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A few words with singer-songwriter-guitarist Andrew Wiltshire.
Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself.
Andrew: I've been working in a variety of creative industries all my life; I started in theatre, moved to TV and have also had some experience of writing and performing. Music has always been an important sideline for me, both as a fan, and wanting to create my own.
LB: How did you start out making music?
Andrew: I'd been singing all my life, in shows, and with some bands, but I reached my mid-20s and ran out of people I could con into accompanying me. So while on a long theatre tour with many a free hour, I taught myself the guitar, principally with the idea of just doing covers. But the songwriting bug kicked in and I've been writing ever since. I started recording first on a little Tascam four-track thing, graduated to some music studio software I got free with a magazine, and now it's all quite posh, studio on a laptop sort of stuff. It's all me, playing, singing and recording, which is both a joy and at times a frustration, but I like the independence, and in the end, it's only me who can either take the credit or the blame.
LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now?
Andrew: I had a heavy metal, prog rock teen-fan time, that slowly morphed into the finer, more subtle craft of the singer writer as I grew older. It means I guess that I'm not afraid to throw in loud moments if the song demands it, yet I still feel governed by singers who have no fear in letting their voice carry their work. Peter Gabriel was a huge influence when younger, more recently singers like Tom Mcrae, or Stephen Fretwell, and now I love using Americana influences like Joshua James, or William Fitzsimmons
LB: Tell us about your latest release.
Andrew: 'Memory of Voices' is my third CD, and marks a bit of a departure in that I've tried to move away from simply using my guitar and my voice, bringing in new influences, a capella sections, a wider diversity of sounds both instrumentally and physically. The songs themselves are again a mix of the personal and stories. The first track, 'Watching' has at its heart a story of someone watching the world play its games, through war, religion, conflict. ‘One More Day’ is about missing someone you care for very much. The title track is about losing someone close at a very young age, and how the memory of that person fades as the years pass, despite your best efforts.
LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows?
Andrew: I don't play live as often as I should, I do the occasional acoustic night as a favour for friends, when it's just me, my voice and a guitar, but I enjoy the recording process more, so tend to play live very rarely now.
LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy?
Andrew: I love playing with layers of sound, the joy of doing everything yourself is that you get to build it all from scratch, a simple drum rhythm and a single acoustic guitar track can go in any direction. Often that complete sound will be in your head, but sometimes it surprises you, as you work on it, and it shoots off on the most unexpected of tangents. I love harmony work as well, singing a line and then adding and adding… when it works it's a real joy. The creation of the music has always been as fulfilling to me as the finished product.
LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music?
Andrew: The new CD is available on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and on various other digital outlets. More information about me is on my MySpace page, and of course you can find me on Facebook as well (links below).
www.cdbaby.com/cd/andrewwiltshire
www.myspace.com/andrewwiltshire
www.andrewdwiltshire.com
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