So, when did you realize music was going to be an
important or significant part of your life?
In high school, when I started doing show choir. I just
never enjoyed anything more than that. It was my senior
year and I decided to go to college for music after that.
Growing up, who were you musically influenced or
inspired by in your
personal life or a well-known artist? Is there anyone in
your family that
was gifted musically or anything like that?
A couple people dabbled, and a couple of my cousins are very talented
but nobody that I know of really explored music as a profession. When I
was 13, Cindy Lauper and Madonna were who I loved. My mother got me
listening to Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, and Abba. Singing to those
(ABBA) girls really helped my range.
For someone who has never been to one of your shows, what could they
expect to see from an Andi Rae Healy concert?
I’ve been told that my performance is very honest. So I guess, expect
me to not hold back. I'm goofy in between songs and I just try to
enjoy myself and be in the moment as much as possible.
How exactly would you describe the genre of
music that you do? What
category would it fall under?
Ive been calling it alternative country or Americana.
How long have you been out on the road touring?
This is the first stop.
Really? Awesome, that's great! Its off to a rainy start! Describe
what the life of a singer is like. What are the highs? What are the
lows?
The highs probably always come at the shows. Although, the reason I'm
on this tour is because I just finished my first legitimate CD. That
was a really big high. Even just working on it, because I found a
really good producer and I enjoyed the process. I was sad when it was done.
I wasn’t ready to stop. To get more specific, he brought in lots of
amazing musicians. He's part of Cyndi Lauper's band and he brought a
lot of the rest of her band to play. They're, of course, all
incredible. So that was an amazing experience. And he's incredible. And then,
of course, he got Cindy Lauper to come and sing on it. So those are
some pretty big highs. Like I said, I grew up listening to Cindy Lauper,
so getting to meet her in that capacity was pretty exciting.
What were some of the challenges or what did you have to overcome when
you were just starting out?
Self doubt was pretty much the biggest because everyone has an opinion.
It's rough And if you didn't have the encouragement of your family
and friends, it's really hard. I'm so lucky that I do. They help you
get through those moments when you're like, "I don't know why
I'm doing this. My songs suck." So yeah, that;s one of the hardest
parts. Especially as a singer/song writer, when you're on your own,
as opposed to when you're part of a band and you've got five people
contributing.
What other talents do you have besides singing/
song writing?
I can roller blade. (Laughs) Certainly not
dancing or anything like
that because I am very clumsy... although I have
put myself in that
situation before. Gosh, I'm been doing this for so
long, what else am I
good at? (Laughs)
What is the best form of flattering that a fan can
say or do?
I am very flattered when one of my songs moves a fan on a personal
level, because a lot of my songs are created by pulling stuff out of my own
life. Also, it's great if someone finds my songs fun to sing along to,
since that's really why I listen to music - to sing along!
What was it like to get to work with an icon like Cyndi Lauper? I think
the name of the song was called Had To Go . What was that like?
It was kind of surreal. I grew up listening to her and singing along to
her (an interesting side note is that a few years ago I found a really
wonderful voice teacher and she happened to be Cyndi's teacher as well.
And I was very excited about that. I mean, Cindy is an amazing singer.)
so actually getting to work with her and have her singing along with me
was amazing. At one point we started rearranging the song a bit because
she had a few interesting ideas. And while I was singing she would run
down to give me pointers and sing my song back to me and I'm thinking ,
"Oh my gosh! That's Cyndi Lauper singing my song and she sounds
really good!" So it was exciting. And surreal. And overwhelming!
What would you say you learned from your producer Sammy Merendino who
produced your album "I Guess I Am a Sinner"?
The first thing I learned is that recording doesn't
have to be stressful. And it has been in the past.
But he was very easy going and very
encouraging. I also learned that there are nice
people out there in the record industry. They're
not all just looking out for themselves and
nothing else. As far as his producing and directing
me, I did learn to be more laid back with my
vocals. I'm all about the yelling and pushing. He
really reminded me to pull back and get into the
emotion of the song.
When it comes to writing songs, tell me a little bit about your
creative process. Do you generally come out with words first or does it vary
depending on the song?
It varies depending on the song. Sometimes I'll just sit around with
my guitar and fiddle until I find something that sounds good. If I find
something that way then I sort of "La La La" until words start
coming out. I ask myself 'Is that really a sentence?". And than I start
filling it in by using what might relate to me in my life. More often
I'll have something on my mind and I'll start thinking about it when
I'm walking, or on the train. New York is really good for that.
Because you can put a lot of thought into that kind of thing while
you're traveling. I try to always have a notebook with me. And usually
I'll get the melody in my head at that time as well. But, I've also done
the opposite - I'll have a lyric idea and I'll sit down with the
guitar and I'll try to find something that matches with the mood of the
lyrics and fit them together.
What would you say is the best advice that
someone has given you, that you could share in
regards to the pursuit of being successful
musically?
You should do what you're afraid of. Also, you
can't take everybody's opinion to heart because,
and this is probably the best one, you really have
to do what you believe in. You've got to do what
makes you happy because if you're doing things
to please other people, it's not going to end up
pleasing them anyway because your emotion is
not in it. I think people are attracted to things that
are produced by someone that believes in them.
How many years have you actually been pursuing music as a profession?
In this capacity I'd say about five.
Do you have any advice for someone who is just starting out and would
like to pursue a career?
I feel like such a beginner still, I'm not sure if I have anything
good to offer. I guess I would say, don't be afraid to be persistent.
I AM the kind of person that's worried about annoying people but
I've found that polite persistence is really the key. So I'd have to
say believe in yourself and stick to what's true to you.
Where can you CD be purchased?
You can get it on CDBaby.com and on my website
www.AndiRae.com. And hopefully soon I'll have it on itunes.
This is the fishbowl question - What was the best
part of your tour and what was the most challenging part of the tour?
The most challenging part of the tour was definitely the first few days
that I was truly on my own. It was scary and lonely. But, I got used
to it and eventually got to visit people that I knew and I made
friends. And that was really the best part - all the great people I met along
the way - like Scott! :)
www.AndiRae.com
Scott E Vision Studios 2006©
