Andrew Cushinhas been championed by two indie songwriting icons in the shape of Noel Gallagherand Pete Doherty, who recently signed the young musician to his Strap Originals label. His first single under the deal, ‘You Don’t Belong’, introduced an evolution in his sound, leading to airplay from BBC Music Introducingand Amazing Radioas well as a session for Sky TV’snew music show ‘Spill The Sound’. Now Andrewshares his new single ‘Catch Me If You Can’as he moves towards the release of his debut EP ‘You Don’t Belong’on April 22nd. Catch Me If You Can’ moves with a swaggering strut as ragged riffs, thunderous rhythms and foreboding backing vocal harmonies underline its menacing mood. It also shows the maturation and range of Andrew’s voice, which now bites with a resolute rock ‘n’ roll attitude after he previously displayed vulnerability on early tracks such as ‘Waiting For The Rain’.Andrew says, “‘Catch Me If You Can’ is a song I’ve had finished for a while but it was only when we began to work on it in the studio and add those backing vocals that it started to shine. The lyrics are written more as a metaphor.
I believe the song is about running away from something. The lines ‘here comes the girl with bad intentions’ and ‘she’ll come for me and then she’ll come for you’ could be about anxiety, depression or addiction. That’s what I like about ‘Catch Me If You Can’, the lyrics can be perceived in many different ways.”‘Catch Me If You Can’was written byAndrew, produced byJason Stafford, and was recorded at The Albion Rooms, The Libertines’studio in Margate.The single is accompanied by an official video, which puts Andrew’snaturalistic performance at the forefront. Those scenes are cut with footage of Andrewand his friends around their local area, although the personification of the metaphorical “girl with bad intentions”is ominously never far away. The video was filmed and directed by Andy Willsher,who won the NME Award for the Outstanding Contribution to Music Photography. Both of Andrew’srecent singles feature on his debut EP ‘You Don’t Belong’. Initially a singer-songwriter with a flair for raw introspection, the new EP shows that he’s stronger within the sound of a full live band. The strength of his songwriting shows why he’s so highly regarded, while its indie rock raucousness also incorporates a brawny, bluesy undercurrent.
Andrew’shometown of Newcastleis effectively a character in many of his songs, his observations of the society around him touching upon social issues but also with steadfast respect for his community. He’s gradually becoming a hometown hero. A favourite on local radio and media, he has sold-out The Boiler Shopand The Cluny, and became the youngest Geordieto headline the city’s O2 Academy, while his music is played at most Newcastle United home games. But this isn’t an artist limited to a city. Like Sam Fender before him, Andrew’ssongs possess a broad appeal and relevance that can speak to people throughout the land. Establishing a reputation as a powerful live performer, Andrewhas also supported bands including The Lathums, Two Door Cinema Club,The Libertines and most recently The Sheepdogs. Now he announces his biggest UKand Irelandheadline tour to date, during which he will be one of the first artists to headlineNewcastle’s new NX venue. First comes a tour as guest toThe Sherlocks, then a slot at Noel Gallagher’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Circusas well as a variety of summer festival shows.
