Celebrating her first release, Andi Kidd takes a minute to talk about her musical inspirations, writing methods, and the future.
Hey, Andi. Thank you for taking the time to chat today.
We’re here to celebrate the release of your first single, Loose Ends, which will go live on all major streaming platforms on Tuesday, August 17th. It’s a beautiful tune that seems to carry multiple layers of feels. There’s definitely pain, but it doesn’t strike me as a victim’s pain, it seems more like someone coming to a realization and making a choice. It’s thoughtful and contemplative, but with the sadness, there also seems to be strength and hope in the character’s voice.
What was your inspiration for this song? Is this written about an experience in your life, or about a fictional character?
"The inspiration for this song really comes from a period of severe uncertainty, grief, and heartbreak; ultimately, a season of change. I started writing it around the time I found out I would be moving again, and specific to this move, I’d be losing the last summer I had with my friends before college. Along with that comes the realization there are some I would quite literally never see again. Thinking about this, and my situation in that space with a guy that I cared too much about for it not to be returned… it was the acknowledgment that I had no other option but to move on, and from nearly everything. That’s never an easy thing to do."
Being that this is your first release, will this be part of a larger album collection? If so, when should we expect to hear a full album of Andi Kidd songs?
"I don’t have a certain answer for this, yet. The process of writing it and recording it, which was unexpected and a whole other story, really solidified the fact that it’s the love of my life. I’m currently working on a few songs, so hopefully that answer is yes; I just don’t know quite yet."
How long have you been a songwriter and what motivated you to explore writing your own music?
"When I was 16, I remember buying a blank spiral notebook because I wanted to start keeping all of my fragmented and displaced poetry in one place. It more so consisted of random thoughts, a verse here and there, a rambling poem, an excerpt from a book I’ll never write, etc… the title of that notebook says for poems, songs, and other things. I wrote my first complete song at 17, titled In Dreams. I’ve always, always loved writing, always have I found a deep comfort and excitement in it that I have yet to discover anywhere else; that passion, along with the one for singing, certainly set me on the path. More than anything though, I think was the desire to create something that impacts others in a similar way my favorite artists impacted me; meaning, to offer, even just a moment of comfort in a world that can at times be unkind."
“...the desire to create something that impacts others in a similar way my favorite artists impacted me; meaning, to offer, even just a moment of comfort in a world that can at times be unkind.”
When you write, do you start with lyrics first, then melody and chords? Do you start with melody first and words second? Also, what instrument(s) do you play and like to write with?
"I always start with the lyrics. Mostly, because, that’s where I put most of the value of the song, and partly because, I’m not very skilled when it comes to instruments. I will have the words, then build a melody to know the direction I’d like to go, and then add chords, and change the melody around here and there, when I hear something I like. Not a very efficient process, but it works for me."
Do songs come to you all at once, or do they show themselves over time?
"I’d say the idea comes to me, and then I build the song off of one really strong verse or chorus, and then work out the rest over time. I’m not one to sit down for a couple of hours and have a new song; it definitely takes more spaced out effort. I went back to Loose Ends around 3 times over the course of a week to finish it."
Did the pandemic have an impact on you as a songwriter? If so, how?
"I think, if anything, it gave me more time to discover my style, and experiment with different structures and whatnot. It certainly provided a lot of new experiences, while it took away older and comfortable ones, so I do believe it just broadened my perspective, which always helps writing."
With your first track coming out in August, what does the next year hold for Andi Kidd, and what would you like to see come from it?
"The next year looks like a lot of opportunity! I’ll be starting my first year at college in late August, while seeing where this single takes me. Now, feeling like I actually have the bearings to go further with my music, I’ll continue to work and hopefully create something really great for myself and others."
Thank you for your time, Andi. And all the best to you for the coming year, and on your new release!
Artists
Dana E.K. is a staff writer for Black Squirrel Underground and Underground Squirrel Studio.
© 2021 Black Squirrel Underground
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