It's all about the songs, the words, the songwriting. Born in Wollongong, NSW, Singer, guitarist, percussionist and trumpeter, Andy was 10 years old when he first started to play music. His mother was a trained singer and they sang together constantly as he grew up. His father's mother was a music teacher. His mother's father was a musical jack of all trades who found his expression on the banjo and the spoons. His older cousin played saxaphone in the band, Tarquin, and going to gigs seemed to be an integral part of existence to him. It was only natural that Andy would end up playing for a living himself.

Under the direction of an enthusiastic music teacher Andy and three other friends formed a band whilst in High School called Mistaken Identity. They played around Wollongong and up and down the south coast. Their parents had to drive them to gigs as they were too young themselves. Of course they weren't meant to be in pubs either but that didn't stop them playing them regularly.

After leaving school Andy moved to Sydney to work at EMI's recording facility, Studios 301. For ten years he soaked up every influence he could and worked with so many great musicians. He became friends with Russell Kilbey and played on an album by Russell and Ed Clayton-Jones, Turkeyneck Lasso. John Kilbey became a close friend and asked Andy to do some sound engineering and playing on his solo album, The Penny Drops, Good Fortunes. You can hear one of Andy's songs, "Under a Lid", on the nothing short of fantastic follow up album by John Kilbey, Nothing More Than Something To Wear, JLK, Karmic Hit Records. Around this time Andy met Matt Clyde and Jeremy Butterworth. A lasting friendship was formed out of which came the band, Luminous. They recorded an EP which is no longer available. It was maybe a case of "what could have been".

Andy played on some lovingly crafted albums, Jeremy Flies...A Tribute To Nick Drake, Um and Ah Records, playing the haunting, "Fruit Tree", Jeremy Flies Vol 2...A Tribute To Nick Drake, Acoustic Lounge Records playing, the song, "Clothes Of Sand", Stars In My Belly-A Tribute To Jeff Buckley, Acoustic Lounge Records, playing an un-released song of Jeff's called "All Flowers In Time (Bend Towards The Sun)" and on Remote Memory - A Tribute To Elliott Smith, Um and Ah Records, playing "Everything Reminds Me Of Her".

Andy has released four solo albums to date: 2009's Life Got In The Way, 2013's The Reverent Jorfy and The Reverent Jorfy - Live and 2014's Black Sea. Mary Gautier meets Buddy Miller is how his music could be described. He is not afraid to note the pain in the world around him but also to acknowledge the beauty. Andy lives with his love in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley writing and playing his music on the porch in the house they built together, off the grid, on solar power.

www.andygordon.com.au
www.andygordon.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/andygordonmusic
http://www.sonicbids.com/band/andygordon/
available on iTunes, eMusic, Bigpond Music etc...

The Reverent Jorfy review:
http://megaphoneoz.com/?p=5213
Black Sea review:
http://theorangepress.net/2014/03/andy-gordon-black-sea/

Finalist in 2 categories MusicOz Awards 2013, (Grand Finalist World/Folk Genre)

Member of Folk Alliance International
Member of Folk Music Ontario