ESP’s live music writer Rob Bull chats to fellow Peterborough musician Andy Hughes about his new album and how it’s been quite a few years in the making…
Andy Hughes has been a prolific figure on the Peterborough music scene for many years as the 27 year-old has been gigging around the city since his early teens. He’s renowned for his accomplished guitar playing, enthusiastic live performances and unique vocal style that takes influence from the likes of The Manic Street Preachers, The Stone Roses and Oasis.
Andy’s spent the past eight years working on a solo album project, and, after having to fit studio sessions around a relentless gigging schedule, his long awaited LP, Solitary Souls, is finally ready to see the light of day. Andy admitted that the lockdowns of the last year gave him extra impetus to finally get the album completed. Andy told me recently – “I just locked myself up in my home studio and got creative, turning cynical thoughts into something positive and creative.”
I was lucky enough to be sent the LP in its entirety and enjoyed hearing an abundance of Andy's talents coming together in one complete album. Along with the previously mentioned influences, I also picked out elements of Queen, The Smashing Pumpkins and Supergrass, three bands I grew up adoring. This is a well written and professional production that showcases a variety of musical and production skills.
Solitary Souls features eighteen self penned original tracks, plus a collaboration with friend and fellow writer Dan DiCarlo as well as a cover of the Hard Corps track C'est Pas Moi, which has been given a dance/rock twist, and as the title suggests, tests Andy's lyrical ability in French.
When I asked why the album had taken so long to be completed Andy added, “I wrote some of the tracks back in 2013 and 2014, but wasn't happy with a few of the initial demos. My voice has developed a lot since then and I have enhanced my musicality and theoretical skills on the instruments. This is my fifth solo record, and as some of my other albums have gone in different directions genre-wise, I’ve had to keep some compositions locked in the vaults, until they fitted in with the rest of the theme of this album.”
The album will be promoted at numerous local venues across the summer at Andy’s solo performances or gigs with his band-mates in Tribal Misfits. All of their upcoming dates are available in the ESP Gig Gig (www.espmag.co.uk), but they will also venture down to the legendary Hope and Anchor in London at the end of July for some out-of-town exposure.
Solitary Souls is available now via AndyHughesMusic.bandcamp.com and you can keep up to date with Andy's news and events on www.Facebook.com/AndyHughesMusic
Rob Bull
Album cover image: Amy Thompson
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