On the road to Cardiff
US singer-songwriter Jill Andrews heads to Cardiff this month with support from west Wales indie band Sky Barkers. Andrews told Jenny White why she’s excited to be coming to Wales...
JILL Andrews’ soulful music will be familiar to fans of Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Wife, Nashville, Wynonna Earp and This Is Us – but her roots as a singer-songwriter go back much further. She started writing short stories as a young girl, relishing the process of outing her ideas onto paper. By the age of 19 this had developed into songwriting and she was learning the guitar.
“At that time, it was boring for me to learn other people’s songs, so I decided to write my own,” she says. “My choir director as a kid was a huge influence on me as a singer. She would always have me sing solos in church. She really helped me build my confidence on stage.”
She idolised Patty Griffin and Joni Mitchell – and still does.
“Melody is the first thing that draws me into a song and then lyrics bring me back to it again and again,” she says. “Whatever the combination is, I really love music that makes me feel deeply.”
This is reflected in her own country-flavoured songwriting.
“I usually write about very personal things. Songwriting tends to be a way that I work out conflict in my own life. It’s a great vent, kind of like therapy. If I have something that is keeping me up at night, that’s normally a great subject to write about.”
Her career started in earnest when she fronted Americana group The Everbodyfields. After that came a successful solo career as a writer and performer that is still unfolding today.
Her music has taken her far from her East Tennessee home and she has collaborated and shared the stage with countless celebrated artists, including the Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors and the Secret Sisters.
Asked about the highlights of her career so far, she says: “The first time that I got a song on television was very cool. It was one of the first moments that I felt like things were really working in my career.
“It was a song called Cut And Run, a very sad breakup song that was used on American Idol when a contestant was told they were not going to make it to the next round.
“I’ve also played at Red Rocks, the Kennedy Center, had many other songs on television at this point and I’m really thinking that playing in the UK is going to be a big highlight for me.
“It feels like a real privilege to be able to travel
I also love seeing different natural landscapes. I will definitely be looking for some good hikes while I’m in Wales
“I enjoy the adventure that every new place has in store for me,” she says. “I love meeting new people and eating lots of different food. I love walking around towns that I’ve never visited and seeing what’s cool about them.
“I also love seeing different natural landscapes. I will definitely be looking for some good hikes while I’m in Wales.”
Jill Andrews with Sky Barkers and Wolfy will be at the Gate, Cardiff, on November 11 at 7pm and at Bangor’s Blue Sky Café on November 12, at 8pm. Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketsource.co.uk