.

“Humor is part of who I am. I’ve always been the joker,” And said. “I use humor in songs or in performance or in my day-to-day life, but in the songs it’s all satire. There’s a message in there - pointing things out about party culture or whatever. The humor is just there to help get people to have a good time. I figure that if I can make someone laugh, they’re one step away from dancing. I expect people to be reserved when they first see me walk on stage, but hopefully by the time I get the show going people are into it. When that does happen it’s almost always because I got them to laugh at something. The whole goal of what I do is to get people to have fun.”

Back when Andy was in high school he played in a metal band that used tribal drums, a driving slap bass and big riffs. Primus-type stuff, mostly; weird, as expected. Year later, once in college in Brooklyn, Andy began performing noise rock similar to Black Dice of Wolf Eyes.

“Towards the end of college I just admitted to myself that I really like pop music. I like pop song structures and hooks that I can sing along to, and I’d been writing these strange pop-format songs on my keyboard,” Andy told me. “I came up with a song on guitar and recorded it with a friend one weekend - that song became ‘Rock Slow,’ which is the song I still close most of my shows with to this day. That was also my first attempt to rap, and I was just like ‘hey, maybe I can do this.’”

After developing his style Andy started writing songs for his debut album, recording demos at his small home studio before sending them off to his producer. Eventually Andy made his way up to Toronto where he would record Perversion in 10 days, going on to self-fund the pressing of 2,000 CDs - this back in 2007.

In the three years since, Andy has been selling off those CDs, playing countless live shows and working on his sophomore album, which he just finished recording with Hardlight Studios owner Scot Gallop, a Fort Wayne native. The new record, unlike the first, has seen some serious label interest.

“I’m really close to signing with a label,” Andy told me. “So the album should come out on a label - an Indy label. I just finished the final vocal track. The new record has 11 songs, all with a theme of magic. There’s a lot of magic on the new album.”

Talking to Andy, it’s obvious that he’s very excited about his second album, explaining that, since he’s been performing over half the songs for over a year, his sound has “grown by leaps and bounds since the first album.” Unlike before, Andy has a strong idea of what will translate best on stage - info he used while in the studio.

“Also, there’s more of a collaborative spirit on the new record than the first one - more instrumentation,“ Andy told me. “My girlfriend joined my live show about 10 months ago and also came in and sang on nine of the new songs. I have some other backup singers here and there and a really good friend of mine from New York drove here for a long weekend to add guitar.”

The album which will be released in the fall, will be met with CD release shows around Indiana. After that, Andy will tour through the fall, winter and spring, trying to, in his words, “make as much noise around the country as possible.”

Written by G. William Locke