Interview: Andrew Maxwell Morris – All Over Now

Andrews passion for music is without limit. He takes inspiration from great songwriters such a Bob Dylan, Ben Howard and Neil Young. This doesn’t define the music he makes but it is their unique vocal character which warms him and fuels his passion for song writing. Andrew wrote his first song at the age of 12 and taught himself drums and guitar at 13.

Hi Andrew, how are you today?

Hi David, I am very well thanks. We are just starting to ease out of the lockdown today on 4th July 2020 – I guess this might be our new Independence Day here in the UK!

How would you describe your sound?

I would say it’s a Ben Howard meets David Gray sound – lots of emotion in the singing and songwriting and atmospheric production, catchy melodies which hopefully bring people back to the songs again and again.

Which artists have influenced you the most over the years?

I came to my love of listening to music quite late on – although I started writing songs when I was 13 years old. I got quite obsessively into Dylan around the age of 21/22 and started collecting his records. I then moved into listening to Neil Young, Ben Harper and more recently Ben Howard and Bon Iver. I really love the sound of any music to be honest – I find everything around music fascinating and there is never enough music to listen to in my opinion.

How did your latest single, ‘All Over Now’, come about?

I took the song to my friend Dave Meegan, who is a great producer. It was just electric guitar and voice at the beginning. Dave had a great idea to change the key slightly and then get the right BPM. We wanted it slow, a bit like a heartbeat. From there we recorded the drum takes in a studio in London. After that we slowly layered the song up with electric guitars, mandolin and vocals and backing vocals. The layered vocal effect is a bit of a new direction for me, but I am really happy with the results.

Are you planning to make it part of a larger release, such as an EP or album?

This song is the first single from my Album Save the Light which was released on 8.6.20. The album was 4 years in the making but I think this song represents really well the sound of the album. The ethos of Save the Light is time, space and light. It takes the listener on a journey about making the most of the light in our lives.

The lockdown has affected everyone’s plans right now. What are you doing to stay productive throughout it and are you still able to work on new music?

At the beginning of the lockdown, I got to work straight away with writing. This was a really good way for me to get through the initial stages of the shock to all our lives. I wrote a lot at the beginning, and what was going on in the world gave me some great lyrical content, especially on the piano which is not my go to writing instrument. We will see whether any of the music will be released at some point, but it was creatively a high point for me.

Anything you would like to add?

No thanks – it has been a pleasure speaking with you!