DOWNLOAD: Andy Shauf - Three Cuts from Darker Days are available as a Free Download on iSound.com

Andy Shauf's full-length debut Darker Days came out last week on P is for Panda Records. The disc is a collection of the best of Andy's bedroom demos but, unlike most demo tapes, the songs are surprisingly mature. Andy wrote, produced and played all the instruments on this disc; on only two of the eleven cuts does he bring on friends to help out on backing vocals.

Andy has a silky-smooth voice but he doesn't use his voice alone to cary the songs. The backing instrumentation plays a major role in most songs and it ranges from acoustic guitar to electric grunge chords, handclaps and a banjo. While Deb Hansen adds some beautiful backing vocals to "Crushes", one of the real gems on this CD is "Gone" where Andy provides his own backing vocals and sings in glorious Beach Boys-like harmony with himself.

The themes of a lot of the songs are about love and relationships but the disc doesn't come off as a bland folk/emo disc. While there are a few slow spots, Andy keeps the disc moving by changing up the tempos, the instruments and his vocals. Some of the strongest cuts ("The Greatest Moments", "Your Heart" and "Crushes") are streaming on Andy's MySpace page.


Here is the first of Andy's video blogs which features an acoustic performance of "Your Heart". This is the lead-off track from Darker Days and it is a great segue into the rest of the disc.



Andy is currently touring in Canada and here are his upcoming tour dates:
June 2, 2009 -- 7:00PM, Estevan Comprehensive School Cafeteria, Estevan, Saskatchewan
June 12, 2009 -- 8:00PM, Haar Theatre (Grant MacEwan Arts Campus), Edmonton, Alberta
July 8, 2009 -- 7:30PM, TCU Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
August 7-9, 2009 -- Regina Folk Festival, Regina, Saskatchewan